Lamborghini Espada
Between 1968 and 1978 the Lamborghini Company manufactured a great tourer named Lamborghini Espada. This car was one of the most successful cars produced by Lamborghini at that time and was produced to fill the 4 seats car niche of the Italian company lineup. Lamborghini manufactured only 1217 units which were created by Marcello Gandini.
The name of the car refers back to the sword (Espada means sword in Spanish) which is used through the toreador to get rid of the bull. The car was manufactured in three series during its ten years of production. The series were called S1 (1968-1970), S2 (1970-1972) and S3 (1972-1978) plus they had improvements concerning the engine power and also the interior and exterior design. For instance, the S2 series had a new dashboard, a new steering wheel, vented brakes and a plus of 25 horsepower.
At the start the Espada was equipped with a 4.0 liter V12 engine, had an independent suspension and four wheel disc brakes. This car was “the fastest four seats car on the planet” that could range from zero to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds. At that time cars had manual transmission, but Lamborghini Espada introduced the very first time the automatic transmission. This new transmission had the capacity to absorb the torque of the V12 engine. Moreover, this car had a cheaper chassis, but a significantly stronger platform made of pressed-steel that was given by Marchesi of Modena.
The Lamborghini Espada was equipped with two NACA ducts that “feed” the V12 engine’s six Weber carburetors. That’s the key reason why this car wasn’t so quiet when it achieved its maximum speed. With an easier access to the engine bay, the designer introduced a forward-hinged unit that included the hood and the upper fenders.
The interior was spacious enough as we take into account the proven fact that it was a four seats car covered in leather. All of the instrumentation was placed handy, while watching driver. The most crucial features were the switches and the “eyeball” vents. Even if at the start the design of the controls really was ugly having three spokes, the latest models taken advantage of an improved, better looking steering wheel.
The 2nd Espada series was called 400GTE and was displayed the very first time in 1970 in the Brussels car show. This new Lamborghini Espada had some improvements concerning the design from the dashboard while the passengers could now benefit from the additional ventilation and also the lighting put into the arm rest. The technical components were updated too, including the chassis and the ventilated brakes. However the most significant changes are related to the compression boost that increased the ability to 325 bhp at 7500 rpm and also the new Lobro CV joints.
The 3rd series of the Lamborghini Espada was manufactured in 1973 and was part of the Turin Reveal that happened within the same year. The distinguishing features of this series were the taillights and it is redesigned front. The vehicle was also designed with an alternative power steering system. Other features that were improved included the shock rates, the brake power and also the ac that became standard. The interior from the car suffered some changes only within the dashboard area. The not compulsory options that come with this new Lamborghini Espada were the sunroof and also the Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic transmission that was used only for 55 Espadas.
The Lamborghini Espada is definitely an exquisite car that impresses car collectors and enthusiasts every time celebrate its appearance at the car shows and auctions that occur around the world, every year.