One of my favorite rabbit holes when certain cars come up for sale is to look at who the owner is. Of course, that’s easier said than done since most listings don’t include the owner’s name. However, in the case of this 1974 Lamborghini Espada listed here on eBay which is described as having under 50,000 original miles and being in storage for 22 years, the caretaker appears to be a name that’s been associated with vintage Lamborghinis and Jaguars for some time. The current bid is $30,000 with no reserve.
Chad Bolles in South Carolina has a long history with old Lamborghinis, and you can find his name on various message boards. Apparently, he also was a go-to for vintage Jaguars, but it seems pivoted to just Lamborghini in later years. There’s an old E-Type in the background, so clearly he still has the bug like we all do. The Espada looks like an attractive survivor that he claims would fool you for being a new car if you saw it on the street. However, it sounds like health issues and broken bones have interfered with his ability to enjoy it, and perhaps to also work on vintage automobiles.
Pictures aren’t the best, but I’m encouraged by the interior photos. Paint can be redone well enough to fool you into thinking it was new, but it’s difficult to create the same appearance inside a vintage Lamborghini interior. The sensitive dash and seat materials all appear to be in excellent condition. On the exterior, the wire wheels are a bit of a letdown, and I hope the seller still has the original 15″ Campagnolo alloy wheels somewhere in storage. He mentions having a stash of vintage Lamborghini parts, and given his old forum posts indicate he has plenty of spares, I’m hopeful he’s able to re-home those likely sought-after parts with the people who need them.
The 3.9-liter V12 produces 350 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. It was the epitome of a grand tourer when introduced, and is still a formidable road trip companion today. Obviously, one would hope that it still runs quite well being in the care of a seasoned Lamborghini specialist, and based on my quick Googling, the seller’s name is held in high regard in most instances for his mechanical aptitude. The engine bay appears spotless, and the hand tools along side it should either inspire confidence or questions depending on your point of view. Espadas rarely come up for sale, especially in condition like this.
Had a customer with one of these that he kept damaging the bodywork on. One early morning I took the shop guys out for a “paint test drive” on I-35 and found that these burly beasts can really haul the mail. Shifted into 4th on the 5 speed and glanced down to find we were approaching 140 mph. Smooth as glass and the big engine just humming. Wow!
And we would hear the conversation with the trooper:
“Mr. Hess, what exactly is the reason for traveling at 140+MPH?!?”
“Officer, these is an exotic car that requires a very special paint after we repair the damage. It has to be able to hold up to speeds like this or it won’t cure properly.”
“Good explanation. Drive carefully, Mr.Hess.”..
Good stuff, sir. Personally speaking that ride would’ve been better than any paycheck bonus in the world.
I’m not sure which I liked better….
Bobhess experience with one of these. ( wish I was part of that ride)
Or Nevadahalfracks rendition of his conversation with a Trooper after pulling him over for going a conservative140 mph.
Nice car too!!!
-Dave
Troopers were not out that early. Must have coffee before hitting the road. Good story though. These things are goose bump cars at their finest.
Been there, done that … ran up on a trooper on I-10 in Texas … we played cat-and-mouse until I passed him at 45mph … he said he was driving at 110mph and I was gaining … showed me his radar at 148mph … gave me a warning ticket – told him I was on the way to New Orleans for my dad’s 75th birthday – if I agreed to not go over 55mph to my destination that night in San Antonio, which I did … longest three hours of my life, with cars flashing lights at me, even big rigs blowing their horns at me … have never driven my Nissan 350Z Touring Roadster that fast again …
Nevada have you any more suggestions that I could use if I get caught driving someone else’s car at triple the speed limit or more?
Is bobnandy@…net a good one?
What i tried fail e d….bounced back but theres a thumbs up here on.my comment now??
If I could buy that I saw in my head a theme that I would do regardless of what people thought, to me it looks like a 🛸 UFO and I would paint it like this!👽😁
If I could buy that I saw in my head a theme that I would do regardless of what people thought, to me it looks like a 🛸 UFO and I would paint it like this!👽😁
Beautiful car, but a long road trip? I bet it breaks down before you can make any time on a cross country trip. I remember reading singer Richard Carpenters attempt years ago in a 70s Ferarri. Spent more time being towed than on the road. I had my 68 Stang on a 5K trip, nary a whimper from her, and let me tell you, a lot of that trip was in somewhat illegal speeds.
Owner said the engine had never been touched and the car used daily. He said going to work was really fun. Had another customer who used his Ferrari for going to work and taking his kids out for ice cream. Had to take the whole interior out one time to clean out the milk shake one of the kids managed to dump all over it.
I was pulled over by the Nevada Highway Patrol for driving in excess of 120 mph in a customer’s BMW. I was questioned for the need to be driving that fast. I explained that the customer’s complaint about a high speed vibration needed to be experienced in order to diagnose the problem. He said “right” (not believing me) let me see the repair order. So I handed it to him. He looked it over, handed it back and said, “Have a nice day!”
Nevada didn’t have speed limits in the ’70s when we lived there. Think we didn’t have fun driving our two Porsches out there?
Wayne, ok I’ll keep repair orders at my house for when a friend comes by to show me their newly acquired toy. Normal for me to hear is “let’s go for a ride. You drive and tell me what you think.”
Now I should complete a repair order first?
Exotics need to be exercised.. Sitting does them no favors. Imagine what happens to the fuel sitting in SIX Webers.
In my 20’s I had an E type and an XJ12C, more common by comparison, and I was driving one or the other daily as the mood struck, and out on the weekend for longer drives. My friend and service guru, Chuck Botright – still in the business in Va. Beach – once told me I had the best running Jags of any of his customers, because I DROVE them.
Sitting doesn’t do any car any good, Especially with ethanol gas.
Pinto
Why are you so anti 12cylinder exotic?
I cant own one either but I’ve driven many and known many others that are not owned by billionaires. I think most are well-maintained and quite reliable.
Many times I’ve seen a Ford dead on the side of the road and never a Ferrari.
Found On Road Dead to you sir.
Because there are just so many Ferraris on the road, right? Apples and oranges…
Even I will admit that the greatest of all cars ever produced, sometimes (though very rarely) break down. When they do, I myself can usually easily fix it, but if not, never too far away from someone who can. Your V12 Frankenstein, another story altogether. Say you are in Western Nebreska and pretty Mazzie sputters to a halt. A tow to where? Denver? Omaha? Maybe Chicago? Costly and inconvenient. Going to spoil the trip. The wife will not be pleased, and the motel room that night will have a noticeable chill to it. Going to be a cold and lonley night.
Big c l realize that where many live seeing a Ferrari or other exotic is rare. Where i live, it’s a daily occurrence from april to November. I’m minutes from elkhart lake, road america and throttle stop.
Pinto, your basis for 12 cyl./ exotic car unreliability on a story of 1 person and 1 car?
For the last many years, many 12 cylinder cars have Bosch ignition and injection. I know of some that have 2 6 cylinder distributors and computers from 6 cylinder cars known to be reliable. I’m only telling what I know. I’m not really defending. I mostly own and drive 4 cylinder cars. My cars are as or more reliable than many. I have AAA in case i need it. Last time I used it, a utility trailer hauling a John deere 210 home had a tire fail in a construction zone at 5pm on Sunday. They hauled the trailer home to my shop. They would change a tire on the Flxible Clipper.
Wow, really? Were going here. Okay, I’ll play. Lorrie Stern famously put more then 100,000 miles on her Espada… hauled her kids to school, ran errands, used it as her daily, when that is she wasn’t behind the stick of her aerobatic aircraft. The gap between and Espada and a 68′ “Stang” is the gap between a 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild and a Coke.
And “ended” with an “error in the listing”..
A running vintage Lambo for $30K? And then the action ends and it’s now it is $10K but not for sale.
Way too hinky.
what was that about? I was a little suprised, opened my barnfinds the moment it arrived, went to the ebay link, car sold for 10 grand. huh?
The first question should be ” does the air conditioning work ?” even if it does it’s not enough cooling to handle the job unless its been reworked completely.
The part that makes them feel faster is how low you sit. The hatch window adds to the affect when you look in the rear view mirror.
It’s still the coolest of the hard edged look IMHO.
I’d have to loose the wires and find a set of original Companalos. (sp?)
If you loose the wires it will run worse.
A comment on a recent video pointed out what a huge influence these must’ve been on Mitsubishi when they designed the Lancer Celeste aka Plymouth Arrow.
I will never unsee that resemblance, and now neither will you. You’re welcome.
my brother bought one new around 73 or 74. he kept it a year, in central florida, like with his other exotics, finding anyone to work on them was a challenge. my sister’s fiance had a 68 miura, around the same time, you could hear him approaching blocks away. same deal, he couldn’t keep it serviced. there was an alfa dealer in longwood but they were italian prima donas and working with them was a challenge. ah, the past.
Just last week I was looking for a couple of photos and ran across the photos of the Espada i didn’t buy 40 years ago. Same color as this but not near as nice as this.
What happened to being able to upload a photo here in the comments?
You have to be a member to be able to upload pictures
I am member.
Top of my comments
Photo of big black GSD RALLYE MEMBER
I have put photos up in the past. I dont get that box to check and poat pix.
You have to be logged in to be able to post pictures. Top of the page
Located in: Leesville, South Carolina
This listing was ended by the seller on Mon, Aug 10 at 12:32 PM because there was an error in the listing.
And here we have the reliability conversation. So I will toss in a few comments. Having been in the parts, service, tire, vehicle sales side of the industry. (Have done it all except work on the assembly line) AND having been on both sides of the coin with vehicles I have owned. Nothing! So cool about driving a fast, great handling car! Also very cool to drive a vehicle that is so bullet proof you never have to be concerned about reliability. So here lies the big divide. And yes, I don’t like hearing about the vehicle failing from the other half. Been there and done that! My point is that (at least for me) vehicles are here for my enjoyment. However I enjoy them (whenever I enjoy them) is realitive to my point in time at any given time. That make sense? I have beat the crap out of a rally car out in the woods of Michigan, went very fast “smoothly” racing on frozen lakes in Wisconsin, turned around to go back and take a jump at a higher speed with my family aboard. (Kids squealing with delight and wife cringing) run a car wide open out in the desert, and tried to get as much “g” force as possible on the track at Thunder Hill and Road America. Also getting a thrill of getting 52 mpg on my ’78 Honda Civic at 80 mph in Georgia. And having something I built go 250,000 miles with no breakdown. Enjoyment /fun is where you find it or how you make it. Being old and on fixed income, I get enjoyment of lower overall cost of ownership. That doesn’t mean I pinch every fuel penny as I still love to go fast when the opertunity presents it’s self and the wife is asleep! But currently with the racecar sold I have to find my automotive fun where I can.
One of the finest creations ever birthed by Gandini. Just a marvelous car. The wire wheel do it harm to be sure… it is begging for its original set of Campagnolo mag wheels and I am curious if this hue is the cars original as I do not recall this color being original at the time, but none of this matters when you open all those carbs. These things just crush continents. If you need to do a midnight run to LA to Vegas, there are few better vintage cars to do it in.