L’Espada 400 GT was the first 4-seater car of Lamborghini, and has remained the House’s best-selling model for years. It was able to remain a very fast GT, thanks to the use of the 4-liter Lamborghini V12 engine mounted in the front position and despite the increased dimensions, but also to give a good feeling of comfort.
This responded to the requests of Ferruccio Lamborghini, who from the very beginning of his adventure as a car manufacturer had as objective the production of the best existing GT, giving the ‘prints’ a fast sports car capable of remaining comfortable and luxuriously finished. The Espada 400 GT, presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1968, is the car that, for over a decade, represented this desire at its best. The Espada offered a passenger compartment capable of comfortably accommodating four adults, with more living space for both passengers and luggage than the previous 2 + 2 400 GT and the 2 + 2 Islero 400 GT. With the highest level finishes, including leather and noble materials, and air conditioning, there was already talk of ‘premium’ before it entered the automotive language.
Power steering was also introduced on the car from 1969 as an accessory, which became standard in 1972. From 1974 it was also made available in the version with automatic transmission. But in addition to these elements of comfort, it remained fundamental the 12-cylinder V of 60 °, born in 1963 with a capacity of 3.5 liters, and increased, as early as 1964, to 4 liters (3929 cc). On the Espada it expresses 325 HP at 7200 rpm, which becomes 350 HP at 7500 rpm on the Espada Series II, presented in 1970.
Powered by 6 Weber 40 DCOE horizontal carburettors, the V12 has a compression ratio of 9.5: 1, which will be increased to 10.7: 1 starting with Series II, and adopts dual overhead camshaft timing for each bank, controlled by a chain. It has a low weight, 232 Kg, thanks to the wide use of the aluminum used, as well as for the cylinder head, also for the crankshaft and pistons. It is mounted in the front position, slightly forward compared to the previous Lamborghini 350/400 GT, to improve habitability and is easily accessible thanks to the wide opening of the aluminum engine hood. The chassis, derived from that of the 400 GT, is lengthened, with the wheelbase increased to 2650 mm, and widened, with the track widths increased and brought to 149 cm. The suspensions are 4 independent wheels with double wishbones and coil springs. The car on paper could reach a top speed between 245 and 260 km / h.
A fundamental element for the success of the car was the particular shape of the bodywork. Characterized by a squared and extremely innovative line, the work of Bertone bodywork, had on its side the right versatility and good interior space, despite the low height of only 119 cm. 1226 units will be produced divided into three series: Espada 400 GT Series 1, from 1968 to 1969 in 176 units, the Espada 400 GTE Series II from 1970 to 1972 in 578 units and the Espada 400 GTS Series III from 1972 to 1978 in 472 specimens.
Among the most famous owners of the Lamborghini Espada, one can certainly mention the former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney. A Lamborghini enthusiast, McCartney had bought a 1972 Espada Series III, with right-hand drive and mechanical gearbox, in red on a red leather interior. The car, also often used by his then wife Linda, was then put on sale when, due to a forgetfulness of Linda herself who had parked it with the gear in neutral, forgetting to engage the handbrake, it ended up in the pond. adjacent. Sunk for three days, it was then recovered, sold and used for several years by the new owners before being exhibited as “furniture” in an English pub and, in 2005, sold again to an enthusiast based in Europe. Della Espada spoke well Jay Leno, but above all it was driven by Bud Spencer in the 1973 film ‘Piedone lo sbirro’, complete with a chase. This is also part of the heritage of a car!
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