Did Sinatra have a Lamborghini?

[Redwing]

In about 2001 I bid for an orange Muira at auction in NY. The car came with Orange capets and boarskin seats and according to the auction house had been bought by one Frank Sinatra for himself for his 48th birthday. There were apparently photos of him and Gina Lollabrigida (is that how you spell that?) sitting in it. I never actually saw the car or the provenance and bottled the bidding about $5k before the finish line. I regretted not buying it even to the extent that when it appeared in a NJ dealers a month later I couldn't resist a phone call, but this time the boss intervened and said she wouldn't be seen dead in an orange Lamborghini with boarskin seats even if it had belonged to Big Frank. Any way the car was sold, I believe to someone in the UK. Fast forward to 2009 and I recently read an article by Simon Kidston saying that Frank never had a Lambo. I sent Simon an e-mail but got radio silence ( I do understand he's a very busy man). I was just wondering if anyone out there could throw any light on whether "Ol blue eyes" had a Lambo or not, or was this just some elaborate scam?

[SimonSays]

From some other site:

His 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400S is probably the most famous Sinatra car. It took the stage at Rockefeller Center in New York City before heading to the auction block at the second annual Christie's Collectors' Car Auction & Exhibition at Rockefeller Center, on June 5, 2003. Mr. Sinatra's sensational sports car was among more than 40 rare and vintage motor cars displayed on the Rockefeller Plaza red carpet prior to the auction. The car is distinguished by its orange metallic paint, wild boar skin interior, orange shag carpeting and 8-track stereo player—all specifically requested by Mr. Sinatra.

Chassis number 4407

Edited by SimonSays on Tuesday 1st December 09:48

[Redwing]

Well that's what I thought, but Mr Kidston says different....and he's meant to be the expert.......I can't believe it was only six years ago....seems more than that! For the record it fetched just over £90k!

[XXVIII]

... SK's being, perhaps, a little intentionally obscure there - la mafia Miura!!...

The car belongs to a collector in Norway these days - or did when he brought it to be part of our display at the FoS in 2005:



the interior smells great - it's that piggy thing! - the paint colour is superb but some of the engine bay and interior detail is a little too 'over-restored' for the tastes of UK folk... Of certainty, the poor car needs or needed to be thrashed within an inch of its life for its own sake!

that's my friend Kirsty watching the owner's minder Viking-type chappy removing the very last tiny, tiny fleck of near-microscopic lint from the airboxes ...

[Redwing]

I thought he was fairly specific, saying one was ordered by a Dr Sinatra and that was it.

Edited by Redwing on Tuesday 1st December 10:37

[SimonSays]

Well Frank Sinatra was once quoted to have said the famous words "When you want to be a man, you buy a Ferrari. When you are a man, you own a lamborghini"... I doubt he would have said such a thing if he didn't own one...

[SimonSays]

[quote]Not only is the Miura the most-loved Lamborghini in history and easily one of the best "super cars" of all time, but Sinatra himself traveled to the Sant 'Agata Bolognese factory in Italy with a roll of pelle cinghiale (wild boar skin) and asked that a Miura be built in arancio (orange), his favorite color. Car No. 4407 was painted in arancio metallico, trimmed with wild boarskin leather and had orange shag carpeting (at the time even Sinatra's private jet was trimmed in orange). The dispatch date for the car was recorded as 12/12/69--Sinatra's 54th birthday--and the build sheet said simply "Sinatra" rather than the name of the dealer who would bring the car into the U.S.
[/quote]

Another part from an article...

Edited by SimonSays on Tuesday 1st December 11:40

[Redwing]

The car I love, the quote I love, myself I hate for not buying it!

[Stablelad]

That's a sore one Redwing! What would you reckon it's worth today? £300k+ ?

Great read from all who have posted.

[Redwing]

I dread to think.... It's not just that...imagine owning it!

[Stablelad]

Redwing said:

I dread to think.... It's not just that...imagine owning it!

In Glasgow? Maybe not... . I could see it in the garage out at our other place in Italy.

[Redwing]

Funnily enough my Countach used to be parked outside a jewellers in Glasgow for about seven years (obviously not all the time). I think the owner wanted to appear sucessful to his clientele.

[Stablelad]

Redwing said:

Funnily enough my Countach used to be parked outside a jewellers in Glasgow for about seven years (obviously not all the time). I think the owner wanted to appear sucessful to his clientele.

Small World indeed! Surprised it wasn't nicked!

[paulqv]

Stablelad said:

Redwing said:

I dread to think.... It's not just that...imagine owning it!

In Glasgow? Maybe not... . I could see it in the garage out at our other place in Italy.

Orange cars in Glasgow!! to some it may not be seen as a good colour!! I remember back in the 70's I had a bright orange alfa, with an italian badge on the front. Some locals, who liked orange and walking and singing songs, passed by and admired the colour greatly, until they saw the badge and said '' fk it's italian''
Certain cars belonging to certian people can be parked anywhere without damage!
I never ever saw a countach in Glasgow excpet back in 1975 in convoy with a 365bb and I think a porshe turbo at the tommy? car dealers at tollcross
If there had been a countach parked every day in the city i think i would have seen it or heard of it? Was at Uni's in glasgow 75-80 and then working in city 80-82
Where do you think the car was parked?

paul

[Redwing]

The story actually comes from anothe PHer Rod X Lambo who owned the car before me. I'll send him an email and see if we can tempt him in to tell us.My guess is it was about 1990-97.

[rod x lambo]

micheal burns the jeweller at the barras used to own it he also had a willy;s jeep
a american corvette in gold colour i first saw the countach in about 1992 i think i bought it
in 1998 june sold it in 2005

[paulqv]

So if it was owned by Michael and then Roddy that explains why it could be parked in Glasgow and nobody would touch it !!

[miura_sv]

The Miura thread on Fchat discussed this a while back.
Who knows what's correct -- both views come from authors of
books on Miuras
http://www.ferrari101.com/forum/showpost.php?p=138...

Paul -- Can I advocate using a Miura rather than a Countach in Glasgow?
You can get two full-size sets of golf clubs in the back of a Miura.

[Redwing]

I've just read the above F forum. I don't know Joe but he sounds like a top fella!!

[Stablelad]

miura_sv said:

Paul -- Can I advocate using a Miura rather than a Countach in Glasgow?
You can get two full-size sets of golf clubs in the back of a Miura.

Deal-breaker