The Espada is my favourite Lamborghini and my favourite car. My grandfather bought a S1 Espada new in 1968 and had it till 1973 when someone rear-ended him. He sold it and bought a SIII Espada and it's still in the family. Also we tracked down the First gen Espada of his in Sweden and bought it back. They're both in the family now. Like you said, for a vintage Italian sportscar they're really comfortable, the engine is just so much fun to listen to. And they drive not bad. I'm allowed to drive them from time to time, they're absolutely head-turners, and still have a stunning design with an elegance that's unmatched in most cars.
Another brilliant video with superbly researched info... As a youngster in the early 1970`s i had a picture of one on my bedroom wall, today i still have a stunning 1/18th scale model of the Espada..
Congratulations...great choices. Everybody loves a Miura...but i think all 70s Gandini cars aged very well.As did the Ghibly ,original Esprit ,and the Pantera.. Earlier they almost looked too simple for a supercar...nowadays they just seem perfect.And very classy. You chose well,Grasshopper....Enjoy!!
In my own personal opinion the Lamborghini Miura tops all models it's the most wonderful beautiful car to ever exist super curves eye stunning visuals just awesome, My next preference would be a Porsche 911 mk1.
Now I never knew about the difference between Lamborghini's focus and that of Ferrari. To me (it was Countach vs. Testarossa when I was growing up) they were just two companies making ridiculously fast and flashy cars. So I've learnt something that perhaps your other viewers would already have known.
It's startling how quickly Lamborghini went from not really caring for the Miura to giving his blessing for the Countach, then within a few years of him selling up, the two-seat supercars had become central to the company's image.
Great review Ed! I watched this straight after Harry's Garage drive of his personal Espada. Your solid history content about the car, its designer and the competition , delivered in your usual controlled effervescent style, make this essential watching. Keep up the good work - both on the reviews and the Metro tinkering!
I live in New Zealand, and I have only ever seen one. This was back in the mid 1970s. I was in my teens and my father and I were driving along a motorway. Then all of a sudden this car flashed by us. What was that said my dad?. Me being car crazy then, i knew exactly what it was. A Lamborghini I said. My father said it looks like it should be on an aircraft runway. This model looks so good in blue. Thanks for posting this doco about it.
As a mechanic in the seventies I had the (dubious) pleasure of working on several of our well heeled customers Espada's on a regular basis. I say dubious because such things as simply changing the plugs for instance during a service meant first taking off those six DCOE's - fiddly pigs in their own right and the whole job took several hours, culminating in having to re balance them once refitted NOT an easy job, but oh so satisfying when you finally had her all fettled up and running like a swiss watch. Most of our customers were wealthy business owners and the like, with mainly Royces as everyday drivers....and toys for the weekend obviously ! one such regular customer - who probably wouldnt take kindly to me name dropping him so therefor I wont, had left his car with us for a cam chain replacement and a full service which was around three days work. ,He popped into our place on the friday evening to see when it would be ready and as I was the only one still there and still working AND the one who worked on his particular cars and was just finishing it, told him it would be another few hours yet.......BUT I told him when he got it back , - in no uncertain terms was he to leather it for about a hundred miles or so to let the chains fully bed in. - to which he replied - sod THAT I dont have the patience - why dont YOU take it home and run it around over the weekend then I will pick it up Monday evening. of COURSE I tried to argue with him....NOT lol, and given I actually lived about forty miles away from the Garage was ideal. and THIS is how I know for fact an Espada will COMFORTABLY exeed 150 mph lol - the motorways were not policed back then as they are now but shhhhh dont tell anyone !. the car was a different animal when stretching its legs - a really fast lady, but was an absloutely uncompromising pig at low speeds around town - it could damn near break the national speed limit in FIRST gear so long legged was it - and even then it was only just on cam. oh happy days, I just wish I could go back to that time and do it all again.
I ADORE the Espada. When I was 10(ish), my mum's fella at the time had one. It's the car that got me into cars. His was typical Italian sports car red, tan interior with gold Campagnolo Knock offs. It was stunning. I loved going for drives in it, cruising comfortably at 100+ and on occasion hitting 150+.
I saw one outside Harrods when I was young, and it was the most astonishing car I had yet seen. But even then I knew I would never be able to get into it easily. Anyway, the radio. It’s in the best place because it’s accessible for the driver, who is the most important person in the car. Nobody, on pain of death, is allowed to touch the radio or anything else on the dashboard of my car without asking - just saying.
The colors say everything about what he was trying to communicate, loud and proud of the creations, there was no reason to be restricted to boring tradition. I have to love the man for that, amongst everything else his team did so very well.
You've done it again Ed. Very good video about a truly incredible car. Who doesn't love a Lambo? I got a couple of rides in a Ferrari 400 in the eighties as my boss at the time owned one. I really wish I could have travelled even a few miles in an Espada. Phoawr!
My friend tells me of his mom's Espada, in Cleveland, Ohio. it got groceries, hauled him to school, and drove the family to Florida for the winter. So, I guess Ferrucio did give Mr. Ferrari a bloody nose, as you brilliantly put it.
I'm 59 this year, I count myself so lucky to have lived through a time that has produced the most beautiful and characterful cars, cars like this Espada, the Countach, Sillouhette, Uracco, Ferrari Boxer, Dino 246 and even the slightly cheaper options like the Lotus Esprit, Elite and TVR's, beautiful shark nosed BMW saloons and coupe's (no, not an X5), 3 ltr Capri's, Cortina's, Escorts and many many more. Such a shame that everything now looks so bland and characterless.
Bloody marvelous video, Ed. Only one thing was missing, and was a listen to the engine and exhaust. I vaguely remember hearing one of these magnificent automobiles way back in the early 70s. Awe inspiring, to be sure. A gorgeous car and the work of genius. I shudder to think what Mr. Lamborghini must think of the impractical and fragile things that bear his name today.
Another blast from my past. Always loved the Espana and it still stops me in the street when I see one. They'll never make another ICE car with a bonnet as low as this Lamborghini.
I honestly think this is the only Lamborghini I'd ever realy go out of my way to try and own. It's just so unique and beautiful but I love how remarkably functional it is (compared to a lot of contemporaries). That blue is definitely the best colour as well.
One of my uncles has a 1973 Espada, black with a white interior. It’s pretty mind blowing when you see it in person, and the sound of that awesome V-12 is somehow beautiful and Savage at the same time. The first time he took me for a ride in it, he immediately took it up to 120 mph (he lives Germany and we often go on the autobahn). I began laughing because it was just such an overwhelming experience. The sensation of speed is like take off in a fighter jet, you’re just pinned back in the seat and the scenery just blurs around you, and the speed keeps increasing. That V-12 feels like the power is infinite.
Another cracking and educational review of a wonderful car Ed. Thank you for sharing as you clearly did your research on the Espada and other models of the time.
Great review and they still look space age for someone who grew up in the 70/80s. I have been lucky enough to have had a ride in this very Espada back in 2019. It has also been featured in Classic & Sportscar against its period rivals. It previously belonged to Bono of U2 fame. If only I was brave enough 15 years ago, when you could pick up a project for £20-25k. I am glad they are now appreciated.
Two Espada videos in one day! Excellent review Ed. It would be interesting to see a collaboration between yourself and Harry Metcalfe sometime, two different views from two different generations?
Thx for a great review of the Espada. In the early '90s I went to Monterey and I remember an Espada coming out of an intersection driving towards my direction. It was a sight to behold. The look of a huge wide classic car being soooo low is just amazing looking. It and a F40 were most vivid in my memory. When Lamborghini built their first car the GT350 in '63, they were already way ahead of Ferrari. The car had independent suspension, disc brakes, dohc, six twin draft carburetors, etc. - most if not all, were not yet available in any Ferrari at that time. Lamborghini was way ahead in terms of latest innovations. Then came the Miura and Countach taking the world by storm and influence what is today's supercars or hyper cars.
I've always loved the Espada since it was launched - I even had a Matchbox model of the Marzal, so when espada was launched I remember saying to my Dad that they'd put it into production. There have been other "reviews" of the Espada online but none have come close to giving the detail and description of it that you have done here. One point - you said that it is very big, very wide. For modern cars it isn't. It is narrower than a Renault Clio. Thank you. Having seen you at 5'9" sitting in it one question jumps out at me though - how the hell did Bob Wallace drive it, or the Miura come to that?
That driving position was known by the press in the 1970s as the "Italian Ape". Most Italian cars had it and you needed short legs and long arms. I remember driving a Fiat 127 at the time and I almost couldn't reach the steering wheel if the seat was set so the pedals were usable.
Gandini did so many amazing designs..its impressive.Amazing that there isnt a true documentary to be found about him.Same as with Bizzarrini....unsung automotive heroes.Only recently got some credits for the work they did for their employers.
Ed you're are very lucky man to behold this beauty in the flesh, always a favourite of mine, my friends had Miuras, Countach's, E-Types on their walls, I had the Espada, The Jensen Interceper and the Mazerarti Khamsin on mine, to me they had a beauty that just hit differently, cars you want to spend hours driving/riding in not just looking at, although they are all striking in the exterior looks department well.
In many ways, this car has it all. I love the styling, it has elegance to it, rear is ridiculously sexy and front not too aggressive but having a great presence. It must have loud and ridiculous engine, and V12 obliges, that 1970s Lambo interior is like nothing else and making it actually practical? This is my perfect car.
Ed, great watch. Till today I have never heard of a Lamborghini Espada. Funny thing, when I was a kid Ferraris were known for catching fire for no reason. The Marcel show car is really out of the box---even for the mid 60's, just waiting for James Bond to walk up to it and drive it off. With the Espada's flat back window, a back-up camera would be a nice addition.
As Crocodile Dundee would say "Call that a car? That's a car!" Brilliant video Ed...pity you didn't get to take it for a spin. Maybe it would have ended up as a one-way holiday to Alassio!
Very good review, young man. I think the Espada is one of the most striking designs ever. It's not exactly "beautiful," but, perhaps for those of us who were kids in the 70s, it just "looks" like a car should. It's long and low, but has a bit of a mean Dodge Charger face. It's like a giant Matchbox car that you can drive, fast and comfortably with three of your friends. An awesome machine, well ahead of its time.
excellently researched video and presented professionally. Some Espda owners converted to cams from the Muira as these had cams lobs which were 1mm higher than those in a standard Espada giving an upgrade to rev close to 9,000 rpm. The Daytona used rubbish holly valve stems filled with sodium enabling this horrible engine to rev high but Lamborghini did not use this method making the Lambo V12 quite a bullet proof engine
That colur on the Espada a guy here in Århus/Denmark had for years before taken it to a car dealer and came home with a brand new Porsche 944 without take his purse out - the car dealer repainted it in red and sold it quick- now it sits in a car collection and havent been driven or years sadly enough
When I was young (a long time ago!) a neighbour had one of these in metallic green. I never liked it at the time but think they look fantastic now. Extremely low and the car looks immense. Fantastic in that colour too.
Perfect research and excellent delivery, it looks unedited which is quite a skill. Not a stumble or mumble. A few years ago I think it was a rhd Espada.. came up for sale and it was fairly cheap, it was dark blue and previous owner was Vivienne Westwood......I wonder where that is now....
The 3/4 view is stunning. The shoulder line going from the front of the hood and curling up in the rear. I don’t like the bread box backside as much, but an emotional and beautiful design.
Its interesting how Italian classic cars where so amazingly styled with a premium looks and feel. With a huge exception for their interior switches. Which look like they came off a construction machine
A very good look at such an interesting car (it made me go and look at my Matchbox Marzal). A pity we didn't get to hear that V12 revving a little, but well done.
Wow Lambo reviews now, moving up in the world TC! 😊 Funny, after 50 odd years of lusting after these things I only just realised the Esparza badges are handed down the sides so the point of the sword races forwards!
There was a scruffy Espada for sale in my neighbourhood, some 20 years ago. Asking price was around 8000€. I contemplated buying it for a short while, it made a serious impression on me, eventually I didn’t buy it because it would be a money pit to restore it. A couple of years later I couldn’t believe my eyes when I stumbled on the same car, still unrestored, at the Techno Classica car show in Essen, Germany. The price had quadrupled In a span of a couple of years, instantly I regretted not buying it earlier… Fantastic machine that needs to be seen in the flesh to fully appreciate the bonkers design..
I couldn't stop staring when one was displayed prior to auction, my goodness I was gobsmacked just as I was with a Citroen DS in my dealers showroom one day.
Had one left at dealership I worked at for brake service, parts took months. Car had to be driven 2 times a week or it wouldn’t start.time of my life on country roads . It would hit 80 in 1st gear… lucky to get past 3rd . It was built left hand drive
Still utterly beguiling in so many ways, the Espada sits in a strange, almost otherworldly category all by itself. I would dearly love to own one and just like Harry Metcalfe with his Series 2, I would use it as often as possible. I love the Series 3 dash layout but would have to have the Miura style Campagnolo alloys of the S1 and S2 cars if I were lucky enough to own one. The stuff of dreams and no mistake... my dream garage would be large enough to house the Espada along with a Miura, Urraco, LP400 Countach, Indy, Ghibli, Mexico, Bora, Merak, Citroen SM, Iso Lele, Bizzarrini 5300GT, De Tomaso Mangusta, Gordon Keeble and Jensen Interceptor. Well, it's a start.... ;o)
Great video. Love the exterior color of this car. Rusty French brought 3 of these cars to Australia , an electric blue one, a one in bright green and one in all black. I was lucky enough to see all 3 cars.
Rolls-Royce Shadow rival? Probably more of a rival to the Aston Martin DBS, Iso Lele, Jensen Interceptor, et al. It’s probably got them all beat though - not least because of the V12. I can’t help wondering if the later Jaguar XJ-S and Rolls-Royce Camargue were aimed at the Espada’s customers as well.
That’s what Ferruccio was targeting! In fact, even the 365 I mentioned wasn’t the Espada’s intended competition, but it’s completely unsurprising that the likes of the 365, DBS, and XJ-S became its competitors and successors.
Great Video Ed love these cars , I remember back in about 1975 you could find them very cheap nobody wanted them i wished i had bought one them , i ended up buying a 1970 Dino 246 for 5000.00 pounds kept it for a few years i moved to Canada and shipped the car it was a LHD one . I wanted to get Espada but the price was to high out here . I have a friend in Seattle she has 2 of them I can only dream now.
Worth mentioning (something I found out on Iain Tyrell's channel) is that the Bizzarrini/Lamborghini V12 had a _machined from billet_ crankshaft, a step beyond even forged ones and practically unique among road engines then and now.
I saw Harry Metcalfe's Espada in person a few years ago out in the wild. What surprises most is how low the car is, especially the bonnet line. You wouldn't believe there was a thumping great V12 under the bonnet and two extra seats in the rear - it's that tiny.
I love that color! I have a 350 GT (same dark blue as the one in the photo) and even though it's called a GT it's ride size and driving experience is more sports car than Tourer. I have a 72 Ferrari 365 GTC4 and an 89 412 with 106k miles. They're both proper GTs but l've driven a very well sorted Espada S3 and it's also a great GT in a Lamborghini sort of way. It's a little brutish compared to the Ferraris but that's a good thing. I want one.
Now that is my kind of car. I knew nothing about it until Car SOS rebuilt one and I became very impressed with it and you rubber stamped my opinion but from a different perspective. You have raised yourself to a new level with this video and I enjoyed it a lot. Did you film in the Bournemouth/Poole area? I was picking up familiar vibes, I may be wrong of course. And another left field question - where did the rear light clusters come from? They seemed oddly out of place, not at home in the overall design, like an afterthought.
The rear lights are same used on the Alfa Romeo Berlina, on the series 3. Sometime in production the rear lights used was the same as the Alfa Romeo Montréal. There was another rear light used - but I'm unsure from which manufacturer it was sourced.
For me, it seems odd that an engine with 12 cylinders only displaces 3.5 liters. These are killer but the grill work and the parking lights look kinda fuct. What the hell Gandini??? Great video!!! I'll have an Islero please!
Much respect to you for your research in this video especially regarding the islero, probably one of the most beautiful Lamborghinis you’ve produced a great video. I remember seeing an espada at snetterton race track and didn’t bother watching the race! After seeing this car. One small question, Did the owner let you drive it?
I had one, among the fastest & best looking of all my collection. I was 10 years old & kept them all in a box under my bed.
lol!!😆
The Espada is my favourite Lamborghini and my favourite car. My grandfather bought a S1 Espada new in 1968 and had it till 1973 when someone rear-ended him. He sold it and bought a SIII Espada and it's still in the family. Also we tracked down the First gen Espada of his in Sweden and bought it back. They're both in the family now. Like you said, for a vintage Italian sportscar they're really comfortable, the engine is just so much fun to listen to. And they drive not bad. I'm allowed to drive them from time to time, they're absolutely head-turners, and still have a stunning design with an elegance that's unmatched in most cars.
That blue is the best colour I have seen an Espada wearing, it really suits it.
It does look nice in blue but they don’t half look amazing in silver or grey
I think they look best in that gold sand colour...
Another brilliant video with superbly researched info... As a youngster in the early 1970`s i had a picture of one on my bedroom wall, today i still have a stunning 1/18th scale model of the Espada..
Got one of those myself, in black. Also a Lamborghini Urraco and a Miura. They truly are diamonds on wheels.
Congratulations...great choices. Everybody loves a Miura...but i think all 70s Gandini cars aged very well.As did the Ghibly ,original Esprit ,and the Pantera.. Earlier they almost looked too simple for a supercar...nowadays they just seem perfect.And very classy. You chose well,Grasshopper....Enjoy!!
In my own personal opinion the Lamborghini Miura tops all models it's the most wonderful beautiful car to ever exist super curves eye stunning visuals just awesome, My next preference would be a Porsche 911 mk1.
Now I never knew about the difference between Lamborghini's focus and that of Ferrari. To me (it was Countach vs. Testarossa when I was growing up) they were just two companies making ridiculously fast and flashy cars. So I've learnt something that perhaps your other viewers would already have known.
It's startling how quickly Lamborghini went from not really caring for the Miura to giving his blessing for the Countach, then within a few years of him selling up, the two-seat supercars had become central to the company's image.
@@TwinCam... And with ZERO racing heritage. That's probably the most amazing and unusual fact.
Great review Ed! I watched this straight after Harry's Garage drive of his personal Espada. Your solid history content about the car, its designer and the competition , delivered in your usual controlled effervescent style, make this essential watching. Keep up the good work - both on the reviews and the Metro tinkering!
Espadas never look right in two dimensions... They're such a different thing to behold in person.
It's mid century perfection. It has all the style; but more importantly it oozes the ambition and auspicion of the era.
I live in New Zealand, and I have only ever seen one. This was back in the mid 1970s. I was in my teens and my father and I were driving along a motorway. Then all of a sudden this car flashed by us. What was that said my dad?. Me being car crazy then, i knew exactly what it was. A Lamborghini I said. My father said it looks like it should be on an aircraft runway. This model looks so good in blue.
Thanks for posting this doco about it.
As a mechanic in the seventies I had the (dubious) pleasure of working on several of our well heeled customers Espada's on a regular basis.
I say dubious because such things as simply changing the plugs for instance during a service meant first taking off those six DCOE's - fiddly pigs in their own right and the whole job took several hours, culminating in having to re balance them once refitted NOT an easy job, but oh so satisfying when you finally had her all fettled up and running like a swiss watch.
Most of our customers were wealthy business owners and the like, with mainly Royces as everyday drivers....and toys for the weekend obviously ! one such regular customer - who probably wouldnt take kindly to me name dropping him so therefor I wont, had left his car with us for a cam chain replacement and a full service which was around three days work.
,He popped into our place on the friday evening to see when it would be ready and as I was the only one still there and still working AND the one who worked on his particular cars and was just finishing it, told him it would be another few hours yet.......BUT I told him when he got it back , - in no uncertain terms was he to leather it for about a hundred miles or so to let the chains fully bed in. - to which he replied - sod THAT I dont have the patience - why dont YOU take it home and run it around over the weekend then I will pick it up Monday evening. of COURSE I tried to argue with him....NOT lol, and given I actually lived about forty miles away from the Garage was ideal. and THIS is how I know for fact an Espada will COMFORTABLY exeed 150 mph lol - the motorways were not policed back then as they are now but shhhhh dont tell anyone !. the car was a different animal when stretching its legs - a really fast lady, but was an absloutely uncompromising pig at low speeds around town - it could damn near break the national speed limit in FIRST gear so long legged was it - and even then it was only just on cam. oh happy days, I just wish I could go back to that time and do it all again.
I love the shape of the Espada, it’s so striking, I love all the details as well
It’s a fabulously insane thing.
WOW..... your quality and integrity are drawing you the right audience, well done. quality always surfaces in the end...
I ADORE the Espada. When I was 10(ish), my mum's fella at the time had one. It's the car that got me into cars. His was typical Italian sports car red, tan interior with gold Campagnolo Knock offs.
It was stunning. I loved going for drives in it, cruising comfortably at 100+ and on occasion hitting 150+.
"The Italian Rolls Royce" Harry Metcalfe has just has a stroke!! Lol
Harry says the same thing with a pfft in his latest vid.
I saw one outside Harrods when I was young, and it was the most astonishing car I had yet seen. But even then I knew I would never be able to get into it easily. Anyway, the radio. It’s in the best place because it’s accessible for the driver, who is the most important person in the car. Nobody, on pain of death, is allowed to touch the radio or anything else on the dashboard of my car without asking - just saying.
The colors say everything about what he was trying to communicate, loud and proud of the creations, there was no reason to be restricted to boring tradition. I have to love the man for that, amongst everything else his team did so very well.
You've done it again Ed. Very good video about a truly incredible car. Who doesn't love a Lambo? I got a couple of rides in a Ferrari 400 in the eighties as my boss at the time owned one. I really wish I could have travelled even a few miles in an Espada. Phoawr!
I have owned Audi , Mercedes and BMW but i think this is one of the most beautiful vehicles i have ever seen.
look at you with an Espada! Proud of you Ed.
My friend tells me of his mom's Espada, in Cleveland, Ohio. it got groceries, hauled him to school, and drove the family to Florida for the winter. So, I guess Ferrucio did give Mr. Ferrari a bloody nose, as you brilliantly put it.
I'm 59 this year, I count myself so lucky to have lived through a time that has produced the most beautiful and characterful cars, cars like this Espada, the Countach, Sillouhette, Uracco, Ferrari Boxer, Dino 246 and even the slightly cheaper options like the Lotus Esprit, Elite and TVR's, beautiful shark nosed BMW saloons and coupe's (no, not an X5), 3 ltr Capri's, Cortina's, Escorts and many many more.
Such a shame that everything now looks so bland and characterless.
And Masseratti Bora.
@@carlosaugustoerthal8098 Yes! Bora, Khamsin and Merak 👍
The rear seat room still looks significantly bigger than 99% of 4 seat sports cars
Oh I absolutely love this !!!!
Im such a huge fan of the Espada !!!
Its such a beautiful car.
Looks like an Austin Princess from the front with the quad headlights
Reminds me of a Jensen.
Fantastically well done video on one of my all time favorites. Subscribed.
The Espada is my all time favourite Lamborghini. Plus I was born at the same time as the Espada 1968.
Bloody marvelous video, Ed. Only one thing was missing, and was a listen to the engine and exhaust. I vaguely remember hearing one of these magnificent automobiles way back in the early 70s. Awe inspiring, to be sure. A gorgeous car and the work of genius. I shudder to think what Mr. Lamborghini must think of the impractical and fragile things that bear his name today.
Another blast from my past. Always loved the Espana and it still stops me in the street when I see one. They'll never make another ICE car with a bonnet as low as this Lamborghini.
Brilliant video, really enjoyed it, you conveyed the design details perfectly, I now appreciate the design much more.
I honestly think this is the only Lamborghini I'd ever realy go out of my way to try and own. It's just so unique and beautiful but I love how remarkably functional it is (compared to a lot of contemporaries). That blue is definitely the best colour as well.
One of my uncles has a 1973 Espada, black with a white interior. It’s pretty mind blowing when you see it in person, and the sound of that awesome V-12 is somehow beautiful and Savage at the same time. The first time he took me for a ride in it, he immediately took it up to 120 mph (he lives Germany and we often go on the autobahn). I began laughing because it was just such an overwhelming experience. The sensation of speed is like take off in a fighter jet, you’re just pinned back in the seat and the scenery just blurs around you, and the speed keeps increasing. That V-12 feels like the power is infinite.
Another cracking and educational review of a wonderful car Ed. Thank you for sharing as you clearly did your research on the Espada and other models of the time.
Great review and they still look space age for someone who grew up in the 70/80s. I have been lucky enough to have had a ride in this very Espada back in 2019. It has also been featured in Classic & Sportscar against its period rivals. It previously belonged to Bono of U2 fame. If only I was brave enough 15 years ago, when you could pick up a project for £20-25k. I am glad they are now appreciated.
Two Espada videos in one day! Excellent review Ed. It would be interesting to see a collaboration between yourself and Harry Metcalfe sometime, two different views from two different generations?
From Metro's to Lambo's, and doing test drives now. Well done son.
An automotive masterpiece have always loved the espada
Beautiful car. Thanks for the (very good and comprehensive) review.
Thx for a great review of the Espada. In the early '90s I went to Monterey and I remember an Espada coming out of an intersection driving towards my direction. It was a sight to behold. The look of a huge wide classic car being soooo low is just amazing looking. It and a F40 were most vivid in my memory.
When Lamborghini built their first car the GT350 in '63, they were already way ahead of Ferrari. The car had independent suspension, disc brakes, dohc, six twin draft carburetors, etc. - most if not all, were not yet available in any Ferrari at that time. Lamborghini was way ahead in terms of latest innovations. Then came the Miura and Countach taking the world by storm and influence what is today's supercars or hyper cars.
I've always loved the Espada since it was launched - I even had a Matchbox model of the Marzal, so when espada was launched I remember saying to my Dad that they'd put it into production. There have been other "reviews" of the Espada online but none have come close to giving the detail and description of it that you have done here. One point - you said that it is very big, very wide. For modern cars it isn't. It is narrower than a Renault Clio. Thank you. Having seen you at 5'9" sitting in it one question jumps out at me though - how the hell did Bob Wallace drive it, or the Miura come to that?
That driving position was known by the press in the 1970s as the "Italian Ape". Most Italian cars had it and you needed short legs and long arms. I remember driving a Fiat 127 at the time and I almost couldn't reach the steering wheel if the seat was set so the pedals were usable.
Great commentary, loved the video 👊🏼
Gandini did so many amazing designs..its impressive.Amazing that there isnt a true documentary to be found about him.Same as with Bizzarrini....unsung automotive heroes.Only recently got some credits for the work they did for their employers.
Ed you're are very lucky man to behold this beauty in the flesh, always a favourite of mine, my friends had Miuras, Countach's, E-Types on their walls, I had the Espada, The Jensen Interceper and the Mazerarti Khamsin on mine, to me they had a beauty that just hit differently, cars you want to spend hours driving/riding in not just looking at, although they are all striking in the exterior looks department well.
In many ways, this car has it all. I love the styling, it has elegance to it, rear is ridiculously sexy and front not too aggressive but having a great presence. It must have loud and ridiculous engine, and V12 obliges, that 1970s Lambo interior is like nothing else and making it actually practical? This is my perfect car.
The front end reminds me of a 1971 Plymouth Satellite/Roadrunner/GTX and BL 18-22 with round headlights
I have to wonder whether that Plymouth with a Hemi or 440 and tall gearing wouldn't be faster than this too.
Twin Cam moving up!
Nice one, a glorious beast of a car.
This driveway is awesome. A 930 and this!
Not bad, eh?
Ed, great watch. Till today I have never heard of a Lamborghini Espada. Funny thing, when I was a kid Ferraris were known for catching fire for no reason. The Marcel show car is really out of the box---even for the mid 60's, just waiting for James Bond to walk up to it and drive it off. With the Espada's flat back window, a back-up camera would be a nice addition.
It really doesn't need it because of the strip of glass above the rear lights a la Honda CRX.
Stunning car. THAT Blue on a Espada...perfect. Fine video again, Ed. Thanx
Thanks Patrick :)
THAT color!!!! It really underlines the beautiful Gandini Design
It's a cracking shade. Very of its time, and all the better for it.
The Marzal and the espada are extremely beautiful cars.
As Crocodile Dundee would say "Call that a car? That's a car!" Brilliant video Ed...pity you didn't get to take it for a spin. Maybe it would have ended up as a one-way holiday to Alassio!
Very good review, young man. I think the Espada is one of the most striking designs ever. It's not exactly "beautiful," but, perhaps for those of us who were kids in the 70s, it just "looks" like a car should. It's long and low, but has a bit of a mean Dodge Charger face. It's like a giant Matchbox car that you can drive, fast and comfortably with three of your friends. An awesome machine, well ahead of its time.
excellently researched video and presented professionally. Some Espda owners converted to cams from the Muira as these had cams lobs which were 1mm higher than those in a standard Espada giving an upgrade to rev close to 9,000 rpm. The Daytona used rubbish holly valve stems filled with sodium enabling this horrible engine to rev high but Lamborghini did not use this method making the Lambo V12 quite a bullet proof engine
The colour is amazing
That colur on the Espada a guy here in Århus/Denmark had for years before taken it to a car dealer and came home with a brand new Porsche 944 without take his purse out - the car dealer repainted it in red and sold it quick- now it sits in a car collection and havent been driven or years sadly enough
What a fantastic looking car this is and the colour, in particular, suits it very well. Great video, well done.
Oooh! Quite a leap up from an Austin Ambassador!
That colour. Man, it looks so special.
When I was young (a long time ago!) a neighbour had one of these in metallic green. I never liked it at the time but think they look fantastic now. Extremely low and the car looks immense. Fantastic in that colour too.
Liked and subscribed, how could I not after such a brilliant video. 👍
Perfect research and excellent delivery, it looks unedited which is quite a skill. Not a stumble or mumble. A few years ago I think it was a rhd Espada.. came up for sale and it was fairly cheap, it was dark blue and previous owner was Vivienne Westwood......I wonder where that is now....
Absolutely stunning car, another amazing Review!
Loved this video! Great research and presentation Ed!
Great video, well written and produced. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for this. If I was able to own a car of this kind, it would be an Espada.
The 3/4 view is stunning. The shoulder line going from the front of the hood and curling up in the rear. I don’t like the bread box backside as much, but an emotional and beautiful design.
Great review great car many thanks always enjoy your reviews.
Wonderful Ed, just love the history you present in your videos.
Its interesting how Italian classic cars where so amazingly styled with a premium looks and feel. With a huge exception for their interior switches. Which look like they came off a construction machine
yeah it all goes wrong for Italians when it comes to the wiring.
Beautifully done my friend!! Greetings from Philadelphia
Enjoyed this very much. Great space age looking car , by my favourite car designer.
Great review and a beautiful blue Espada. Magic!
A very good look at such an interesting car (it made me go and look at my Matchbox Marzal). A pity we didn't get to hear that V12 revving a little, but well done.
Wow Lambo reviews now, moving up in the world TC! 😊 Funny, after 50 odd years of lusting after these things I only just realised the Esparza badges are handed down the sides so the point of the sword races forwards!
You don't think the Espada is mental? I think that is all part of its awesomeness.
There was a scruffy Espada for sale in my neighbourhood, some 20 years ago.
Asking price was around 8000€.
I contemplated buying it for a short while, it made a serious impression on me, eventually I didn’t buy it because it would be a money pit to restore it.
A couple of years later I couldn’t believe my eyes when I stumbled on the same car, still unrestored, at the Techno Classica car show in Essen, Germany.
The price had quadrupled In a span of a couple of years, instantly I regretted not buying it earlier…
Fantastic machine that needs to be seen in the flesh to fully appreciate the bonkers design..
This always gets paired with with the 365GT/4..but the Citroen SM is more in keeping and they were both taking on the XJ12 and the Interceptor.
I couldn't stop staring when one was displayed prior to auction, my goodness I was gobsmacked just as I was with a Citroen DS in my dealers showroom one day.
Beautiful car. Brilliant video. Really wish we could've heard that engine sing
another well researched and explained video. top marks to you.
Had one left at dealership I worked at for brake service, parts took months. Car had to be driven 2 times a week or it wouldn’t start.time of my life on country roads . It would hit 80 in 1st gear… lucky to get past 3rd . It was built left hand drive
Still utterly beguiling in so many ways, the Espada sits in a strange, almost otherworldly category all by itself. I would dearly love to own one and just like Harry Metcalfe with his Series 2, I would use it as often as possible. I love the Series 3 dash layout but would have to have the Miura style Campagnolo alloys of the S1 and S2 cars if I were lucky enough to own one. The stuff of dreams and no mistake... my dream garage would be large enough to house the Espada along with a Miura, Urraco, LP400 Countach, Indy, Ghibli, Mexico, Bora, Merak, Citroen SM, Iso Lele, Bizzarrini 5300GT, De Tomaso Mangusta, Gordon Keeble and Jensen Interceptor. Well, it's a start.... ;o)
Great video. Love the exterior color of this car. Rusty French brought 3 of these cars to Australia , an electric blue one, a one in bright green and one in all black. I was lucky enough to see all 3 cars.
Thanks Jeff 🙂
This color is huge win for this car! 🔥❤
To me this is one of the top 5 greatest cars ever...
Rolls-Royce Shadow rival? Probably more of a rival to the Aston Martin DBS, Iso Lele, Jensen Interceptor, et al. It’s probably got them all beat though - not least because of the V12.
I can’t help wondering if the later Jaguar XJ-S and Rolls-Royce Camargue were aimed at the Espada’s customers as well.
That’s what Ferruccio was targeting!
In fact, even the 365 I mentioned wasn’t the Espada’s intended competition, but it’s completely unsurprising that the likes of the 365, DBS, and XJ-S became its competitors and successors.
I teach the Filipino martial art "Espada Y Daga". Cool name for an interesting classic car.
Great Video Ed love these cars , I remember back in about 1975 you could find them very cheap nobody wanted them i wished i had bought one them , i ended up buying a 1970 Dino 246 for 5000.00 pounds kept it for a few years i moved to Canada and shipped the car it was a LHD one . I wanted to get Espada but the price was to high out here . I have a friend in Seattle she has 2 of them I can only dream now.
What a beautifull car Ed. You don't see much about the Espada.
Brilliant video and dialogue. That is some jump up in car to review! Keep them coming!
Worth mentioning (something I found out on Iain Tyrell's channel) is that the Bizzarrini/Lamborghini V12 had a _machined from billet_ crankshaft, a step beyond even forged ones and practically unique among road engines then and now.
I saw Harry Metcalfe's Espada in person a few years ago out in the wild. What surprises most is how low the car is, especially the bonnet line. You wouldn't believe there was a thumping great V12 under the bonnet and two extra seats in the rear - it's that tiny.
I love that color! I have a 350 GT (same dark blue as the one in the photo) and even though it's called a GT it's ride size and driving experience is more sports car than Tourer. I have a 72 Ferrari 365 GTC4 and an 89 412 with 106k miles. They're both proper GTs but l've driven a very well sorted Espada S3 and it's also a great GT in a Lamborghini sort of way. It's a little brutish compared to the Ferraris but that's a good thing. I want one.
One of the prettiest cars EVER.
Now that is my kind of car. I knew nothing about it until Car SOS rebuilt one and I became very impressed with it and you rubber stamped my opinion but from a different perspective.
You have raised yourself to a new level with this video and I enjoyed it a lot.
Did you film in the Bournemouth/Poole area? I was picking up familiar vibes, I may be wrong of course.
And another left field question - where did the rear light clusters come from? They seemed oddly out of place, not at home in the overall design, like an afterthought.
The rear lights are same used on the Alfa Romeo Berlina, on the series 3. Sometime in production the rear lights used was the same as the Alfa Romeo Montréal. There was another rear light used - but I'm unsure from which manufacturer it was sourced.
For me, it seems odd that an engine with 12 cylinders only displaces 3.5 liters.
These are killer but the grill work and the parking lights look kinda fuct. What the hell Gandini??? Great video!!! I'll have an Islero please!
Much respect to you for your research in this video especially regarding the islero, probably one of the most beautiful Lamborghinis you’ve produced a great video. I remember seeing an espada at snetterton race track and didn’t bother watching the race! After seeing this car. One small question, Did the owner let you drive it?
The true realisation of Ferruccio's vision... Everything else was built for the market, the big GTs he built for him.