The Lamborghini Espada was Lamborghini's most successful model of its time and a living symbol of Ferruccio Lamborghini's vision of combining high performance with everyday practicality. A spacious four-seater with a powerful V12 engine, clad in an avant-garde design by Bertone – a grand tourer with supercar character that has never been seen again.
At the end of the 1960s, Lamborghini revolutionised the world of super sports cars with the Miura. But Ferruccio Lamborghini also wanted to offer a car that combined the comfort and practicality of a touring saloon with the power of a twelve-cylinder engine. The Espada, introduced in 1968, fulfilled this role perfectly. Designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, it featured clean, avant-garde lines. A total of 1,217 Espadas were built by 1978, making it the best-selling Lamborghini model before the Countach era. The Series III (from 1972) presented here was equipped with a more powerful 350 hp V12 engine, modernised instruments, and technical improvements to the brakes and equipment. With a top speed of around 250 km/h, the Espada was one of the fastest four-seater coupés of its time – proving that sports cars could also offer space for the family.
This Espada was built in 1973 and originally belonged to none other than Swiss Formula 1 driver Loris Kessel. After his racing career, Kessel was a respected car dealer representing brands such as Ferrari and Maserati, and he was also an important figure in the Swiss sports car scene. After Kessel's death, the car was presented in dark blue paintwork. The Espada was originally delivered in the rare factory colour Mexico Blue (Azzurro Mexico) – a shade that is documented in only very few cases in the Espada range. As part of a restoration, the Espada is now being returned to its original colour.
The vehicle is currently undergoing restoration, which will be completed in 2026. It will then be restored to its original immaculate condition and presented as an integral part of our collection. The Lamborghini Espada is much more than just an exotic four-seater. It embodies Ferruccio Lamborghini's claim to combine uncompromising technology with everyday practicality and bears the signature of one of Italy's greatest automotive designers. This example, closely associated with Loris Kessel and soon to be restored to its original condition, will be one of the special pieces in our collection – an automotive cultural asset that combines history, design, and motorsport spirit.
