1968 LAMBORGHINI Islero 3.9L V12 5MT (325 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Ferrucio Lamborghini chose the Islero as its personal car to visit its factories from Italy and might be one of the most underappreciated cars built by the Italian carmaker.

Lamborghini introduced the Islero at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show, and its lines didn’t resemble the idea of a supercar. It was a true GT vehicle that could barely sell 225 units, along with the Islero GTS version, in its short lifespan, along with the updates from 1969.

Carrozzeria Marazzi designed the car. It was a new company formed with former employees from Carozzeria Touring, which designed the Lamborghini 350 GT. Its long front end and the cab-rearward design were specific for the model. To enhance the front view, the designers installed pop-up headlights, which started to be very trendy among supercar buyers.

Inside, the designers installed a 2+2 configuration, with comfortable bucket-seats at the front separated by a wide center console, which hosted the gear-stick and a large ashtray. Maybe that’s one reason why Signor Ferrucio chose the Islero as its vehicle. On the center stack, the carmaker installed the ignition and ventilation system. Iselro’s simple dashboard with curved lines and a short instrument cluster provided a cocoon-like experience for the driver.

Under the hood, the Islero started in 1968 with a 325 hp engine, which the carmaker upgraded a year later to 350 hp. Lamborghini didn’t want to adapt the vehicle to the U.S. market. Its slow sales didn’t worth the effort.