This Lamborghini Espada has been stored for 20 years in what looks like a shipping container, shortly after receiving a complete engine rebuild to the tune of $40K. It has a colorful ownership history, including being sold new to a royal family in Saudi Arabia. The seller claims it is the only known 1978 Espada in the United States, as the company ceased exporting them to the U.S. in 1976. If you can keep it all straight, keep reading here on eBay where bidding is at $9,100 with no reserve.
As you can see, the windshield has been smashed / kicked out, likely a result of its crude storage arrangements. If the car was so rare and the engine rebuild so extensive, didn’t it at least deserve a garage parking space? The seller indicates all necessary EPA / DOT compliance was performed, so it shouldn’t be red-flagged for any deviations going forward. The interior was also restored before it went into storage, begging the question as to why so much work was performed if the car was only going to end up in storage.
Pictures indicate a variety of timelines throughout the Lamborghini’s life, with this one clearly showing the car prior to being stored and losing its windshield. The seller has owned the Espada since 1982, with the car going into long-term storage beginning in 1990. There’s just 13,000 KM on the clock now, likely making it one of the lowest in existence. The provenance factor is intriguing as well, given the royalty connection and the fact that 1978 models aren’t exactly common in the U.S. Hopefully, the federalization it underwent didn’t impact performance too much.
The restored leather interior appears to be in excellent shape despite the blown-out windshield. The seller says the interior has not been fully re-assembled following the attempt at restoration, but that all necessary components are included. The no-reserve listing is a surprise and will likely drive a strong price given the expected interest in an unusual Espada such as this one. While it’s far from the most valuable Lamborghini, it does offer vintage charm in spades with the ability to bring some friends along – maybe even the Prince of Saudi Arabia?
If I were thinking about acquiring this Espada, the thoughts would end as soon as I read that the “federalization” of the car was done by Al Mardikian. Look him up, if you don’t remember that he (and his company, Trend Imports) had quite the unhappy history with the Feds.
I’m not certain, but believe U.S. Customs retains the right to inspect and seize a non-conforming car in perpetuity if it believes the car does not in fact comply. The “25-year rule” does not apply in such cases. That may account for the Espada’s long slumber in the crate….
In all probability, there are still dozens of un-federalized gray-market cars (if not more) stashed away from the prying eyes of the Feds awaiting new homes. I know there were plenty back in the 1980s. Even saw a few….
This post is why I love this site. Such great off-the-radar information. Thanks for this.
How do you know if a gray market car is “unfederalized”?
Don, if the seller can’t produce a document showing that the car was ‘federalized’ and passed the Government inspection it’s best to assume it’s ‘unfederalized’.
And even if the seller has a document showing that the car was federalized by Al Mardikian (not Merdikian) it’s still best to be cautious and assume that it wasn’t federalized properly and could be seized as illegal.
This could still be a great buy even if it turns out there is a problem with the federalization issue. If the car is as good as it seems to be in the pics there will be lots of value in the parts. But….caution….
Exotic cars that come out of the Middle East are notorious for having had a very hard life, even if they have low mileage. And there are so many questions raised by the description that I would absolutely want to inspect the car and the documents before bidding. The fact that the engine needed rebuilding at under 8K miles is only the beginning of the concerns.
A popular trick back in the days when gray-market cars were all the rage was the “Kodak conversion,” in which one car’s modifications to meet DOT/EPA standards were documented and used to clear one or more (unmodified) cars of the same make. Another, of course, was the “propane conversions” which did away with the need for catalysts and the like and were generally simple to reverse….
I was amazed to see — and, occasionally, drive — cars that were clearly unchanged from their Euro-spec origins wearing CA plates and titles. Never found out exactly how some people got away with it, but sure wanted to know!
So if you have a gray market car ( which I do) that is titled in the state you reside in the Feds can still impound your car?
Me: “Hello Safelite, I need front and rear windows for a 1978 Lamborghini Espada.”
Safelite: “Yeah, good luck with that.”
Looks like an interesting and unique ride to restore, but as Ray said, if this is a gray-market car, you will have a heck of a time dealing with the feds… Plus, in addition to relatively minor items like the windshield, I can imagine how hard it would be to locate parts for this car. Great find!
With the exception of the glass, brightwork trim, engine and some other parts I think you would be shocked at how much of this car is from other cars including Alfa, Fiat to Austin and Jaguar, you just need to know where to look. The same is true from Ferrari and Maserati. I have owned a Maserati and it was full of parts from other manufacturers including German and English brands. Owners clubs know most of these part and joining one is worth it’s weight in gold.
Already up to $20k.
Weld the doors shut on the container and walk away. No, run away because there is NOTHING legit about this deal.
Aside from all the blah blah blah about Feds etc. I just came here to look at this rare beauty. Pretty car. These had some style unlike the ugly plastic door stops that the Italians make now.
This car meets the 25 year exclusion………who cares if it was “federalized” it is moot now.
I dislike the seller’s hype about this being “priceless” because it’s a 1978 – reality is, the earliest Series One versions are the most valuable today.
Dave, I could be wrong, but IIRC from reading about ‘federalization’ years ago, that if a car was incorrectly or fraudulently converted to comply with US safety & emissions laws, so that failed to comply, it had to be exported or destroyed.
I don’t believe it was allowed to sit around until it was 25 years old to stay in the country under the 25 year rule. I think that means that if the Feds find out now, they will order it to be either exported or destroyed.
And they would be doing the world a favor with either option
nice
“THIS LAMBORGHINI ESPADA III WAS SHIPPED FROM THE PORT OF JEDDAH, KSA TO LA SPEZIA, ITALY. ARRIVED AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES/LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA USA DURING THE SUMMER OF 1982.”
Why would you ship it from Saudi to Italy to “THE PORT” of Los Angeles? Saudi to Italy… ok. Italy to the port of Los Angeles…. fishy.
Sounds like it went back to Italy for some repairs before it went to the states, Like that engine rebuild they mentioned. La Spezia is one hundred miles from the factory. FYI
Bought a grey market Mercedes-Benz SLC 350 in Chicago in 1986 before moving to California. Within a week, was stopped by Ca. state cop, who noticed the covered headlights. Issued a ticket and told, “Get this fixed or your car will be turned into razor blades” $500 repair bill and my car met Ca. standards for importing a Grey market. Lesson- Chicago was lot more lenient than California toward Grey Market cars.It all depends on where you live.
Bought a grey market Mercedes-Benz SLC 350 in Chicago in 1986 before moving to California. Within a week, was stopped by Ca. state cop, who noticed the covered headlights. Issued a ticket and told, “Get this fixed or your car will be turned into razor blades” $500 repair bill and my car met Ca. standards for importing a Grey market. Lesson- Chicago was a lot more lenient than California toward Grey Market cars.It all depends on where you live.
The cops in CA are all too young and stupid to ticket any car this old for any of those archaic violations.
And yours is a pretty young and stupid comment.
Ike apparently you haven’t had any interactions with the LAPD…lol
I used to live in California and I visit my in-laws on a regular basis. LOL!
Looks like modifications by an ex….
Bid to $21,300 now. As someone else stated, lots of parts ie; brakes, switches and such are common to other European makes of the era. when I sold vintage jaguar parts always had lots of Ferrari, cobra and other makes that shared parts!!!
like the hood scoups of that era (dwn instead of up).
naca ducts, very efficient
yes. They direct the air without disrupting the airflow like upright scoops thereby reducing drag.
I rekon the guy drove it into the container and then the engine stalled at which point he realised he couldn’t open the door so he kicked the screen out to make good his escape …..
Back in the mid eighties a friend of mine bought a gray market 500 SEL for a surprise gift for his dad. (he was in the diamond business) He asked me to fix some electrical issues with it as its still not cleared for street use. He had a stack of papers 4 inches thick trying to get it federalized and gave it all to me for a month to sort it. Well at that time I was getting married. My dad flew in from Europe and I was to pick him from my sisters place in Saratoga Ca and take him to meet the new extended family in Sunnyvale. I had a Ford Capri at the time. Not really the right car for such a occasion. The big Merc was sitting out front so…. Off I went! It had no plates, no trip sticker no nothing but the stack of federal paperwork in the trunk. My dad was impressed as I was in my best suit picking him up in this nice German luxury vehicle. All went well until I ran a bit late through a intersection that turned red. A cop was sitting in the intersection and of course made a turn out of his way to pull me over. I thought my goose was cooked. What happened next surprised the hell out of me. Cop comes to me and looks at my dad and I all dressed up and says. “Im sorry but I had to pull you over, people saw me see you run that light. Beautiful car you have here. Have a nice day” And he walked away!! This was in Saratoga Ca. It was then that I saw the double standard in life at the time for the haves and the have nots.