Description
Thurs, 20th Oct 2022 13:00
Imperial War Museum, Duxford
1972 Lamborghini Espada Series II
UK-supplied, right-hand-drive example in garage find condition
Estimate
£10, 000 - £15, 000
Buyer's Premium applies (subject to a minimum charge and VAT)
Lot details
Registration No: 728 JW
Chassis No: 8746
MOT: Exempt
UK-supplied, right-hand-drive example in 'garage find' condition
V12 Engine which turns over by hand
Offered for brave restoration or spares/ repairs
Includes a valuable cherished number plate
Introduced at the 1968 Geneva Salon, the Lamborghini Espada was a true four-seater supercar. Styled by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, it was visually indebted to the carozzeria's previous 'Marzal' and 'Pirana' show cars. Although, the 'quad-cam' Bizzarini 3, 929cc V12 was front-mounted and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Espada enjoyed near ideal front to rear weight distribution (52:48). At the 1970 Brussels Motor Show Lamborghini unveiled the Espada S2 (aka the '400 GTE Espada'), with the major external changes being the rear lights and deletion of the grille covering the vertical glass tail panel. Inside changes were more radical: an all-new dashboard, centre console and steering wheel were installed. The instrument binnacle was of a more conventional rectangular shape, with round gauges. Power output was increased to 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) due to a higher 10. 7:1 compression ratio, and correspondingly, the brakes were upgraded to vented Girling discs instead of solid discs. CV joints were now used on the rear half-shafts. Just 575 Series II Espadas were made, with even fewer being right-hand drive.
Offered here is an opportunity to take custodianship of a rare right-hand drive Espada Series II. It would be down to the new owner whether it ends up as a parts car or a full restoration. Sadly the vehicle bodyshell and chassis have extensive rust issues and the rodents have had a field day on the interior, therefore a detailed physical inspection is highly recommended in order to establish if the current body can indeed be saved/ restored. Nevertheless potentially an exciting opportunity to see another Espada back on the road. Originally a UK-supplied, right-hand-drive example it is in 'garage find' condition, with a the V12 Engine which turns over by hand. The vehicle is offered along with a cherished number plate, in itself, of potentially significant value.
