Lamborghini Islero #6300, owned by Edouard M. of Switzerland

Edouard M. of Switzerland has been enjoying his Islero to the max.  First, by acquiring and preparing it, and doing every necessary bit of restoration work to get it totally road-worthy and show-ready.  Secondly, he had a scale model of the Islero commissioned to be an exact likeness of his own, #6300.  And third, he has taken part in a grand car show this year, The Milano Auto Classica, in Italy, with his car displayed on the coachbuilder, Marazzi’s, stand.

Edouard's Islero engine ready to run at Edmond Ciclet's shop

When Edouard found his Islero in the spring of 2008, at Autodrome in France, it was in need of some engine and mechanical work, which were being carried out by the legendary French Lamborghini specialist, Edmond Ciclet.  That done, he then had the Islero’s beautiful green paint updated.  As you can see from the pictures, this is a spectacular car.  #6300 was the 98th first series car constructed, having been completed by the factory on January 21, 1969.

The model as built by Marshall Buck at Creative Miniature Associates

Obviously proud of the way his Lamborghini had turned out, Ed found an artisan, Marshall Buck, at Creative Miniature Associates in New York, who could make a model of his car.  They used pictures of Ed’s Islero and even paint chips to get every detail correct.  All accessories, such as number plates and mirrors, were built by hand.  The resulting 1:43 scale Islero is done with great precision even down to the scale of the metal flake in the paint.  Impressive !!

No, this is not the actual car. It's the model !!

"Mini-6300" finished VERY nicely.

The "real 6300" in front of the modern Marazzi headquarters in Milano

Edouard’s Islero friend, Olivier Nameche, who owns, and is restoring the historic Islero that qualified at LeMans, had met and interviewed the coachbuilder, Mario Marazzi of Milano, who had worked with Ferruccio Lamborghini and Federico Formenti on the design and construction of the Islero bodies.  He brought Ed and Marazzi together so that Ed’s Islero became a featured display on the Marazzi stand at The Milano Auto Classica.  What a great historic reunion of coachbuilder and car, and what a great adventure for Ed !

Mario Marazzi beside #6300, the body of which, he built in 1968

Ed's Islero on display on the Marazzi stand

Mario Marazzi autographing Ed's visor

These cars are timeless classics and there is no end to the wonderful experiences of ownership, such as those covered here.  The interesting people and great adventures make it all a passionate hobby indeed.

A beautiful day ! How about a drive ?

At the end of 1969, Marazzi, the coachbuilder, had completed their 225 bodies for the Lamborghini Islero, as contracted.  125 had been delivered in 1968, and 100 “S” models in 1969.  They had been designed by Federico Formenti, the visionary designer of Carrozzeria Touring, along with ideas from Ferruccio Lamborghini, himself.  Touring had built the bodies for the early 350/400GT Lamborghinis, but closed their doors in 1967, and their employees had gravitated to other body makers.  Marazzi, a time honored body maker, who had also created the bodies for the Alfa Romeo Stradale, had absorbed some of the craftsmen from Touring, including their designer. Meanwhile, at the Lamborghini factory, all of the Islero bodies had become complete cars and had been consigned by February 6, 1970.

Enter one Dries van der Lof, the late Dutch racing driver/car collector, after the production run was completed.  He was taken by the appearance and appeal of the Islero and persuaded the factory to build for him an example of this car.  Automobili Lamborghini obliged, and delivered an Islero “S” to him in 1970. It was the last Islero made, body number 6677 and engine number 3018.  Italian car historian and photographer, Marcel de Lange, reported that Mr. van der Lof had collected the Islero at the factory and registered it in December 1970.  After his death, his two sons had kept the car in great secrecy.

All photo credits to the owner, Evert den Outer

Unknown, as all the body numbers were accounted for, number 6677 began to be reported and identified in the early 2000′s.  Historians could not believe there was another Islero, but it was seen, and the serial number reported from the build plate, by many reputable observers, including Marcel de Lange, Marcel Wallenburg, Han Pomp, and Wil van Lierop.

The new owner, Evert den Outer, of The Netherlands, has had #6677 restored and renewed.  He enjoys using his interesting and historic Lamborghini.  In July 2010, he brought it to the European Islero Meet at the Chateau St. Gerlach, Valkenburg, The Netherlands, where #6677 won first place for the concours section of the event.  It is truly beautiful in silver with a black interior, and appears to be in just the same condition as when it left the factory.

Still, how is it that there could be a 226th Islero when all of the bodies had been used in the regular production?  The answer may be in the Marazzi body number which is recorded on a metal tag on the firewall.  The number on #6677′s firewall indicates that it started out as the body intended for Islero #6504. The body had been retained at the factory, unused, (or had been used and returned to the factory) so that it was available.  Therefore, Lamborghini was able to fulfill Dries van der Lof’s request.  The body was combined with the engine #3018, completed as a new car, and assigned a new serial number, #6677, the last Islero to leave the factory for their very special client.

This is quite a tale, and certainly #6677 is one of the most desirable Isleros due to its concours condition and fascinating history.

Evert's friend, Cor Hofs, Valentino Balboni, and #6677 at the factory.

In July, my wife, Lori, and I were in the UK for the wedding of our daughter.  Fellow lamborghini historian and enthusiast, Marcel Wallenburg, from The Netherlands, found out about our trip and organized an Islero reunion at the beautiful Chateau St. Gerlach, near Maastricht, and very near friends we were staying with in Belgium.

The event was a total success, with 12 Isleros attending, the most ever together in one spot.  Those at the Chateau were: #6000 (Germany), #6045 (Germany), #6135 (Denmark), #6249 (The Netherlands), #6288 (The Netherlands), # 6402 (The Netherlands), #6417 (England), #6435 (England), #6480 (Germany), #6495 (The Netherlands), #6637 (Germany), and #6677 (The Netherlands). Note that #6000 was the first Islero built and #6677 was the last completed by the factory.  In addition, owners attended representing a further 14 of these cars, including Islero #6009, the only Lamborghini to ever qualify at LeMans.

The reunion included a display of cars, gourmet lunch, concours, and a fabulous dinner.  Many new friends were made, and many stories were shared. Most of us had been communicating by e-mail for years, but had never met until now.

This was an extremely enjoyable and historic day.  Many thanks to Marcel for all his planning and pulling it off perfectly !

At this time I would like to thank the many people who have supplied photos, history, and stories about their Isleros, or Isleros they have had contact with.  Also I wish to recognize some people who have been an inspiration, and without whose help, there would be no viable Exchange:  Rob de la Rive Box (deceased), Marcel de Lange (deceased), Paul Clemence, Ingrid Pussich, Marcel Wallenburg, Olivier Nemeche, and Jim Kaminski.  The list, by no means ends here, and I thank all of you for your input and influence.

Please check out the database section as it is all newly updated.  My son is helping me by condensing the past issues of the Exchange and some of them are already included on this site.  All the rest will eventually make it onboard, except Issue 2, from 1997, which is hopelessly lost.  My next post here will be a short coverage and some pictures from the Europe Islero Meet 2010, in The Netherlands, where 12 Isleros gathered at the glorious Chateau St. Gerlach.

Until then,

Lou Herrin #6096

Please stay tuned as the archives for this website get updated within the next 2-3 months.

-Louis Herrin.

Lamborghini Islero #6096

Islero Interiors | Volume 7
Fall 2000

Islero #6096 having a grand time at the Italian Happening in Detroit, September 2000. This is an early 1st series Islero, easily identified by the teardrop side marker lights that were so commonly used by mid-sixties Italian cars. The later series I Isleros used small round side markers. The 3-eared knock off hubs, such as above, were used on all Isleros with Campagnolo wheels except those destined for Germany, which used hex shaped hubs without ears.

With the advent of the great interest in the Internet by more and more people worldwide, there has been a great deal of activity and enthusiastic help with locating and finding history on the surviving Isleros. Hardly a week goes by now that I don’t get an updated report on a restoration, sale, or location of an Islero. Back in the early 90s, I often went 6 months without hearing any news at all. Many thanks to all of you who have helped with this project. As I am trying to maintain this webpage for the benefit of all, please keep the info coming.

This issue’s feature centers on the Islero interiors. I hope you enjoy it and appreciate the work, these owners have done to maintain such nice original appearance. Also included is an update of the whereabouts of the surviving Isleros, some interesting links, a new section of Isleros for sale, and a gorgeous Red Islero S from Switzerland that Glen Kohut sent me. Be sure to check out his Lamborghini website noted in the links below.

When rebuilding my rear suspension several years ago, I kept track of several things that were suggested to me that worked out well. This led to a tech article that is enclosed further down this page. If anyone would like to contribute any suggestions, or helpful hints on ownership or maintenance, please feel free to e-mail me.

I am especially looking for information on the Isleros of France, Spain, and Italy as I know there are unreported ones there, but few noted in our archives. Of course, any other information and/or pictures are VERY welcome.

Ciao,

Lou Herrin

Lamborghini Islero #6096

This is a very well maintained and original interior for a series I Islero. Some of this series had the unique two-spoke steering wheel. The background for the gauges is leather matching the rest of the interior. Some speedometers are in kms and some in miles. Seats were very light with low rounded backs and the air vents in the sides of the console are the same as the outside vents on the hood of the 400GT before it.

Lamborghini Islero #6315

This beautiful interior shows the other type of steering wheel and also has a factory clock. The air vent on the side of the console is easily viewed. You can see the grain in the tobacco pigskin on the dash between the tach and speedometer. The other colors available — black, burgundy, mustard, and white, were made from cowhide. Visible under the dash (look under the steering wheel spokes) are the choke lever and trip-mileage reset on the right and the heater petcock knob on the left. This was the only adjustment for the heater and was a feature shared with late 50s to early 60s Alfas. The valves are available today through several Alfa restorers.

Lamborghini Islero #6267

#6267 also has a very original tobacco leather interior. The two ashtrays in the interior (one in sight here) are very similar to other Italian units of that era, but differ in some minor details. The closest I have found were used in the Maserati 5000GT and were possibly the same. Note the lack of rear seat belts here. Actually most safety items we take for granted today such as outside rear view mirrors were left to the new owners to acquire if desired. If you look closely in front of the ashtray, you will see a small door over a compartment in the center console. I believe this is a unique factory feature of this particular Islero.

Lamborghini Islero #6447

The “S” cars, built in 1969, had a very different interior. Many (especially the later ones) had seats that were part leather and had velour inserts. Toggle switches are replaced with rocker units and many cars had to have safety flasher switches wired in under the dash to conform with 1969 import regulations. The Lamborghini factory made 5 Islero-S cars with right hand drive layout. Three went to Australia and two went to England. One additional car in England was converted later to right hand drive (#6612).

Lamborghini Islero #6480

This “S” has full leather upholstery. Also note the lack of air conditioning. Some had it and many did not. The first series cars that had air, had it hanging under the dash on the passenger side like many American cars of the 60′s. Some of the units were aimed straight back at the passenger and some were angled upward to blow the cold air up toward the headliner. The “S” cars had the same units but integrated into the dash better (see the previous car). The York compressors on the engine were the same as on many other more common American cars but the interior cooling units were Italian, Borletti.

Lamborghini Islero #6483

Here gray velour seat material and gray carpeting is used with burgundy leather. This Islero-S was originally given as a gift from Ferruccio Lamborghini to a friend in Italy. It then came to the USA and lived in California for many years, eventually being acquired by a museum. Today it is located in Japan. Many Isleros have had equally interesting histories and many have lived in three or more countries over their 30+ years.

Technical Tip

When rebuilding the rear suspension, there are a few items to check while this assembly is apart. The actual A-arm bushings (such as D in the picture below) can be pressed out and replaced relatively easily. They are available from GT Car Parts in Arizona (623) 780-2200 . Less easily noticed, but very important, is the condition of the lower pivot bolt where the distal lower A-arm attaches to the hub carrier (see B in the picture). If the bolt is badly worn or damaged, the bolt bushings that are pressed in the hub carrier should be replaced. They are also available from the same source. To remove this pair of bushings, very carefully insert a hack saw blade through the openings in the hub carrier and work it back and forth by hand pressure only until the bushings are cut through. This will relieve their tightness and allow you to tap them out without doing any unnecessary damage. I do not think the bolts (see C in the picture below) can be replaced, but they can be repaired by a competent machine shop that is versed in welding in new metal for other industrial repairs. They can refinish the bolts to like new condition. Once these repairs are made, a good idea is to drill and tap a hole (see A in the picture below) in the bottom of the hub carrier bolt canal and fit a grease nipple. I have found that a good pump of grease about twice a year keeps this area in good working condition.

Rear Suspension

Lamborghini Islero #6543, Image by Marcel de Lange

In contrast to the 1st series Islero at the beginning, this 2nd series or “S” is noted by having decorative front louvers behind the front wheels, a quarter window in the doors instead of one large piece of glass, a larger air scoop on the hood (just visible here), and small flairs around the wheel arches. Also the fog lamps are mounted outside the front grill and the interior is more 70s than 60s as noted above. This is a 1969 car that is proudly owned by a member of the Swiss Lamborghini Club.

Don’t forget, the Lamborghini Owner’s Club is a great source of information and news. Subscribing to Jim Kaminski’s newsletter has certainly increased my enjoyment of my Islero experience. Contact:

Jim Kaminski/Lamborghini Owner’s Club
P.O. Box 7214
St. Petersburg, Florida 33734

Insert final important content here

Lamborghini Islero Information Exchange | Contact Louis Herrin

Lamborghini Isleros #6435, #6036, #6249, #6564, and #6156

ISLEROS ATTEND UK ITALIAN CAR DAY | VOLUME 6
Spring 2000

This picture, sent by Paul Cox of England, shows all five Isleros lined up with a Vickers VC-10 jet. Weather for this get together was wet and not the best but a good time was had anyway. This year the event will take place later in the summer on July 8th and 9th. The English group is a very enthusiastic bunch. Plan to attend if at all possible. The Isleros shown above are #6435, #6036, #6249, #6564, and #6156. for questions about this event send Paul Cox an e-mail.

The above picture is a good lead-in for this newsletter, as it features the Isleros of England. Our friends in the UK certainly take their cars seriously. There are sources there for parts and repair that are only a dream in many other parts of the world. Good leads and information are often found in the English magazines, Classic & Sports Car and Italian Car. These are distributed in the USA by EWA.

Restoration continues on many Isleros at this time as interest in these cars is definitely on the rise. (Not investment speculation but enthusiasm for the mark.) Following the sudden decline in prices of exotics at the beginning of the 90′s, many Isleros were stored or neglected by their investor owners. Now they are coming out again and being made roadworthy by new owners. For evidence, just look to the pictures above and below, and there are at least five more English cars that are being refurbished at this time.As parts and services are always a challenge, please feel free to write in with any tips you might have that would be for the benefit of all. E-mail me anytime atLuigiDVM@aol.com.

Also in this issue is the conclusion of my tach drive epic, updated Isleros known list, and some great new links at the bottom of the page.

Ciao,
Lou

Lamborghini Islero #6036

Islero #6036 is the 3rd oldest Islero known to still exist. It was completed by the Lamborghini factory on 04/23/1968 as the 12th Islero made, and was probably the Geneva show car rather than #6000 as is often claimed by casual writers. Many interesting circumstances surround this car, as it probably was loaned for use by Ferruccio to his friend Bridget Bardot and then was owned by opera singer, Luigi Sutera. After being located in Monaco for many years, this Islero is now a prize of its owner in England, Paul Cox.

Lamborghini Islero #6156

Islero #6156 has undergone an extensive restoration over the past five years. It had been unused for 20 years before its present owner, John Britton, acquired it. He had to find or make many missing parts and completely redo the engine. This very good looking car is now set off by Borrani wire wheels. A few Isleros came from the factory with this option.

Lamborghini Islero #6249

Gerald Wellesley owns #6249. It had been in Portugal for nearly 30 years with the original owner. After being in storage in England for some time, it is now in good condition and being enjoyed.

Lamborghini Islero #6435

This Islero,#6435, has been in the same family since it left the factory in 1969. Owned first by Sir William Garthwaite and now by his son, Sir Mark, it has had excellent care and factory service as needed. It is one of the rare right hand drive cars — 3 went to Australia and this one to the UK.

Lamborghini Islero-S #6462

This great picture of #6462 is before reassembly. No glass and no engine installed yet but a great picture anyway. The color, verde aqua, is as original when it left the factory. The restoration is now complete.

Lamborghini Islero #6564

#6564 has a black interior with red velour door and seat inserts. It was featured once by a Japanese magazine which did a comparison road test against an Aston Martin DBS V-8. All concerned were very impressed with the Islero. This car also allegedly won a run off with a 20 year newer Ferrari Testarossa!

Lamborghini Islero #6612

This late series II Islero has been featured in several Lamborghini books. It was converted to right hand drive and is in very good condition. #6612 has recently changed owners and hopefully it will be at the Lamborghini day event at Brooklands next year.

Technical Tip

Past readers know that I have been exploring solutions for a ruined tach drive. One, of course, is to send your tach to Palo Alto Speedometer and have them convert the innards to an electric unit. The other is to try to continue the spirit of the original and remake the mechanical tach gears. Since new originals were long gone by the 70′s, a machinist and I made a new housing and modified a set of Alfa Romeo tach drive gears to work. The results are very good, as the drive ratio is the same as original, the gears are far more robust, and the new unit bolts up to the back of the cam cover looking very much like it belongs there and not calling attention to its minor differences in appearance from the original. In the picture below, the gear set and housing on the upper right is the original and the parts in the lower left are the ones we made or modified.

Tachdrive

A Few Production Notes

Although there are Isleros out there that are listed as having been made in the years 1967 through 1972, in reality, they are nearly all 1968 and 1969′s. All the bodies of the first series Islero were completed and delivered to the Lamborghini factory by Marazzi during 1968 and all the series II bodies were delivered during 1969. The first Islero was completed by the factory March 6, 1968 and all the rest of the first series were finished by Christmas except for #6375 which was finished February 17, 1969. Of the series II cars, the first was completed February 8, 1969 and the rest were finished in 1969, except for #6671 and #6674, finished January 8, 1970. Initial registration of the cars may account for discrepancies, as those were the years of beginning safety and emission control and many loopholes were sought by owners and importers. Some cars were probably claimed to be made before the rules and others were first registered long after production due to prolonged efforts to make them fit the new rules for the country they were going to.

Don’t forget, the Lamborghini Owner’s Club is a great source of information and news. Subscribing to Jim Kaminski’s newsletter has certainly increased my enjoyment of my Islero experience. Contact:

Jim Kaminski/Lamborghini Owner’s Club
P.O. Box 7214
St. Petersburg, Florida 33734

Lamborghini Islero Information Exchange | Contact Louis Herrin

Lamborghini Isleros #6198, #6447, and #6096

ITALIAN HAPPENING AND TECHNICAL TIPS | VOLUME  5
Fall 1999

Three Isleros are pictured above together at the Italian Happening in Detroit/USA the first weekend of September, 1999. The Italian happening is an annual event benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation for terminally ill children. Its in its 21st year and was held this year at the Edsel Ford estate. Present here are the yellow Islero (#6198) of Chuck VandenBerg, Jon Hussey’s gold Islero-S (#6447), and Lou Herrin’s red (#6096). The gold and red cars caravaned across Michigan to and from the meet and a good time was certainly had. Below are two more views of these great cars.

Lamborghini Isleros #6447 and #6096

Lamborghini Islero #6198

Thank you for your interest in our Lamborghini Islero Website. This site is maintained for the interest of owners and enthusiasts, so any input or suggestions you have are very welcome. You can always reach me by e-mail. —write me at LuigiDVM@aol.com

1999 proved to be a vintage year as there were two great get togethers involving Isleros. Beside the Italian happening, there was an Italian Car Day at Brooklands, the famous historic racetrack in England. Five Isleros attended including #6036, #6156, #6249, #6435, and #6564. I hope to feature pictures of this event in a future edition.

Also in this edition — an update of the Lamborghini Isleros known, as several have been located recently. A few technical items are noted, and a historical note is included about Islero chassis numbers. Also a great picture of #6483 near the end and some new links. Be sure to check out Glen Kohut’s website as it includes a lot of pictures and Lamborghini history.

Ciao,

Lou

Technical Tips

If your car has a mechanical tach drive, it has a grease nipple on the unit where it attaches to the rear of the cam cover. Keep this lubricated as it will dry out if your Islero is not driven much. The consequence is a destroyed worm/pinion gear set and these have not been available parts since the 60′s. I found this out the hard way, of course, and offer the following suggestion. The angle drive is 6 teeth to 12 teeth for a 1:2 ratio to drive the tach cable. Alfa Romeo uses a 7 tooth to 14 tooth angle drive that can be adapted to work. Have a competent machinist make a new aluminum housing to contain the slightly larger gears. The shafts will also need to be modified as will the width of the worm gear. This can be done with some effort and perhaps $200-400 cash plus a case of Italian beer. I have tried to cut my own gears and adapt them to the original housing but the effort is enormous and they only last a short time due to lack of exact fit. Next edition will hopefully include a picture of this finished unit.

The Armstrong shocks on your Islero are rebuildable. this can be done by Leda Suspension. Their service is very professional and efficient. They ship the shocks to England where they are remanufactured to racing standards and refinished. The bushings are replaced with space age materials and they are returned in beautiful condition. I put about 3,000 miles on my set this Summer and am VERY pleased. See the picture below of the shock absorbers when returned from Leda. Contact them at: Leda Suspension Limited – North America, tel: (248) 542-2370 attn: Danny Criss.

Shocks for sale

Don’t forget, the Lamborghini Owner’s Club is a great source of information and news. Subscribing to Jim Kaminski’s newsletter has certainly increased my enjoyment of my Islero experience. Contact:

Jim Kaminski/Lamborghini Owner’s Club

P.O. Box 7214

St.Petersburg, Florida 33734

Lamborghini Islero #6483

Lamborghini Islero #6069

ISLERO PARTS RESOURCES | VOLUME 4
Spring 1999

This beautiful and well maintained early first series Islero is in “perfect driving condition,” according to the owner, who enjoys using it regularly along the Adriatic coast of Italy. What a great setting for a classic V-12. This Islero was completed 05/21/1968 and was the 22nd Islero built. Probably over half of the 225 Isleros made will make it into the 3rd Millennium.

Thank you for your interest in our Lamborghini Islero Website. This site is maintained for the interest of owners and enthusiasts, so any input or suggestions you have are very welcome. You can always reach me by e-mail on the contact page.

In this issue, please consider my idea for sharing sources of obsolete parts and/or resources for their repair.

I have been frustrated when something that I thought would be an easy replacement was (whoops! I hope I didn’t throw it away!) not to be found. Maybe we can share such things in the interest of keeping us all running. Also, a very enthusiastic group in England is planning an Islero weekend at the old Brooklands track. See the details down the page. Down the page also is a list of the known 1st series cars and their general whereabouts. A list of the 2nd series “S” cars will be forthcoming in a future newsletter. (Sorry–I won’t give out owner’s names on the internet without their permission.) Hope you enjoy the pictures here and perhaps can help me identify the mystery car at the bottom.

Lamborghini Islero #6096

A typical engine compartment of an Islero (above), featuring 2 distributors, 4 cams, 6 two-throat Weber carbs, and 12 cylinders. Power was reported at 320 bhp and weight at 2700 lbs, however, actual weight was probably closer to 3200 lbs. None-the-less, an Islero can get up and go and can do it all day. #6096, pictured here, has been on many cross country trips and rides like a low flying aircraft. Under those neat air cleaners are 12 velocity stacks.

Owner Assistance Notice: I am trying to compile a list of parts that you are having trouble finding or are having to have made. In the future issues of this newsletter, I’ll list what I can and any tips on where to find them or have them made or fixed. Please e-mail me with your parts concerns or tips.

Lamborghini Islero #6180

Here is another beautifully maintained first series Islero. This one lives in Arizona, USA. It was the 59th example constructed and has been shown at the Concours Italiana where it was admired by none other than Mrs. Lamborghini and daughter. The serial numbers were assigned on the basis of every 3rd number starting with 6000. They were used somewhat haphazardly and certainly not in exact order of production. Towards the end of the second series “S” production, several glitches in numbering took place. The numbering and description of the finished bodies arriving from Marazzi, however, were carefully recorded and when matched with the serial numbers assigned, gives a pretty accurate production history for the 225 Isleros.

Notice: Paul Cox has organized a group of English Islero owners and enthusiasts and is planning an Islero get-together with their cars at the Brooklands Race Track in England. The meet will be in conjunction with an historic race event featuring Italian cars the weekend of June 26th. Possibly as many as 9 Isleros may show, probably the greatest number in one place ever!! Anyone interested may click here to contact Paul Cox by e-mail.

Lamborghini Islero #6267

Near perfect in every respect, this Islero which was originally sold in Rome in December 1968, has been owned by several enthusiasts in the USA. It was completely restored in Oregon and now lives in Florida. A picture of its engine was featured in a previous edition of this newsletter.

Don’t forget, the Lamborghini Owner’s Club is a great source of information and news. Subscribing to Jim Kaminski’s newsletter has certainly increased my enjoyment of my Islero experience. Contact:

Jim Kaminski/Lamborghini Owner’s Club

P.O. Box 7214

St.Petersburg, Florida 33734

Islero M-4. Have you seen this car?

Please Help!!!—–This late 1st series Islero had come to the USA in the late ’80s from South Africa. It changed hands several times before disappearing in the area of New York City in about 1994. Please e-mail me with any leads you know of as I would very much like to visit with the owner and record its interesting history. Besides the unusual color, it should be easy to identify by the extra headlight cut into the grill below the bumper.

Lamborghini Islero Information Exchange | Contact Louis Herrin

Lamborghini Islero #6198

NOTES AND NEWS | VOLUME 3
Fall 1998

Thanks to all of you for your interest in the previous issues of this web page. Many of you have responded with information and several Isleros that were not known to still exist have been found. A few cars changed owners and many are being restored at this time.

I still continue to collect information and history on the Islero production and ownership, as I’ve been doing for the past 10 years. I’m glad to help any owners with historical information on their cars, as this type of information can only help with one’s appreciation and driving pleasure.

So if you are an Islero owner, have any knowledge of any interesting Islero history, or can refer me to any owners past or present, I would certainly like to hear from you. Head over to the contact page to get in touch with me.

Note and News (some of it 30 years old) - The Islero pictured above won the Lamborghini First Place Award at the Italian Happening in Detroit, Michigan, over Labor Day weekend, 1998. The Italian Happening is in its 20th year and is a great get together of Italian cars and motorcycles of all makes. This year it was held at the Edsel Ford estate. 20 years ago it was held less formally in an enthusiast’s back yard–and the same yellow Islero was present that year also, and owned by the same person, Chuck VandenBerg!

The Lamborghini Islero is now 30 years old, as the prototipo body was delivered from the coach builder, Marazzi, on February 6, 1968, and the last of the series of 125 cars was being completed around the Christmas season of the same year. The first Islero-S bodies were delivered to the factory near the end of January, 1969, but that is a subject to write about next year. Following are additional pictures of some of the surviving first series Isleros.

If you are an Islero owner, I would strongly urge you to become a member of Jim Kaminski’s Lamborghini Owner’s Club as he puts out a great newsletter and is a great source for maintenance manuals, wiring diagrams, memorabilia, and other valuable tidbits. His address is:

Lamborghini Islero #6342

Islero #6315

Lamborghini Islero #6288

Also in the Northwest, USA, is #6288 (above). The owner has enjoyed driving it across the country and keeps is in excellent condition. Its great seeing these older V-12s being driven and enjoyed.

Hope you enjoyed this issue!