Lamborghini does not build many cars like the Lamborghini Islero: a 2-door 2+2 coupé with 3929 cc Lamborghini V12, built from 1968 to 1969 in the decade that gave the world the pony car and the mid-engined supercar. Its designer of record is Mario Marazzi at Carrozzeria Marazzi. Production ran to 225 cars.
The story
The Lamborghini Islero (Italian pronunciation: [iˈzlɛːro], Spanish: [isˈleɾo]) is a grand tourer produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1968 and 1969. It was the replacement for the 400 GT and featured the Lamborghini V12 engine. The car debuted at the 1968 Geneva Auto Show.
What is underneath
Under the skin sits 3929 cc Lamborghini V12. Kerb weight is 1315 kg. The gearbox is a 5-speed manual with all-synchromesh. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2550 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in Lamborghini's history is not in doubt: the Lamborghini 400 GT came before it; the Lamborghini Jarama followed it; it was built at Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Peugeot 504, the Toyota Hilux, the Range Rover Range Rover. Nearby in the Lamborghini catalogue sit the Lamborghini Calà and the Lamborghini Marco Polo.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Lamborghini Islero has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.