Conceived “with an idea to shock” – as explained by its designer, Marcello Gandini – the Espada was not only Lamborghini’s first production four-seater, it quickly became one of the highest-selling models ever for the Raging Bull.
Between 1968 and 1978, 1,226 examples were built across three different generations, each of which featured a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V12 that produced up to 350 hp (depending on the Series) and could hit 245 km/h. It was also – shock, horror – the first Lamborghini to feature an automatic gearbox, a far cry from the unyielding 350 GT that inspired it and from which the V12 was sourced.
To mark 50 years since the Espada’s launch, Lamborghini last year commissioned the full restoration of a Series III example (of which only 472 were made) in time for a celebratory tour taking place in Umbria on September 17.
The work was performed in-house by the company’s heritage division Polo Storico, and the tour – at which the newly renovated Espada will be the guest of honour – will welcome drivers from around the world, all of them driving 650 km from Perugia to the company’s head quarters at Sant’Agata Bolognese. Non-Lamborghini owners probably need not apply.
The celebrations also include a short video series dedicated to the restoration of the Espada, the first two of which you can watch here. The program begins with a full disassembly, taking everything – including the original and heavily weathered paint – down to the bare steel monocoque.
And yes, as is custom with most restorations these days, the work is done mostly by hand using period-spec procedures: “Once, the body of car used to be hammered by hand. Therefore, today it is absolutely remade like it was made at the time.”
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