Over the past few years, major automobile manufacturers have "pioneered" a new concept; the Grand Coupe design. Cars like the BMW M6, Audi RS7 and Mercedes-Benz CLSs have seen a return of the swoopy lines with, in the case of the Audi, a practical hatchback design. But this concept really isn't new at all; personal luxury coupes have been around for some time, and one of the best has to be the Lamborghini Espada. Room for 4 plus luggage, a fabulous V12 soundtrack and great looks make this one of the most desirable classic Lamborghinis made in my mind:
Year: 1975
Model: Espada
Engine: 4.0 liter V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 48,161 mi
Price: Reserve Auction
CLICK FOR DETAILS:1975 Lamborghini Espada on Ebay
I am reluctantly selling my 1975 Euro Espada. In 2002, I was perusing Hemmings and saw this car was being sold, and as it was only 4 blocks from my house, how could I not go and at least take a look. When I went to look at it I found it was a Euro market car. This meant it had the small chrome bumpers, no emission controls, and the dual alternator setup. It also had the euro side markers/turn signals and no ugly Federal corner lights. I much prefer the interior layout of this S3, but I admit that not having the earlier style Miura wheels is a drawback. The story I was told by the seller was that his dad bought the car new in Italy where he was living at the time. His dad relocated to Texas where it remained until 2001 when his son drove it to California. I have a clear Texas signed and undated title. I never signed it or registered it in my name. I assume that if you are reading this you have some knowledge about this model, and Lamborghinis in general. They are not for the faint of heart or the casual wrench. Parts and/or service are VERY expensive.
Big bonus- 1975 model cars are exempt from emission testing in California.
It drove well and everything (except the A/C) worked. It has the desirable power steering (not sure if that was on all S3 models). I did notice that it had a recent paint job that looked pretty good on the surface, but I suspected that the prep work was not very good. This proved to be correct as the paint has now cracked and bubbled in several places. It appears to be very original throughout and doesn't seem to have been "messed" with. I find no signs that it has ever really been worked on or modified(other than paint and front seats) The front seats have obviously been recovered, and not that well done relative to the original quality (pattern is also not correct as seen on the rear seats which have not been redone). The windshield is also delaminating, showing small bubbles between the layers of glass. The rest of the glass is excellent. Some front carpet pieces up front are missing. The major flaw in the car is the frame on the drivers side where the lower control arm attaches. It is of square tubing and has severe rust on the lower horizontal side of the tube, making it unsafe to drive in my opinion. I have the front clip of an S2 (photo available) which is included in the sale, which has excellent frame components, that I believe are the same. It could also be repaired in situ. There are also several spots of improper jack placement with corresponding damage to the floor (on the driver's side only for some reason). The exhaust looks excellent with the exception of a rust repair on one of the mufflers. The throttle linkages including the carb butterfly shaft seals/bearings are very good. It has the original locking gas caps and under hood heat pad material in very good condition. The aluminum hood and the rest of the body is very straight and in excellent condition. I cannot guarantee it, of course, but I can find no sign of body damage/repair.
As I began to work on the engine I found cracks at the base of intake manifolds (which I found out was a relatively common problem) which of course was letting in unmetered air, causing a lean condition. Now the list of "might as wells" began. I removed the manifolds and had them repaired to a very high standard, then powder coated in an aluminum color. I started accumulating parts as seen in pictures including, new plug wire set, 6 Weber DCOE rebuilt kits, gasket set, air filters, hydraulic reservoirs, Earl's stainless line and fittings for carb fuel lines, belts, filters, water thermostat, timing chains, rebuilt the water pump with new bearings and seals, windshield gasket, etc. I cleaned and powder coated many parts including the valve covers (one of which I sanded to reveal lettering- as seen in picture). I purchased new chrome acorn nuts and studs. I even made a copy of the factory tool for adjusting the timing chains. I also powder coated the grill elements and replaced the headlights with E-code H4 and H1 units. The rear tail light clusters are brand new (housings and lenses) as well as the white parking light lenses up front. Reproduction owners manual, original tech manual, and original parts list is included.
Compression tests and leak down as follows, cylinders 1 thru 12 : 210/18%, 225/24%, 220/26%, 210/28%, 210/27%, 210/14%, 240/34%, 215/30%, 220/14%, 215/28%, 220/28%, 210/24%
In my opinion, this car would be a very worthy candidate for a complete restoration. It could however be reassembled and the frame repaired and enjoyed as is. Although expensive, even if you are doing much of the work yourself, I think it could be done not "too" far out of the current money. I also believe that these models will being going up in value substantially. So after saying that, why am I selling? Well, mostly the usual reasons. I have a lack of funds and time to complete all of the projects I currently have. This car deserves a competent restoration, as I would be surprised if even half of the 1200 or so produced still exist.
I can assist, at a cost, with enclosed transport if within a days drive.
I have lots more pictures available and will take pictures of anything specific upon request. Please ask all questions and you will get 100% honest answers. Although I have done my best to accurately describe the vehicles condition I strongly suggest that the vehicle is seen in person so that there are no disappointments.
Overall this car presents well and looks great with European-spec bumpers. There are certainly some question marks and big bills if you want to get it together or completely restore it, but putting it together and driving it surely is possible. Unless you're talented and planning to do the work yourself, it would likely be less of a headache to just buy one complete - but this is a Lamborghini, and Lamborghinis are made of stories - what better story to have than resurrecting a raging bull?
-Carter
