Lamborghini celebrates 50th anniversary of the launch of the Espada and Islero

Jul 30 , 2018

Only 225 units of the Islero were produced between 1968 and 1970.

The last Shah of Iran owned an Espada, while Roger Moore test drove the Islero in the movie ‘The Man Who Haunted Himself’

If you are planning a road trip in Italy in early September – 7 to 11 to be precise – be alert: most likely you will encounter a long line of classic Lamborghinis roaring along the roads from Perugia, Assisi, Chianti to Sant’Agata. Or you might meet many Lamborghini collectors during your stops at local wineries and museums. Why? Because there will be a Lamborghini celebratory tour.

The glass panel of the Espada was one of the classic designs in automobile history.

The tour is organised by Polo Storico Lamborghini, the division that handles the restoration of older Lamborghini models, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Espada and Islero.

The 1968 Espada, restored by Polo Storico Lamborghini, the special unit for the restoration of classic Lamborghinis

Created by legendary car designer Marcello Gandini whose works included the Diablo and the Miura, the Espada was not only the first four-seater Lamborghini, but also the first Lamborghini to be offered, on request, in a version with automatic transmission.

This primrose yellow 1968 Lamborghini Espada belonged to the last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, Mohammad Reza Shah. He used to drive his crown prince to school. It fetched US$23,000 at a Geneva auction in 1997.

It was an engineering breakthrough to transfer the torque and power of a 4.0 V12 engine to a model with automatic transmission which, in the Espada’s case, was able to reach a top speed of 245km/h.

Around 1,226 units were produced during its 10-year production run from 1968 to 1978.

The Islero was equipped with a longitudinal, front-mounted 4.0-litre V12 engine for a maximum speed of around 250km/h.