Lamborghini Miura | Pic of the Week
Need something from the January sales? This Miura is going to auction on Friday...
Time has done nothing to lessen the impact of the Lamborghini Miura, on screen or in the real world. Still now it beggars belief that a shape like this could originate from so long ago, when mid-engined cars hadn't long since made their debut on the world's circuits. From that Geneva debut in 1966 the Miura was an icon, status that continues to this day; so, when one comes up for sale for the first time in 40 years, accompanied by glossy pics...
Yes, this Miura P400 SV will go under the hammer with RM Auctions at its Arizona sale next Friday, the estimate $1.4-1.6m. Limited in reality to the deep pockets of very few, then, but nothing to stop us ogling an incredible supercar with an intriguing backstory.
Completed on December 10th, 1971, Miura chassis #4974 was originally green with a black leather interior. Its owner, Mr Stel of Udine, didn't have the car long before it went to California and owner number two, Dennis Christianssen. Which is where it gets interesting.
At the time, famed Sant'Agata engineer Claudio Zampolli was the US factory representative, and had helped facilitate the sale to Christianssen. But when the latter wanted to move on in 1977, he sold the car to Zampolli; keen to dry-sump the Miura - presumably helpful in lowering the CoG of that big V12 - Zampolli took the engine out of the car and went on holiday. During which time his V12 was promptly stolen. The swines.
However, nobody was better placed then to get Lamborghini parts than Claudio Zampolli, so having obtained an SV block and Jota-spec dry-sump system, he got to work. The finished car is as you see here, the only dry-sumped SV in existence and with the 10-inch cast magnesium rear wheels. Zampolli sold it in 1979, and the car stayed with that owner until this sale. Quite some story.
Now finished in red over beige, it's a stunning Miura. No such thing as a not-stunning Miura, sure, but the spec and history of this car make it extra special. Expect many paddle boards to be flapping come Friday - and plenty of gawping at this wallpaper from colleagues. Don't say we didn't warn you...
Reportedly . from subsequent accounts , the MIura was not as great to drive , nor as fast ,as its looks (and maker ) suggested but who cares, with looks like that?
And ., pedant alert , it wasn't a bloody 'icon ' in 1966 - nothing outside a Russian or Greek church was. The term only came into widespread use in the last 20 years , and now is applied to anything from a pair of trainers to a bloody pizza . I wouldn't devalue a Miura with the term - it deserves so much better .
I remember back in the 80's going to family trips to Northern Italy and there was a bus driver who also used to drive a yellow Miura. I tell you, me and the local kids used to go crazy at the sight and sound of it.
My closest mate is a car sprayer and used to work at a restoration garage in Hornsey and worked on the Jota replica owned by Piet Pulford which has been featured in various mags. I also heard that it was recently at the Lamborghini museum. Also, when I visited his workplace many years back, the last ever Miura was in there. Black with white interior and the centre console has Ferruccio's signature in black ink
I always think that seeing one of these back in the late 60s among all the other cars on the road must have looked like an alien invasion.
Oh, I am on an absolute pedant roll today! Is there an award?
...I should probably go and do something else....
I always think that seeing one of these back in the late 60s among all the other cars on the road must have looked like an alien invasion.
Oh, I am on an absolute pedant roll today! Is there an award?
...I should probably go and do something else....
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