If you’re reading this right now, you probably have all your Christmas shopping done and the presents are wrapped and under the tree. But what will you be receiving? Socks? A membership to the Jelly of the Month Club? If you’ve been wanting a project car to start working on next year, take a look at our Pick of the Day. You can find this 1974 Lamborghini Espada listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Philadelphia.
The Espada (Spanish for sword, the weapon the matador uses to kill a bull) made Ferruccio Lamborghini‘s idea of a fast car that was also comfortable and luxurious into a reality. Influenced by the 1967 Marzal gullwing concept car, the Espada debuted at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show with a longer and wider version of the 400 GT’s chassis and distinctive styling by Carrozzeria Bertone‘s Marcello Gandini.
Lamborghini went on to make approximately 1,220-plus Espadas (the automaker’s own production numbers vary) across three series from 1968 until 1978. All of them were powered by a front-mounted 4.0-liter DOHC V12 paired with six Weber carburetors. Output started at 325 horsepower, but increased to 350 two years later. Initially, a Lamborghini-made five-speed manual gearbox was the only transmission available, but the very American TorqueFlite three-speed automatic became an option in 1974.
This 1974 Espada is a Series III, which spanned model years 1973-78 and came standard with the previously optional power steering. According to the selling dealer, it’s “believed to be a one owner example based upon the circumstances of our acquisition and the one owner designation on the NJ title we received.” It adds that this 34,521-mile “example is finished in its factory color scheme of Arancio over beige, a rare and desirable specification.”
Clearly, this Lambo has a patina, and a comprehensive mechanical service or even a total rebuild would be a wise investment. The good news is that this project car is not just a body shell with a gutted interior and an empty engine bay—everything seems to be in place.
Once you buy this 1974 Lamborghini Espada for $62,000 (OBO), you can figure out the rest. Do you have a restoration shop or know of one that can do this car justice? Maybe you have the funds to send it straight to Lamborghini Polo Storico. Or perhaps you and your significant other and/or children can turn this Italian machine into a family experience and rolling legacy.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
