The Classic

Right from the beginning of his venture into automobile manufacturing, company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini stated his objective very clearly. He wanted to make the best grand tourer available: a sports car that was not only fast but also comfortable and luxuriously finished.

The Espada could comfortably seat four adults and had more space for both luggage and passengers than its predecessor, the 400 GT 2+2. In addition, the Espada featured outstanding finishing, with generous amounts of leather and other refined materials, as well as the option of fitting air conditioning. Power steering was introduced as an option in 1969 and was included as standard from 1972 onwards. An automatic transmission was added from 1974.

The technical cornerstone of the Espada was its 60° V12 engine, first produced in 1963 with a displacement of 3.5-litres (increased to 4.0-litres the following year). The V12 could deliver 325hp (242kW) at 7200rpm when it was first fitted in the Espada. This increased to 350hp (260kW) at 7500rpm in the Espada Series II, released in 1970.

The fastest four-seater car in the world when it was unveiled, the grand tourer had a top speed of between 245 and 260km/h. This made it able to keep up with the sportier Miura in most conditions.

Featuring boxy shapes as part of a highly innovative design by Carrozzeria Bertone, the Espada proved to be a long-lasting commercial success. Its versatility and roomy interior – despite a height of just 119cm – meant that it was suitable for much more frequent use, thus significantly expanding Lamborghini’s customer base.

One of the most famous Lamborghini Espada owners was Sir Paul McCartney. The former Beatle was a Lamborghini enthusiast, and he bought a right-hand-drive 1972 Espada Series III with manual transmission, red paintwork, and a red leather interior. His wife Linda often drove the car: one time it rolled into a pond after she left it in neutral and forgot to engage the handbrake. It was hauled out of the water after three days and later sold to new owners, who went on to use it for a number of years. Subsequently, it ended up being part of the “decor” of an English pub. It was sold to an unknown enthusiast in 2005 and it is thought to now be in Austria.

A total of 1226 cars were produced across the three series: 176 of the Espada 400 GT Series 1 between 1968 and 1969, 578 of the Espada 400 GTE Series II between 1970 and 1972, and 472 of the Espada 400 GTS Series III between 1972 and 1978.