Have you heard the story of the lady in America who drove her Lamborghini Espada everyday, accumulating over 100,000 miles? Well, aren't you in for a treat: Lorrie Stern, a grandmother of five and an amateur acrobatic pilot owned her Espada for 37 years. A Christmas gift from her late husband, she didn't flinch at carpool duty; picking up kids from all across what what must have been a rather excited neighbourhood. The odometer stopped at 98,800 miles but Lorrie is certain the car went past the 100,000 mark before she had it restored and sprayed pink to "show off the body lines better".
Which leads us neatly onto the subject of today's Spotted: one of just 121 right-hand-drive Series III Espadas ever made. This example has received a complete, glass-out restoration, with the interior refitted by Tod's - the Italian shoemakers. The four-seat model itself was the third Lamborghini to use names related to bull fighting; Espada being the Spanish word for the slender sword used by matadors in the ring. Until Countach production was expanded, it was the manufacturer's biggest selling car.
Naturally, the fabulous Bertone-styled body was part of the appeal, and barely changed over three generations; save for the mildly restyled nose and tail lights of the Series III. Its output though, spilling from Giotto Bizzarrini's 3.9-litre quad cam V12 like a spoken word poem, rose with each iteration, finishing at 355hp.
In keeping with the Grand Tourer pedigree, Lamborghini fitted dual fuel tanks - providing it with a 95-litre capacity - but had you fill them seperately, and only provided a sender in the left-hand side, which presumably made gauge's accuracy a notch lower than pinpoint.
That's all part of the Espada's charm of course, and while there are cheaper versions available, it's reassuring to know that the potential cost of restoration has already been taken care of. And if an Espada is in the wrong stable for you, Ferrari made a 365 GTC 2+2 that was in the shadow of its prettier sibling, the Daytona.
SPECIFICATION - LAMBORGHINI ESPADA
Engine: 3,939cc, V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 355@7,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 291@5,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1973
Recorded mileage: 2,000 miles
Price new: 8,750,000 Lira
Price now: £245,000
See the full advert here
Sources: NY Times
