Lamborghini Espada
1968–1978 · Lamborghini Espada — Grand Tourer, V12, designed by Marcello Gandini.
The Story
The Espada is Lamborghini’s most surprising hit: a genuine four-seat, V12 grand tourer that became the company’s best-seller of its era. Launched in 1968 and built until 1978, it sold around 1,200 — astonishing numbers for a hand-built Italian exotic — and remained Lamborghini’s top seller into the mid-1980s. Marcello Gandini designed it at Bertone, drawing on his radical 1967 Marzal and Pirana show cars; the gold prototype at Geneva 1968 stopped the show.
Named, like its siblings, for the corrida — espada is the matador’s killing sword — it paired a 3.9-litre, 325–350 hp Bizzarrini V12 with four real seats in a body just 1,185 mm tall. To this day it remains the lowest four-seater ever built, and in period it was the fastest four-seater in the world at over 150 mph. Love-it-or-hate-it styling, genuine practicality, supercar pace: nothing else offered the combination.
For decades the Espada was the overlooked, affordable V12 Lambo. That’s changing — the market has finally warmed to the idea of a four-seat, Gandini-era V12 you can actually use every day.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Marcello Gandini
One of history’s most influential car designers; defined the wedge era at Bertone (Miura, Countach, Stratos). Penned the EB110’s body for the reborn Bugatti. Born Turin 1938, died 2024. Sources: Wikipedia; Car Design News. PARTIAL: his Lamborghini cars (in the Lamborghini file) will join at the cross-make consolidation.
Studio Motors POV
The Espada is the smart-money classic Lamborghini: a usable four-seat V12 from the Gandini golden age, still undervalued versus its two-seat siblings. We point buyers at a sorted manual Series II — the most car-for-the-money in vintage Lamborghini.
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Espada
Worth Knowing About the Espada
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- It's still the lowest four-seater car ever produced — just 1,185 mm tall.
- It was Lamborghini's best-selling model until the mid-1980s (~1,200 built).
- Gandini based it on his 1967 Marzal and Pirana concept cars.
5 Fast Facts
- Built 1968–1978; ~1,217 made across three series (SI / SII / SIII).
- 3.9L Bizzarrini V12, 325–350 hp; 150+ mph — the fastest four-seater of its day.
- Designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone.
- 'Espada' = the matador's sword.
- Optional Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic on Series III.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
No individual owner is firmly documented in this pass; long an enthusiast’s usable V12. (We don’t guess owners.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Series II (the sweet spot — 350 hp, improved cabin) and manual cars lead; the rare SIII automatics are the value entry. Rust in the steel monocoque, cooling and electrics are the watch-points. A sorted, documented manual SII is the keeper (~$90K–250K).
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Lamborghini Espada
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1968–1978
- Units built
- 1,227 total (SI 186; SII 575; SIII rest; 55 auto)
- Variants
- Series I, II, III
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V12
- Engine family
- Bizzarrini V12
- Displacement
- 3.9L (3,929 cc)
- Power
- 350 hp
- Torque
- 290 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6.5 s
- Top speed
- 155 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 215 hp/tonne · 10.3 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual (opt. 3-spd Chrysler TorqueFlite auto, SIII)
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3594 lb
Questions
Espada FAQ
How many Lamborghini Espadas were made?
Lamborghini built 1,217 Espadas between 1968 and 1978 across three series: 186 Series I, 575 Series II, and 456 Series III. It was Lamborghini’s best-selling model of its era.
What engine does the Lamborghini Espada use?
The Espada uses the 3.9-litre Bizzarrini V12 producing 350 hp in Series II and III cars. It made the Espada the fastest four-seat car in the world when launched in 1968 and remains at just 1,185 mm tall — the lowest four-seater ever produced.
Who designed the Lamborghini Espada?
The Espada was designed by Marcello Gandini at the Bertone studio, building on ideas from his 1967 Marzal and Pirana concept cars. It was Gandini’s major production follow-up to the Miura and his first fully four-seat design.
How much does a Lamborghini Espada cost today?
Espada values range from approximately $90,000 to $250,000 depending on series and condition, with Series I manual cars and well-documented examples commanding the top of that range. A Series III example sold for approximately $143,000 at Bonhams Paris in 2025.
Can you buy a Lamborghini Espada?
Yes. The Espada is the most accessible classic Lamborghini V12 and appears regularly through specialist dealers and auction houses.
The Lamborghini Lineup
Explore every Lamborghini
350 GT ’64400 GT ’66Miura ’66Espada ’68Islero ’68
Jarama ’70Urraco ’72Countach ’74Silhouette ’76
Murcielago ’01Gallardo ’03Reventon ’08
Aventador ’11Veneno ’13Huracan ’14Centenario ’16Huracan Performante ’17Urus ’18Aventador SVJ ’18Sian ’19
Huracan STO ’21Countach LPI 800-4 ’21Revuelto ’23Temerario ’25
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