The Espada was unveiled at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show featuring Bertone bodywork styled by Marcello Gandini and was produced in three series over the subsequent decade. Design features include a transparent vertical rear panel, a glass hatch with an electric defroster, roof vents, and an aluminum hood panel incorporating twin NACA ducts and dual side fender vents.
This example is said to have been delivered from the factory in green and underwent a color change to pink…
The Espada was unveiled at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show featuring Bertone bodywork styled by Marcello Gandini and was produced in three series over the subsequent decade. Design features include a transparent vertical rear panel, a glass hatch with an electric defroster, roof vents, and an aluminum hood panel incorporating twin NACA ducts and dual side fender vents.
This example is said to have been delivered from the factory in green and underwent a color change to pink in 1979. It was repainted again in its current pink by Exoticars of Hunterdon in Frenchtown, New Jersey, in 1992 following the completion of bodywork and the addition of lead body filler. Additional features include H4 headlights, body-color mirrors, and dual fuel fillers hidden beneath the rear quarter vents. Corrosion on the door bottoms can be seen in the gallery along with other imperfections in the finish.
The five-lug Campagnolo alloy wheels were refinished under previous ownership, and they are mounted with 215/70 Pirelli Cinturato HS CN 12 tires that were installed in February 2022. A matching spare wheel with a Michelin tire is fitted beneath the trunk floor. The four-wheel independent suspension utilizes double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, and anti-roll bars. Power-assisted steering was optioned from the factory. Stopping power is provided by Girling three-piston calipers over ventilated discs at all four corners. A replacement brake master cylinder was installed in 2018.
The cabin features bucket seats that were reupholstered in white Connolly leather in 1992. The lower dashboard, center console, and door panels were also retrimmed in matching leather at that time, and pink Wilton wool carpets were fitted. Additional features include power windows, a cassette player, black “mouse fur” dash trim, and woodgrain door panel trim. A set of black floor mats is included in the sale and can be seen in the gallery. The air conditioning does not work, and the HVAC fan is reported to be loud.
The drilled-spoke steering wheel fronts Jaeger instrumentation including a 180-mph speedometer, a 9k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer stopped working under previous ownership and shows 99k miles. Total mileage is unknown.
The 3.9-liter V12 features an aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners, aluminum pistons, and aluminum cylinder heads with dual overhead camshafts on each bank. Factory output was rated at 350 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. The engine was rebuilt by the Auto Elite Corp. of Tenafly, New Jersey, in May 2020, with cylinder head machine work carried out by Olsen Engines of Nyack, New York. Replaced parts include the pistons, main and rod bearings, valves, valve guides, gaskets, engine mounts, and spark plugs. The carburetors were also rebuilt, and an invoice totaling over $27k for the service can be seen in the gallery.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The Ansa quad-exit exhaust system was repaired with new sheet metal in 2020 and shows corrosion.