History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 23, 1989; republished by the author
The Lamborghini Islero has been called “The Forgotten Lamborghini,” which shouldn’t particularly surprise anyone. For it went mostly unnoticed when it was new.
Born in the shadow of the Espada and sharing the showroom floor with it and the fabulous Miura, it’s no wonder that the Lamborghini Islero was overlooked. None of the “big three” US car magazines performed a road test on the Islero, and Road & Track and covering the car’s introduction at the ‘68 Geneva Motor Show, said that it, it in comparison to the 400GT 2+2 it was replacing, “looks heavier and a bit boxy” although “cleaner.” In a way, there wasn’t that much to get excited about.
The Islero was mechanically the same as the 400GT 2+2, and it was indeed rather plain and ordinary, at least compared to the more radical offerings from Sant’ Agata Bolognese. The Islero was indeed designed as a direct replacement for the 400GT 2+2.
Touring, which had designed and built the earlier car (as well as a 350 GT, Lamborghinis first production automobile), succumbed to financial woes in 1966. Because Lamborghini owned the 400GT’s body tooling, the 400GT was able to continue in production at Carrozzeria Marazzi, which had been formed by Mario Marazzi, a former Touring employee.
It was Marazzi who got the nod to design a replacement for the by-then aging shape of the 400GT, and result was the Islero.
Following Lamborghini’s theme of car names related to bullfighting, the new tourer was named for a legendary bull, one that had killed an equally legendary bullfighter, Manuel Rodriguez, in 1947 (Think what Ralph Nader could have done with that!).
Like the 400GT, the Islero was powered by a 4.0-liter (3929 cc) V12, set well back into the chassis. Six side-draft Weber 40DCOE twin-throat carburetors were mounted, per Lamborghini custom, to intake tracts between the double overhead cams. Compression ratio was 9.5:1 and horsepower was rated at 360 at 6500 rpm, with torque peaking at 290 lb ft at 5000 rpm.
To the back of the engine was Lamborghini’s own five-speed manual transmission. Suspension was independent all around, with double A-arms, coil springs and anti-rollbars front and rear.
Marazzi made the body from steel, like the 400 GT, although providing a bit more room for the +2 passengers who, thanks to added back seat headroom, could now be taller but, because of the still-minimal legroom, still needed to have skinny ankles. Front cabin occupants have it better, though the buckets have a peculiar pouch that makes you slouch a bit behind the wheel.
The Islero pictured, which is covered in an unusual green metallic paint, belongs to Jim Kaminsky of St. Petersburg, Fla., who is the director of the Lamborghini Owners Club. The color and the car are original, although a complete mechanical overhaul was recently performed at the factory.
The car starts by a twist of the key to ignition “on” position and pushing it in to engage the starter. The throttle pedal and clutch are heavy as the steering. The wood-rimmed steering wheel is quite vertical for an Italian car, and is fortunately big in diameter, as the ZF worm-and-cam steering is unassisted and takes some grunt at low speeds with some friction in its feel.
As with its predecessor, the best way to get under way is to hook up the clutch with a little bit of throttle and then flip the butterflies open. A lot of clutch slipping isn’t desirable or necessary.
The 240 cubic-inch V12 is exceedingly flexible and, provided one doesn’t use the full 40 mm of carburetor at 1000 rpm, it will pull cleanly to the 6500 rpm redline and beyond – to a safe 8000 RPM (according to Kaminsky and the factory, after the rebuild).
It also lays down some serious urge. Top speed is reportedly 165 mph and 0-100 mph is only about two seconds slower than a Miura. Sales literature claims peso – vehicle weight – at 2684 pounds, which isn’t very likely, but even if it’s 3000 (or more?) pounds, the 12-cylinder powerplant accelerates it pronto – uphill, around corners – you name it.
In corners, one can make the Islero misbehave. Go in too fast and you can make the front in scrub and you’ll have to muscle and cuss to get it around the curve. Set it up right so that you can get power down, and the Islero will show poise and balance belying is bigger-than-a-breadbox specs. Just like the bad guys say on TV cop shows, don’t do anything sudden and nobody gets hurt. One thing that can’t be done fast is shift. The throw as long and not light, so if you want to play Don Garlitts, buy something with a V8 and a Hurst. For touring Interstate-style, the Islero can be an arm-on-the-windowsill, one-hand-on-the-wheel driver, easy as a Chevy wagon. But a lot louder. I don’t know about wind noise, but it doesn’t matter: The bigger mufflers beneath each door might as well be echo chambers, and the V12 rumbles even at cruise. Accelerate, and you could charge admission just for folks to listen.
Behind each of these marvelous Campagnolo knock-off “air-duct” cast magnesium wheels (15×7) are Girling disc brakes. Use them when they’re warm and they’ll stop you like a snowball against a brick wall. In mid-‘69, and “S” version of the Islero, with 30 more horses and a revised interior, was introduced, but the Islero itself was replaced by the Jarama in 1970. Two short years of production, conservative style, and build numbers limited to less than 500 annually for exemption from U.S. regulations, the Islero came and went with hardly a ripple in automotive history. The Islero became “The Forgotten Lamborghini” – except, that is, to those who have driven one.
Read more about the Lamborghini 400 GT here. Read more about the Lamborghini Espada here.
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