The Islero was introduced at the 1968 Geneva Auto Show alongside the Lamborghini Espada. While both automobiles featured a 2+2 coupé body style, the Islero was intended to be a more visually conservative alternative to the then-radical Espada, in keeping with the traditional style of the earlier 400 GT. The car's namesake, Islero, was a Miura bull that killed matador Manuel Rodriguez "Manolete" on August 28, 1947. Lamborghini also produced a car named the Miura, from 1966 to 1973, while the Murcielago was named after another famous individual Miura bull. Carrozzeria Marazzi was chosen to construct the Islero's body. This firm was chosen as it was founded by Carlo Marazzi, a former employee of the now-bankrupt Carrozzeria Touring. Touring had previously produced bodies for the 350 GT and 400 GT. The firm was staffed by former Touring employees, along with Marazzi's sons Mario and Serafino. Ferruccio Lamborghini was rumored to be the true designer of the body, dictating his requirements to Marazzi. The design was essentially a rebody of the 400 GT, with its good outward visibility, roomier interior, and additional soundproofing improving driver and passenger comfort compared to previous models. The Islero's body and interior suffered from numerous deficiencies in fit and finish, some of which was corrected in the later Islero S. Lamborghini test driverBob Wallace stated in an interview that the Islero's quality issues were due to Carrozeria Marazzi's lack of resources and that Marazzi-built cars were never built to the same quality as those built at Touring. 125 Isleros were built. An updated Islero, dubbed the Islero S or Islero GTS, was released in 1969. There were quite a few styling changes, including engine cooling vents on the front fenders, an enlarged hood scoop, slightly flared fenders, tinted windows, round side-marker lights, and a fixed section in the door windows. Various other changes included slightly increased power output, larger brake discs, revised rear suspension and revamped dashboard and interior. 100 examples of the Islero S were built, bringing the production total of the Islero nameplate to 225 cars. Ferruccio Lamborghini himself drove an Islero during that era – as did his brother Edmondo. The car is also famous for its appearance in the Roger Moore thriller The Man Who Haunted Himself and in the Italian short film anthology Vedo nudo.
Racing
While the Islero was not intended to be a racing model, French enthusiasts Paul Rilly and Roger Levève attempted to enter a lightly modified Islero in the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans to compete in the GTX class. The car was equipped with upgraded brakes and suspension, modified air intake and exhaust system, a roll cage, a fuel tank, five-point harness, lighting for the racing number and hood straps. The Islero suffered a crash during qualifying and was not competitive with a best lap time of 5:28.00. Although at the last minute race officials permitted the Islero team to enter the main race due to withdrawal of another entrant, the team had already left the racetrack after the crash and did not compete.
Specifications
The Islero had a 4.0 L Lamborghini V12 engine, as was also used in the 400 GT, Miura, Espada and Jarama. Six Weber 40 DCOE carburetors provided air and fuel. The Lamborghini-designed five-speed manual transmission was equipped with syncromesh and a hydraulically operated dry clutch. The fully independent double wishbone suspension and disc brakes were based on the 400 GT design, with thicker anti-roll bars, a wider front track and revised front suspension. These suspension changes were primarily made to accommodate newly available tires that were wider and grippier than those originally used on the 400 GT. The wheels were cast magnesium made by Campagnolo, as on the Espada and Miura. From the factory, the Islero was fitted with Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tyres. The Islero's top speed was rated at and acceleration from 0 to took 6.4 seconds.
Islero S
The engine in this model was tuned to, but the torque remained the same. This was achieved by using Miura P400S-type camshafts and raising the compression ratio from 9.5:1 in the original Islero to 10.8:1 in the Islero S. Rear suspension was also revised to be closer to the Espada's design, in an attempt to improve stability under acceleration and braking. The top speed of the S improved to and acceleration from 0 to in 6.2 seconds.
