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Lamborghini sword

Between 1968 and 1978 the Lamborghini Company manufactured a grand tourer called the Lamborghini Espada. This car was one of the most successful cars produced by Lamborghini at the time and was produced to fill the 4-seat car niche of the Italian company’s lineup. Lamborghini made only 1217 units that were created by Marcello Gandini.

The name of the car refers to the sword (Espada means sword in Spanish) that is used through the bullfighter to get rid of the bull. The car was built in three series during its ten years of production. The series were called S1 (1968-1970), S2 (1970-1972) and S3 (1972-1978) also had improvements in terms of engine power and also in the interior and exterior design. For example, the S2 series had a new dash, a new steering wheel, ventilated brakes, and a 25-horsepower plus.

Initially, the Espada was equipped with a 4.0-liter V12 engine, had independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes. This car was “the fastest four-seat car on the planet” that could go from zero to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds. At that time the cars had manual transmission, but Lamborghini Espada introduced automatic transmission for the first time. This new transmission had the ability to absorb torque from the V12 engine. Also, this car had a cheaper chassis, but a significantly stronger platform made of pressed steel that was provided by Marchesi of Modena.

The Lamborghini Espada was equipped with two NACA lines that “feed” the six Weber carburettors of the V12 engine. That’s the key reason this car wasn’t as quiet when it hit top speed. With easier access to the engine compartment, the designer introduced a forward-hinged unit that included the hood and upper fenders.

The interior was spacious enough considering the proven fact that it was a leather-trimmed four-seater car. All instrumentation was placed by hand, while I watched the driver. The most crucial features were the switches and the “eyeball” vents. Even if the controls layout was really ugly at first with three spokes, later models took advantage of an improved, better-looking steering wheel.

The second Espada series was called the 400GTE and was shown for the first time in 1970 at the Brussels car show. This new Lamborghini Espada had some improvements regarding the design of the dashboard, while the passengers could now benefit from the additional ventilation and also from the lighting placed on the armrest. Technical components were also updated, including the chassis and ventilated brakes. However, the most significant changes are related to the compression boost which increased capacity to 325 bhp at 7,500 rpm and also to the new Lobro CV joints.

The third series of the Lamborghini Espada was produced in 1973 and was part of the Turin Revelation that took place that same year. The distinguishing features of this series were the rear lights and the redesigned front. The vehicle was also designed with an alternative power steering system. Other features that were improved included crash rates, stopping power, and also AC that became standard. The interior of the car underwent some changes only in the dash area. The non-mandatory options that came with this new Lamborghini Espada were the sunroof and also the Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic transmission that was used only for the 55 Espadas.

The Lamborghini Espada is definitely an exquisite car that impresses collectors and car enthusiasts every time they celebrate its appearance at the car shows and auctions that take place around the world, every year.

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