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 1968 Lamborghini Espada
Espada: Twelve cylinder V (60°), 3929 cm3, 82,0 mm * 62,0 mm, 7 bearings, 9,8/10,7 : 1, 2 * DOHC, chains, 6 double carburettors, 374/392 Nm 4500/5500 rpm, 239/257 kW (325/350 HP) 6500 rpm,
front engine, rear-wheel drive, single-disc dry clutch, hydraulically operated five-speed, manual, optional automatic, double wishbone front, wishbone/trailing arm rear, recirculating ball steering, campagnolo, magnesium,
205 VR 15 (7''), central locking, 4,73/2,65/1,86/1,19 m, 280 liters, 93 liters, 1660 kg + driver, from approx. 245 km/h, 1968 - 1978, 12 V 600/770 W
From the outside you can't really recognize its special features, the of the Espada, built two years after the Miura in 1968. A completely different character, instead of a transverse a longitudinal V12, instead of a mid-engine, a
front engine, longitudinal instead of transverse. It's almost hard to believe that these two cars come from the same manufacturer and even designer, Marcello Gandini (Bertone).
The engine itself was quite comparable in terms of size and displacement, although not in terms of performance, which was constantly increased in such supercars as they were developed. Where it endsed with the
Espada 1978, it basically began with the Miura 1966. This and the air conditioning compressor, which was only available in the Espada, were probably reasons for the much greater heat development in the Miura.
The first Espada only barely reached 250 km/h, but even worse off were models with Chrysler's automatic transmission, which not only swallowed more engine power than the standard five-speed gearbox, but also
upshifted so early when accelerating that the engine lost its power and did not reach the rated speed. The Miura is said to have been the first Lamborghini to make money, perhaps the Espada too, despite the fairly slow
production.
| Series 1 (1968-70) | 186 |
| Series 2 (1970-72) | 575 |
| Series 3 (1972-78) | 456 |
| Total | 1217 |
In the 7 years of Miura production, they also hadn't been any faster with fewer than 500 units. What both of them had in common was the naming from the area of bullfighting, which was said to be true for all Lamborghini
models, but was by no means always carried out. The name 'Espada' refers to the bullfighter's sword, the Miura to a fighting bull breeder.
The question remains about the special features of the Espada, which is at least 14 cm higher. Its body was labeled 'hatchback', but nowhere in this area of ??design does the roof or large rear window 'flow' as
cumbersome as in this sports car. That was exactly the trick here. Laterally it had all the ingredients of a hatchback without actually being one.
The rear side window showed little movement downwards at the edge of the roof, a fortiori at its lower limit upwards. The arrangement of the ventilation grilles, which incidentally contained a tank cap on each side, was also
clever. There were two tanks on the left and right sides, which at least kept the luggage compartment floor somewhat flat. Of course they were connected.
Nevertheless, the luggage compartment suffered from the massive spare wheel. At least it benefited from the relatively flat rear window. Perhaps a little unusual for supercars: the luggage compartment could be covered by
a pull-out, rolled-up tarpaulin. Incidentally, it was attached below the narrow vertical window in the rear, a special feature of the Espada and later copied in a variety of variants. Incidentally, it was initially visually barred.
Let's get to the essentials: the Espada's role as a particularly fast four-seater for long distances. It has also been called a 'couch', but the position of the passengers is said to have been quite comfortable. If it were
developed today, it would be a four-door car, but probably only half as nice. At least access to the rear seats wasn't that difficult thanks to the wide doors, apart from the internal locking of the front seat backs.
The similarity to the one-off Marzal from 1967 was striking at first glance, even though it had a completely different basic concept. It was a four-seater, but the engine was installed transversely at the rear and was an in-line
six-cylinder. That would then be a reversed Miura drive, which would also have been deprived of a row of cylinders.
The interior was mainly lined in leather. Comparatively little wood was to find there. The dashboard probably changed almost more often than the series, initially with the speedometer and tachometer far apart. In between
there are two additional displays at the bottom and three at the top, each group covered with leather to protect against external light.
Attention was paid to little things. The steering wheel was already height-adjustable and there were ashtrays and cigarette lighters for the rear seats, although the individual seats offered actually only enough leg room for
larger children. The rear windows could be opened at the bottom using a sturdy mechanism.
Ultimately, especially with this luxury sports car, it all came down to driving and that felt really good once you felt that the engine sounded well. What was astonishing was the seating position, which was unusual for a four-
seater. The driving comfort was beyond any doubt.
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