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Lamborghini Islero S - sportier and yet more practical than other Granturismi

Name: Lamborghini Islero S 1969
Brand: Lamborghini

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Created on July 27, 2019

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

RM/Sotheby's

Robin Adams - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Archiv Lamborghini

Robin Adams - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Archiv

RM/Sotheby's

Robin Adams - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Archiv Lamborghini

Robin Adams - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Archiv

51 1

Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - the "S" differed from its predecessor in a few body details

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - surprisingly practical Granturismo

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - interesting mix of curves and corners in the silhouette

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - the front is low thanks to the folding headlights

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - relatively "angular" rear end

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - very generous window areas

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - elegant and unagitated, especially from the front

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - unusually high rear bumpers and low-positioned rear lights

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - stands out without attracting attention

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - wooden steering wheel and lots of leather

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - many instruments for the Lambo driver

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - typical Granturismo interior

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - oil pressure always in view

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - surprisingly clear, but not entirely glare-free

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - extensive arsenal of additional instruments

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - short gearshift

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - Wooden gear knob

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - beautifully designed rear seats, but space is limited

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - the roof is also lined in leather

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - the V12 engine with four overhead camshafts

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - six twin carburetors from Weber

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - clearly labeled four-liter engine

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - Weber carburetor battery

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - Chassis number

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - rounded front and Miura alloy wheels

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - extended double folding headlights

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - with an additional "S"

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Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 (1967) - the shape survived time unscathed

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Lamborghini 400 GT (1966) - the elegant GT

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Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 (1966) - shape evolution from the 350 GT to here

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Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 (1966) - Steering wheel and dashboard

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Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 (1966) - Interior

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Ferruccio Lamborghini proudly shows the Espada at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1968, the Islero can be seen in the background

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Lamborghini Espada (1968) - spacious Gran Turiusmo - at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show

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Lamborghini Islero (1968) - more angular, but still clearly recognizable as a descendant of the 350/400 GT

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Lamborghini Islero (1968) - more angular than its predecessors

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Lamborghini Islero (1968) - still a GT, with lifted features

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Lamborghini Islero (1968) - Italian elegance continues inside

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Lamborghini Islero (1969) - large windows, simple bodywork

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - sold as lot 319 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Monterey in 2015

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Lamborghini Islero S (1969) - as lot 319 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Monterey on August 13 - 15, 2015

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Lamborghini Jarama 400 GT (1971) - angular front-engined GT

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Lamborghini Jarama 400 GTS (1975) - the wheels with central locking were omitted from the later versions

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Summary

In 2019, the Lamborghini Islero S celebrated its 50th birthday, but hardly anyone thought of it in April and toasted to it. Even back then, the Islero stood out much less than its brothers Miura and Espada, even though Ferruccio Lamborghini drove one himself. And very few people today know that Roger Moore once drove an Islero for several minutes in a movie. This vehicle report is dedicated to the Islero Coupé, of which only 225 were built, and shows it in current and historical pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

New coachbuilder
Hybrid design
Proven technology
Enthusiasm and criticism
Faster with the "S"
Film-tested
A rarity remains
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

If there were three Lamborghinis in a parking lot - a Miura, an Espada and an Islero - everyone would pounce on the Miura and a few connoisseurs would go for the Espada next. The Islero, on the other hand, would hardly stand out. It was exactly the same at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1968 when the Lamoborghini Islero was shown to the public for the first time. Although it was a new model, it stood in the shadow of the already familiar and the (also new) Espada. It actually had an important role to play, as it had to replace the 400 GT 2+2, Lamborghini's classic Granturismo, which in turn dated back to the first sports car from Sant'Agata, the 350 GT.

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