What makes the Espada significant in Lamborghini history?

What is the Lamborghini Espada?

In our quest to study and establish the significance of all major Lamborghini models, there’s one that we haven’t touched on yet. It’s called the Espada. What is the Lamborghini Espada and what role did it play in the Lamborghini history? That’s what we will tell you.

What does Espada mean?

Before we go too deep, we always have to take a look at the name of any Lamborghini model that we study. In case you didn’t already guess it, the Espada name is once again tied to bullfighting.

This model isn’t named after a line of bulls like the Miura or even a specific bull like the Diablo. Instead, an espada is the sword carried by traditional Spanish bullfighters.

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Where does the Espada fit into Lamborghini history?

In many ways, the Espada represents a company still trying to find its way. If you’ll remember, the Miura came out in 1966 and was very different from the front-engine cars that Lamborghini had built until then. Lamborghini wanted a car with the appeal of the Miura but the usability of a tourer. Something with four doors, and the V12 that Lamborghini was already famous for but up front.

Once again, Lamborghini tapped Marcello Gandini for the design. You may remember him as the designer for the Miura, and later the Countach, and even the Diablo. The Espada was released in 1968 and was produced until 1978.

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Was the Espada popular?

Though its styling may not be as timeless as the Miura, it was very popular among enthusiasts at the time of its release. It was a practical car with the power of a sports car and room for the whole family. In its ten years, Lamborghini sold 1,217 Espada models.

This may not sound like a lot, but remember, Lamborghini has never been about volume. Up until the Espada, the most they ever sold of one model was the Miura and that was only 763 models. In fact, the Espada formed the financial backbone of Lamborghini for many years.

In terms of sales, it was only eventually eclipsed in sales by the Countach which was on sale from 1974 until 1990 and sold a total of 1,983 models. Without the Espada, we may have never had the Countach or the Diablo that followed. As such, the Espada earns its place in the Lamborghini pantheon as one of its most important vehicles.