I have always loved this car. I think the lines of the 60's era cars are timeless. Anyway, anyone have good pics of the Miura? I have a very limited selection, mostly new lambo/f-cars here at my office... James
James, I may have some interesting pix somewhere. The Miura is indeed an interesting machine. I was able to drive one here locally some years back. It was one of the most memorable car experiences I've ever had. Really exhilarating. And the guy was selling the car for only $27K!! (Like I said, some years back) Of course, at the time that was like $27 million to me;-). Oh well, it was a right hand drive car anyway! Daryl
We had quite a few photos of the Miura at the recent Texas Running of the Bulls. Check the Texas section of the Old Site archives! Or, I could run over to the shop and take a few new ones!
I love the Miura too. I want to learn more about it. The SVJ is the top of the line, right? Didn't they only make a handful?
James, If you ever get a chance, rent the original version of "The Italian Job", starring Michael Caine. The movie opens with Marcello Mastriani driving a Miura through the serious twisty bits of the Italian Alps with "On Days Like These" playing in the background, punctuated every so often by the sound of his downshifts. After the intro credits roll the Lambo disappears into a tunnel where it "crashes" head-on into a bulldozer that then pushes the Miura out of the tunnel and over a cliff, in a prolonged tumble of destruction. It was obviously a previously wrecked car (No engine, etc. if you watch closely) but it still was heartbreaking to watch!
i saw one, for the first time, in New Orleans... It was gorgeous, no argument there, but for some reason, i liked it more in pictures... Maybe it's just me, maybe it was that my mind was too focused on the scores of Ferraris around me but i expected it to have more of an impact on me... Maybe i need to see one when i'm not so distracted... Still a beautiful car, though... The Diablo Roadster will always be my favorite Lamborghini, though...
Miuras are absolutely awesome machines. Down the line I would LOVE to have one in my stable. Looked sweet thrity years ago, still looks sweet today. Timeless!!
James, I certainly share your appreciation for the Miura. Here are some photos of my 68. Every time I drive my Miura, I'm transported back to the 60's. The Miura was truly trend setting when it was introduced, and it started the Supercar genre. It was the first mid-engine V-12 road car. Prior to its introduction, only race cars used this layout. It wasn't until 7 years later that Ferrari introduced its first V-12 mid-engine road car - the Boxer. Here is a short clip from a writer that accurately describes the feeling of driving a Miura. Gil
That is a good question. Bottom line is I would say YES. With a 35 year old vintage car with low miles, you have to expect that a car would need some sorting out. When I bought my Miura, I immediately put it into the shop to refresh a number of things. The only things that have gone wrong are things that are typical of parts of that age. Once sorted out, the car has been very reliable. I can go into my garage fire it immediately up, and take off for a drive - no drama. The Miura was way ahead of its time, it made a big splash in the car world. The reaction of the enthusiasts took Lamborghini by surprise with many more orders than they expected. When Ferruccio Lamborghini originally launched the Miura he thought maybe he would build a total of 50 cars. My car was the 137th Miura produced and the total P400 production went to 475 cars (followed by 140 S's and 150 SV's ). Lamborghini being a small and new company had quite an undertaking to feed the demand. The result was that the Miura did not get the level of development that a modern car from a major manufacturer does today. There are a few known issues, but they are straightforward to deal with. One of the more important improvements that Lamborghini did starting with the 125th Miura produced is to go to a larger gauge frame which really improved the stiffness of the chassis. Many of the Miuras that are still on the road today have since been updated to address the initial shortfalls. Despite this stress on the new marque, it is quite amazing how good a job Lamborghini did with these cars. It is even more amazing that a lot of this accomplishment was driven by three 25'ish year old guys. Gianpaolo Dallara was the chief engineer, Bob Wallace was the development and test driver/mechanic, and Marcello Gandini of Bertone designed the body. Giotto Bizzarrini who did the Ferrari GTO race car was commissioned by Lamborghini to do the original four cam V-12 engine design after Bizzarrini left Ferrari, and the Lamborghini engine was further developed by Dallara for the Miura. Lamborghini was one of the few marques like Ferrari that did the whole car - chassis, engine, transmission, etc. 35 years later the Miura still looks fresh, and the technologies it incorporated are still in use today (mid-engine, quad cam V-12, transverse engine mount, all synchromesh transmission, independent suspension, disc brakes, air ducting in the wheels for brake cooling, aluminum body panels, aluminum engine and chassis lightening to save weight, etc.). These all seem common now, but the Miura was the first to bring all of these together in a customer road car. Also, many of the aesthetic design elements were and still are being copied (exposed headlights, air intakes, louvers, hinged front and rear bonnets). To this day, the Miura is still one of the lowest profile exotics (just over 40" tall). I like to see my Miura parked next to modern exotic cars. Most of them are bigger and heavier than the Miura (some things don't necessarily get better with time). The Miura truly deserves the place it holds in automotive history. Gil
Hey Guys, New to this site but not Ferrari's......I am Currently looking to purchase a very clean Lambo Miura 69 70 71 s or sv, any hints who has one up 4 sale. will pay finders fee of 10 minutes behind the wheel, as long as you keep it under 55..... Thanks Michael
Michael, As you're probably aware, the Miura is pretty rare and they don't come on the market very often. People that own them are tending to hold on to them. You can do Internet searches periodically to see what comes up. Sometimes you might be able to get a lead from Hemmings. There seems to be more available in Europe. If you're willing to pay all the extra costs involved in importing a car, that might be an option for you. Good luck, Gil
http://www.fantasy-motors.com/ Look under "current inventory" The car flawless, factory upgrades, great history. If you can swing the paper to afford the worlds best.... I got a ride in it. It has factory Webers with velocity stacks. The noise 4 inches behind your head when they open up will stay burned in my memory for a long time.
I'd seen several pictures of Miuras before I saw one in person. Photos do NOT do this car justice. I used to think it was "just" a good-looking car from the photos, but in person, it's probably the most beautiful car I've ever seen.
I had to wait twenty years to get my Miura...it's everything I'd hoped it would be! After four and a half years of ownership and pretty regular usage it's given me no real trouble and is always a blast to drive!
Here is a picture of a Miura I took recently at the Best of France and Italy show in LA. Also, there is a yellow Miura S being serviced at FX Performance (FChat sponsor). You can call over there, ask for Costa, and see if they've taken any digital shots of the car. The car sounds great... the roar of the 12 cylinders is very heartpounding!
