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The Lamborghini Espada - the 'bull fighting sword' of the super car marque. Built between 1968 and 78, it held the title of the most successful Lamborghini model at the time.
And although it looked like a good idea on paper at the time to include 4 seats, a passenger car it will never be - for more reasons other than the customary 'Lamborghini builds sports-cars, not passenger vehicles' you'd hear from most Lambo enthusiasts.

Firstly, it's a two door coupe. If you've ever owned a coupe with two doors and four seats, you'll know of the fun you get of fold down seats and the often very limited room in the back seats of such vehicles. Ask anyone who's been a back seat passenger in a Datsun or Fairlady Z car how much space they've had to stretch out. Don't bother asking anyone in a mazda rx7, they're still trying to get out. While the Espada seems a little roomier with the backseat buckets, that's like saying it's much more fun getting shot with a smaller caliber bullet than a large bore slug.

You're not going to be able to carry out much of a conversation in an Espada either and you can thank the engine for that. A gutsy front mounted 6 webbered fed V12 pushing out a top speed of 250km/h through twin double tipped exhausts means that any notion of a quiet chat with whoever you're driving really isn't an option. Neither is a sedate drive really but as my dad once commented 'Lamborgini's weren't built to go slow'.

Sure it would be comfortable for passengers and a very enjoyable ride in it's beautiful leathered interior but most likely in the third series of the Espada more than the first two, when air conditioning came standard and a sunroof was optional. Up until that point the sun would have had a field day with it's big slabs of glass, especially the back passengers feeling the heat through the glasshouse that makes up the hatch. The windows would have surely gotten a workout in the early days.

The final nail into the Espada being a passenger car would be it's performance. It's a beast the size of a tank and like Lamborgini intended, it runs like a lightning bolt. 93 litres of juice will take you roughly 500 kilometers but with the price of fuel, imagine the fun you'll have every time you fill up. A car that drinks like a sailor on shore leave would not a good family taxi make and it's highly doubtful that anyone who bought an Espada back in the day treated it as a family carry around. More likely it was a weekender, brought out on sunny days to race along high spirited and picturesque drives. With one other passenger tops. Possibly.

The Lamborghini Espada was built to perform. It can carry 3 people alongside the driver but with so much power at your fingertips, a thirsty growling V12 and a badge that screams 'we build sports-cars' why would you bother? Unless you're forever trying to impress your work colleagues with your 60-70's super car, it's unlikely you'll ever be carrying many passengers around.
A passenger car it will never be. But it's nice to have an extra couple of seats in the back to carry your briefcase or shopping though if you need to, good thinking Lamborghini.

Learn more about this author, Al Shield.
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