Description
Imperial War Museum | Duxford, Cambridgeshire
9th Apr, 2025 9:00
1973 Lamborghini Espada
1 of just c. 130 right-hand drive examples
Estimate
£70, 000 - £90, 000
Registration No: WHJ 516M
Chassis No: 9256
MOT: Exempt
1 of just 130 right-hand drive Espadas reputedly built
Notable owners including the Reeder Brothers of Ferrari circles and Lamborghini ‘guru’ Del Hopkins
Just 67, 000 recorded miles
Discovered as a garage find in 2022 and fully recommissioned by the vendors since
Previous full mechanical restoration including engine overhaul by the Reeder Brothers at c. 60, 000 miles
Introduced at the 1968 Geneva Salon, the Lamborghini Espada was a true four-seater supercar. Styled by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, it was visually indebted to the carozzeria's previous 'Marzal' and 'Pirana' show cars. A low-slung menacing 'wedge' (actually no longer than a contemporary Ford Mustang), its Giampaolo Dallara honed pressed-steel platform chassis featured all-round coil-and-wishbone suspension, Koni dampers, disc brakes and anti-roll bars. Although, the 'quad-cam' Bizzarini 3, 929cc V12 was front-mounted and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Espada enjoyed near ideal front-to-rear weight distribution (52:48). The world's fastest four-seater at some 155mph, it was praised for its handling and ride quality. Debuting at the 1972 Turin Motor Show, the Series III came with power steering and air-conditioning as standard. Boasting 365bhp and 290lbft of torque, it also carried a revised interior, re-jigged rear suspension and uprated brakes. In production at Sant'Agata Bologna for just six years, a mere 472 were supposedly made.
More information to follow.
