If barn finds are the unicorns of the automotive industry, this ‘70s Lamborgini Espada is the dominant stallion. It’s been driven into storage – which, yes, is a proper barn – some 30+ years ago and then the owner never came back for it. When the owner of the land with the barn died last year, the new owners found the treasure hidden inside.
It’s the most impressive barn find of the week, and in Smith’s entire life, he says in the latest episode of his YouTube show, which you will find in full at the bottom of the page. Seriously, spare half an hour to check it out: it’s perhaps the most impressive and awesome thing you’ll see today.
Dominic is the guy who contacted Jonny Smith with the finding, and he’s speaking for the current landowner. He says the previous landowner offered his barn for storage back in the day, and this is how the Lambo came around. A 1990s Vauxhall Cavalier and Calibra were also brought there for the same purpose, and they served to box the Espada in and keep it hidden from prying eyes.
Under cover (think plywood and owl droppings) and in complete darkness, the Lamborghini Espada was maintained in surprisingly good condition. The engine bay is remarkably complete, and the blue leather interior is in solid condition, as is the trunk. The fact that the vehicle was not exposed to direct sunlight or the elements helped with maintaining it this way, but it’s still surprising mice limited damage only to a small section of the trunk.
The Espada shows under 4,500 miles (7,242 km) on the odo, but Smith notes that there’s no way to tell if that’s real mileage or not. He has no explanation for why anyone would want to “hide,” more or less, a Lamborghini in “the middle of sheep country” in Cumbria, England. One thing is certain, though: the late landowner never bothered to track down the owner, choosing instead to just let it stay put.
Lamborghini made some 1,200 V12-powered Espadas between 1968 and 1978. The Espada, described at the time as the Rolls-Royce of Lamborghini because it was offered a more spacious and comfortable GT, was also a controversial model at the time – not least because of its styling. Of those 1,200 units, only 130 were right-hand-drive – and this is one of them. It will sell at auction at an unspecified date.