The 300-hp 2+2 Islero followed in February 1968. Thatyear, too, a much more successful car debuted in Geneva, The Espada, a two-door model front-mounted 2 +2 -with innovations such as a large rear window that hatched the trunk. The S version, starting up in November 1968, was even more powerful, with its 370- horsepower engine and options such as air conditioning and automatic transmission. In 1970 alone, Lamborghini sold 228 Espadas, and, through its entire production run, 1,226 units were delivered - a complete success.
The 2 +2 Jarama debuted at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show; in 1970, the P250 Urraco also appeared - bearing another name of a fighting bull, with a 2.5-litre engine designed by Stanzani, and lines by Bertone. A VIP version of the Espada appeared at this time, too, with luxury appointments such as a bar and a TV. |
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Contemporaneously, New Zealand test driver Bob Wallace helped develop a racing Miura called the Jota, whose aluminum body and upgraded engine produced superb performance even by today's stopwatch: 440 horsepower at 8,500 rpm with 0-60 in a cheetah-quick 3.6 seconds.
The 385-hp SV Miura, presented at the Geneva Motor Show the following year, was a great performer in the tradition of the original vehicle. But a prototype took even more notice: the LP 500, the eventual V12 "Countach," with its revolutionary lines and gearbox, which reached the differential through the engine block. Everyone wanted one, even before they went into production. This was the starting line for the ultra-slick, these-cars-openly-express-excess Lamborghinis: more-thanyou- need vehicles for those whomust have better than best. |
