One of the laments you’ll often see regarding vintage supercars like the ones offered by Lamborghini and Ferrari is the cost to maintain these exotic beasts – and that’s in addition to the lofty purchase price. Not so with this hybrid Lamborghini Espada, which has shed its original powerplant for a Chevrolet-sourced V8 instead. While it will make purists cringe, it may also represent an opportunity for someone who isn’t a millionaire to own a rarity like the Espada. Find it here on eBay listed by Gullwing Motorcars for $49,500.
The huge cowl-induction hood is an impressive custom creation, as there’s no way the aftermarket ever made such a concoction for a vintage Lamborghini like this. The personalized touches continue with the script on the hindquarters and Lamborghini lettering across the top of the windshield; clearly, the Chevy-swapping owner wanted to reinforce that his car was still an Italian-built exotic with a slightly less exotic engine than it originally came with. The Espada sports the desirable Euro-spec bumpers, as the later cars were fitted with ugly park benches to comply with new safety requirements.
In my opinion, the V12 was likely yanked after mechanical gremlins proved too costly for a third- or fourth owner to diagnose, and the availability of a Chevy-sourced mill was too tempting to ignore. The “Racing Engines” branding on the valve cover could be a caretaker’s attempt at bad humor or could indicate the motor was built to some level of specifications that makes it more impressive than the seemingly homebrew conversion would otherwise imply. The name seems too generic to be representative of an actual engine builder that provided swap kits for Lamborghini owners beset by an outrageous repair bill, but I could be wrong.
On that note, I found two references to V8-swapped Espadas, both of which Gullwing Motorcars has previously sold! It seems this swap is not as unusual as you might suspect, but whether there’s a kit builder out there is a mystery I’ll leave to our readers to solve. Here’s a write-up on Hooniverse about an Espada with a motor from a C4 Corvette, and another from the website MyCarQuest profiling an Espada with a 350 under the hood. However, the price Gullwing is asking outpaces what the green car supposedly sold for years ago. Is $50K too much for an Espada with a Chevy motor? Let us know in the comments below.
Unfortunately in that condition Not even near worth it! (maybe its an $8K car) First someone needs to find the 4.9 double overhead cam V8 motor with four Webber carbs and a 5 speed ZF transmission. to begin to bring it closer to that asking price number
Let’s say ok with the engine swap, then the cowl hits savagely!
A carbon fiber replacement engine lid should do the trick. Oh, and scraping tools to remove unwanted lettering. As far as the engine swap goes…. adjust the price!
I like how the sellers went out of their way to include thorough and detailed pictures of the car including all areas that are prone to rust as well as an in depth and complete description of its condition and history.
Steve R
These have been selling at auction lately for a median price of $115K. Gullwing knows that as it sits, this Espada is worth less than half that.
I think Gullwing have the car priced optimistically, since a lot of the value of the car is in the drivetrain, especially as donors for Lambos that are more upscale, easier to get in and out of, and in need of an engine or transmission.
I am not a purist to the point of condemning this engine swap, the SBS is a truly great engine capable of some very solid numbers, although I seriously doubt this “racing engine” falls into that category. The hood scoop??? WOW, thats the kind of stuff that makes the Germans cringe at American automobiles, for that matter it made me cringe a fair bit! Not my cup of tea!
Maybe the hood scoop makes the Italians, as masters of automotive beauty and style, cringe even more.
If the scoop was beaten by hand by a guy named Luigi, I have no problem with it.
I like the idea and the car except for that God awful hood scoop! I know it is probably there for clearance but it makes the car look like some of the “custom” car models I tried to create…..when I was 12!!
If it’s open in the back it might be there to vent hot air from the engine compartment. It’s awful looking, but there isn’t much room in there with a big block Chevy. I’m surprised someone didn’t install a small block instead, it’s lighter and would have fit the cars character better.
Steve R
OMG! Why the hood scoop? From the examples of the other cars, it clearly wasn’t necessary. The conversion is bad enough. But, Why the hood scoop?
I don’t mind conversions if it’s for functional purposes. But frankly, I see no functional reason this is necessary, unless it’s to make room for a larger engine. But even then, is it truly necessary?
Driving this bone, would be a lot like riding a moped…Might be a lot of fun, until someone you know, sees you….No V 12….PASS
That’s what the hood scoop’s for, you can hide behind it. At least the Campagnolos are still with it rather then mini tubs and Draglites.
It’s been on the market for a good while, that should tell you if the pricing is correct, rare cars that sit on the market tend to be over-priced.
This thing would be tired looking regardless of the engine.
I love seeing American iron under the hoods of cool looking imports like this, or that Volvo sleeper car that was posted on here a while back. No, it’s not some exotic (finicky) V12, but still plenty of fun.
If you’re gonna use a hood scoop that big at least use a respectable sized air cleaner to go with it, other than that I like this car.👌
The only beating that should take place is on the muppet who put that carbunkle of a hood on this car
Im pretty sure that is a big block Chevy mill we are looking at…..lots of motor for that car, always waned to see this in a Ferrari 400
The Espada reminds me of all the Ferrari 250s that used to get SBCs swapped into them during the 1960s. It was a cheap alternative to rebuilding the original V12s.
I agree with the others that the hood scoop should be a highly punishable crime.
It used to be that Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars resembled actual production cars, not imaginary conflaborations that in real life would never be built. I guess those conflaborations exist afterall. While there may be some financial value in parts of this car, or just because of the name- I think its too much money to pay for something this ugly.
Needs a luggage rack and red hoses.
Ya… Hate it. The swap is bad enough (if you can’t afford to fix it, you just cant afford it at all) and then that scoop… The Jethro’s and Billy Bob’s of the world really need to expand their horizons a bit. There’s more to life than “lets stick a tree fiddy in it Paw!” Stuff like this just irritates me. Looking a little closer, it looks like they’ve screwed a couple auxiliary guages to the dash too. Might as well go full mouth-breather and shove a 4×4 frame under it too.
Wow…and just think how the guys at Gull Wing cars felt when they saw it….
I’m guessing that these aren’t valuable enough to make sourcing a Lamborghini V12 and 5-speed transmission worthwhile. If that’s the case, it might be cool to go with a BMW V12 and ZF 6-speed, both of which are fairly easy to find and not insanely expensive.
This is ugly from all sides
If I dumped a big Chevy into this, I wouldn’t slap huge Lamborghini decals on it front and back. Lamborghini is spinning in his grave so hard, that he just augered himself another 7 foot deeper.
Hopefully he used one of his own tractors and a PTO auger.
What a shame.
That cowl just finnish the cake.
Does the real engine at least come with in the deal.
Nonononono.
Many years ago, when I worked as an insurance agent, I had to buy a new bonnet for a customer’s Espada. At the time, the bonnet cost £5,000 BEFORE paint and fitting and the total for all the work was almost £9,000 after all costs were taken into account. Ironically, I later ended up working for the guy whom I purchased the parts for and he was none-too-fond of the running costs!
Needs side-pipes.
Sure, why stop at the typical Chevy hood? As one mentioned, set it on a 4×4 chassis too.
Satin black & flames is all is required here
What a fugly abomination.
Destroying the village (or in this case the Espada) in order to save it . . .
Well the Espada was always an awkward ugly ducking of a car with only that glorious v-12 symphony to redeem it. Take away the V-12 and all you have left is the ugly. All of the expense of a hand crafted Italian sports car with none of the beauty.
May as well go the redneck 4×4 route,,,
Saw this car at a used dealership near Carlisle,PA. It’s horrible in person. Seems like they were asking near $50,000.
that hood scoop makes my eyes hurt! what a shame!
Somewhere around n this world I hope there’s an El Camino with a Lambo V12/5-speed swap. That would be awesome.
Very Death Race 2000
This is worse than the jackalopes who put a boned-out 350 in a Jag sedan. You know- rusty & leaking headers, glass packs, chrome 8″ open air cleaner (with required ‘dusting’ of rust), Holley double pumper carb…
You all know ‘that guy’-
Not against swaps. If done well and not “Trailer parked” I admire that it’s still on the road. Only one requitement; go LS- lighter, more durable, fuel injection is easy and worlds more effecient
I like the Espada design, they are a great deal lower then you might expect. The engine is not the only problem as the electrical system is generally at total mess and that is from the factory. I have yet to see an electrical diagram with proper color coding to make fixing one easy. The interiors are complex and bitterly expensive to restore.
The engines were not that bad but they were designed in the day when gas was low cost (even in Europe) and those 6 dual throat Webber Carb’s would suck it down at an alarming rate. General limited low teens and upper single digits. That a fuel injected small block with a turbo could easily match or exceed the power and more than double the milage it tempting.
The hood repair could easily cost in excess of 8 to 12 thousand dollars to do right and a paint job to improve the color would cost an additional 15 to 20 thousand. This car is about double the price needed to make it a salable Espada in existing condition. Sad because these are truly amazing to see on the move. The only other things close is the Lagonda wedge sedans of the 80’s. Big, Low, Fast and Elegant.
What is seldom thought about is that I believe that the Espada is still the largest seller for that company. It was very popular in it’s day.
12 grand to fix a hood….you better change shops. 20 grand on a paint job. I’ll let the public discuss that……………
I suggest anybody that has any interest check out on YOUTUBE Jay Lenno’s Expada video and a few others to see what one should really be like when properly in good shape.
Once you’ve committed yourself to putting a non-original engine in a Lambo, you’ve also committed yourself to never being able to sell it.
That’s when Gullwing swoops in and makes you a low-ball offer that you accept so that you can finally be rid of it.
If by “impressive custom creation” (the cowl) you mean “ass-ugly”, I’m with you. Yikes! I thought I was having a flashback to a very bad trip.
I wonder what putting that lump of a V-8 in the car has done to the handling?
They are a straight line car……………
Here is a line to an Espada conversion where the hood scoop, as ugly as it may be, makes a little more sense. A previous had installed a Countach engine and needed the clearance for the down draft carburetors. I drove this car and it was a real beast, we called it “Mad Max”.
http://gtspirit.com/2013/02/05/for-sale-one-off-1972-lamborghini-espada-on-motor-cars-international/
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possibly building an engine for this car- engineering a 350 swap – tranny work – etc was cheaper then fixing the V12? – okay I can’t argue with that logic. But the reason these cars are what they are is for the V12!…to me its just a Chevy built kit car with Italian leather seats with an outrageous price.
I’m not a fan of hood scoops on cars. And this makes the hood look hideous!