The car was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Gandini drew inspiration and cues from two of his Bertone show cars from 1967, the Lamborghini Marzal and the Bertone Pirana. The Espada was a four-seater GT and was initially sold alongside the Islero and the mid-engine Miura. The Espada and the Islero both replaced the 400 GT 2+2 and had similar mechanical underpinnings, with the Espada a more visually daring alternative to the relatively conservative and discrete Islero.The Spanish name "Espada" (pronounced [esˈpaða]) means "sword", referring to the sword that the torero uses to kill the bull.mDuring its ten years in production the car underwent some changes, and three different series were produced. These were the S1 (1968–1970), the S2 (1970–1972) and the S3 (1972–1978). Each model featured interior redesigns, minor mechanical improvements and minor exterior changes. 1, 217 Espadas were made, making it the most numerous and longest-running Lamborghini model until the expansion of Countach production in the mid-1980s. The Espada S3 was launched in 1972. With this revision, the interior now incorporated a redesigned aluminum-trimmed instrument panel that kept all instruments and most controls (including the radio) within easy reach of the driver. Several exterior changes were also made. Newly designed wheels on five-stud hubs replaced the earlier knock-off wheels. These wheels were also used on some late S2 Espadas.[5] They were fitted with wider Pirelli Cinturato 215/70WR15 CN12 tyres. The front grille now had a square instead of hexagonal mesh. New tail lights were used, sourced from the Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina. A sunroof was now available as an option. The 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) engine was carried over from the S2. Power steering by ZF and air conditioning were now standard. Spring and shock absorber tuning was altered slightly. In 1974, a Chrysler Torqueflite 3 speed automatic transmission became available as an option.
