Lot 116

Monterey 2023

1969 Lamborghini Islero S

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$346,000 USD | Sold

United States | Monterey, California

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Chassis No.
6531
Engine No.
50179
Documents
US Title
  • Desirable higher-specification ‘S’ variant
  • Equipped with its original engine
  • The ultimate development of the original Lamborghini model
  • Believed to be one of 100 Islero S models produced

This beautiful Islero, chassis number 6531, is documented by Lamborghini Islero historian Louis Herrin as having been sold new by Garages Foitek, the official Swiss Lamborghini distributor in Zurich. Originally intended to be finished in Verde P over Bordeaux, it was changed to meet the original customer order of red over a light-colored interior. It was the 179th of the total 225 Isleros built and the 54th example built to the high-performance S specification. The car was completed and released to Foitek on 25 July 1969 and sold later that year to another Swiss retail Lamborghini agent, Garage W. Ruf AG.

The car remained in Switzerland until 1989, when prominent collector Craig Davis found it for sale and traded his Rolls-Royce for it. Showing only 25,000 original kilometers when purchased, the Lamborghini was enjoyed by Mr. Davis at his Swiss home for a decade and then imported to the U.S. and brought to his home in Atherton, California. It was sold to Paul Forbes of Newport Beach not long after its arrival in the US, next passing to Ray Grimm of Rancho, Santa Fe.

Mr. Grimm had the car undergo a comprehensive cosmetic restoration by California Lamborghini specialist Gary Bobileff.

Following a brief intervening owner in Arizona and another short-term owner in Mr. Bobileff’s company, it was acquired by a collector in Japan, who enjoyed it until recently and continued the work at Bobileff Motorcars. This included a complete rebuild of the matching-numbers engine, gearbox, and rear axle assembly, as well as the brakes and suspension, all completed in 2010. Then, in August of 2015, the car was acquired by a new owner. Just four years later, the car was sold again to its current owner and another purchase was made in 2020. In 2021, the Lamborghini received a service which included an overhaul of the clutch hydraulics, sorting out the ignition system, and installing new exhaust segments. This work totaled $9,064 between parts and labor.

The Islero remains in beautiful overall condition. It prominently carries the original Marazzi production sequence tag of 25179 in the engine compartment, confirming—in addition to the chassis plate, chassis stamping, and data tag on the dashboard—the car’s origin and full identity. It is also offered with an original sales brochure, an owner’s manual, and records for the aforementioned Bobileff mechanical refurbishment.

As the ultimate development of Ferrucio Lamborghini’s original 2+2 supercar, the Islero is more than capable of providing drivers and passengers with an authentic Lamborghini experience.