Would you recognize this car as a Lamborghini? It’s the Islero, and it’s rare with just 225 made for 1968-1969. Named for the bull that killed one of Spain’s most famous bullfighters, the Islero packed the punch of a six-carburetor V-12 that could take it to 150 mph. The Islero’s modernistic look presaged the angular style would define exotic car design in the Seventies. Gooding & Company will offer this restored black 1968 Lamborghini Islero at its Amelia Island auction, where it is estimated to sell for up to $500,000.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Italy’s “big three” couture carmakers – Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati – responded to customer demand for high-end GTs that offered more room than their 1960s models. The Lamborghini Jarama secured its unique place in Lamborghini history as one of its last front-engine models.
It seemed like the perfect idea for the affluent auto enthusiast: a V12-powered GT combining supercar performance and room for four adults and their luggage. It would be a like a ground-bound private jet, as home on the Côte d’Azur as on the autostrada, autobahn or New York’s Long Island Expressway.
