Lamborghini has celebrated the 50th anniversary of
the Espada and Islero by restoring two models owned by the Lamborghini Museum. The restoration work was
completed by Lamborghini Polo Storico, but the company was surprising coy on
details. Despite this, both cars look brand new and the Islero has been painted
a lovely shade of green.
Speaking of the Islero, it’s a little known model
that was produced between 1968 and 1970. Only 225 units were built and a vast
majority of them were entry-level variants equipped with a front-mounted
4.0-liter V12 engine that produced 315 hp. This enabled the
car to hit a top speed of approximately 250 km/h. Lamborghini also offered an
Islero S which featured an upgraded engine developing 345 hp.
Only 70 units were built and they could top out at around 260 km/h.
The Espada, on the other hand, is more widely known
as the company built 1,226 units over the course of its 10-year production run.
Besides being one of the more popular early Lamborghini models, the Espada was
the company’s first four-seater as well as the first to be offered with an
automatic transmission.
Despite these creature comforts, the Espada had a
4.0-liter V12 engine with dual overhead camshafts and six twin-barrel Weber
carburetors. The engine’s output varied by series, but the car had between 320
hp and 345 hp.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, the
cars will take part in a classic vehicle tour through central Italy. The tour
will span more than 650 km and include stops in cities such as
Tuscany and Sant’Agata Bolognese.
