More than an old car #111: Lamborghini LM002

Mention 'luxury SUVs' and one may think of the Lamborghini Urus (which really looks unappealing) or the high-class Rolls Royce Cullinan. The trend towards large, family-friendly vehicles has caught on even among the supercar manufacturers, whether for good or worse remains to be seen. However, this is not a recent invention: this 1991 Lamborghini LM002 'Rambo Lambo' is the grandfather of them all!

The LM002 first started out by an attempt by Lamborghini to develop a military vehicle, for use in the oil and gas exploration industry and potentially to be used in war zones, under their Lamborghini Militaria (LM) project. Their first attempt was the Cheetah, which had a rear-mounted engine but it was quickly concluded that the handling was not up to par. As a result, there was further testing and modifications done before the LM002 was unveiled in 1986.

Civilian models were given a luxury package, with full leather trim, air conditioning and power windows among other features. Its tyres were specially made by Pirelli: 2 sets were offered for mixed use and on sand only, and it was designed to carry on in tough terrain and heavy loads, even if the tyres ran flat. It was powered by a hefty 5167 cc V12 engine (similar to the one used in the Countach), allowing it to reach a top speed of 195 km/h with an acceleration of 7.8 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4900 mm long and weighed a massive 2700 kg. One thing of note is the fuel consumption of the LM002: while it had a fuel capacity of 290 litres, it consumed around 35 litres per 100 km in urban settings! One would probably need to own a petrol station to drive it daily, but then again, the LM002 was the ultimate show-off off-roader to get your hands on.

Production of the LM002 ended in 1993 with only 301 made. Lamborghini continued to make prototype successors without much success, although the Urus can be considered to be its spiritual successor. 1 of them was inadvertently blown up by the US Army in Iraq (belonging to a son of Saddam Hussein) to test the effects of a car bomb and it was not until they returned home to realise what they had destroyed willy-nilly.

This particular unit belongs to the Sultan of Johor and it was exhibited here last year during an event, although I am aware that there is another unregistered unit locally as they were only made in LHD. They are very cool machines, combining both the utility of an off-road vehicle to a fuel-guzzling status car. Owning one would be beyond my wildest dreams despite how environmentally-unfriendly it is. I don't know whether you may get to see this again, but you'll be wowed seeing it in real life!

More than an old car #54: Lamborghini Espada

Mention Lamborghini and many people would think of the flashy cars speeding down Orchard Road on a weekend, or be involved in some dramatic accident. It has given Ferrari a run for its money as buyers are attracted to the raw power and beauty of these 'bulls'. However, Lamborghini is not only known for its latest models but also the ones before that paved the way, such as this 1972 Lamborghini Espada Series 2.

It all began when Ferrucio Lamborghini founded Lamborghini Trattori in 1947. He gained much wealth from his tractor manufacturing business and developed a taste for luxury cars, including that of Ferrari. After buying a few of them, he was displeased by their performance and felt that they were merely 'track cars with poor interiors'. He raised the issues to Enzo Ferrari, who dismissed his concerns. Upset, he proceeded to establish Lamborghini Automobili in 1963 so as to compete with competitors of its day. The company entered bankruptcy in 1978 and was bought over by Chrysler in 1987. It briefly went under ownership by some Indonesian businessmen before it was bought over by Audi since 1998.

Interestingly, despite being an Italian brand, most Lamborghini models have names that are related to Spanish bullfighting. This was because Mr Lamborghini had visited a ranch belonging to Don Eduardo Miura, a renowned breeder of Spanish fighting bulls, and was impressed by the animals. As a result, he adopted the bull as the mascot and even named the iconic Lamborghini Miura after that family.

The Espada was first produced in 1968 and was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Due to its low roof at only 1.18m tall, one had to adopt a weird toad-like position behind the wheel. Its name is derived from the Spanish word for "sword", or the sword that the torero uses to kill the bull in bullfighting. It was able to seat 4 adults comfortably and it could serve as a practical family car. What struck me the most was its enormous windows that belied its size. Even though it was strictly not a "2+2" [2 doors with 2 seats at the back], you could be forgiven for thinking it was one. The Series 2 was made between 1970-1972. It was powered by a 3929cc V12 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 250km/h and an acceleration of 6.9 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4.73m long and weighed 1635kg.

Production of the Espada ended in 1978 with 1217 made, of which only 121 Series 2s were in RHD. This specimen has been imported from the UK, and it seems to be 1 of 2 that exists on our shores. The only catch is that both are currently not registered.

Previous registration number in the UK

Owning a Lamborghini may be out of reach for us mere mortals, especially when it is an old bull. Due to the myriad of mechanical problems besieging Italian cars of that era, it is really a huge investment by the owner for bringing it to Singapore no less! Espadas were the most popular Lamborghini until the arrival of the Countach. It is surprisingly practical for daily usage--even most Lambos today aren't suitable for carrying 4 people! The value of the Espada has been increasing due to its rarity and unique proposition--do keep a lookout for this piece of unlikely luxury!