Miura, the original supercar

Bull Publishing will release details in a few months...

 

Ok, so here is Miles in a well-known image running errands in one of the Ferraris....the Miuras were for rather less sedate activity

Joe
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Craig, youre right, as the book will show, the early P400 did NOT have the Lamborghini badge to the right side of the driver-side tailight. Fortunately, some of them remain unmolested and still show that way today. What build was the FIRST Miura to wear that Lamborghini badge? Craig, cmon, that would be like asking an Italian how many hot plates of pasta hes had in his sweet life! LOL. Miura production trivia is rather less definitive than some might like it to be.
As far as the chassis plates are concerned, my research shows that even the prototype cars (starting with a "0" chassis number) had ID plates, BUT, once again, nothing is definitive with Lamborghini. Maybe Luigi the ID-plate-installer was off the day the car was delivered - who knows? Ive seen a few early cars lately (0706, 0979, 1006, 1021, 1024 & 1045) and to my recollection I have images of all their chassis ID plates, retrofitted or otherwise.
Joe
www.lamborghiniregistry.com

 

So it looks like a case of owners seeing later cars and feeling something was missing. Very interesting....I must say the images of all the ID plates of the early cars Ive recorded all look different, and that explains it.
The later cars have ID plates that are all uniform and the plates were in fact manufactured for Automobili Lamborghini by a firm called 'Pelloni' in Bologna. Gary makes exact duplicates for restoration purposes fastened by copper rivets (see image), but when he restored my 4884, in the spirit of authenticity, I elected to have him re-use the original ID plate as it remained perfectly preserved and corrosion-free.

Joe

Joe
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Its worth pointing out that the Miura book is being published as a first edition. This allows for additional received wisdom to be included in a 2nd edition at future printings, and so on into the future.
I was advised to ascribe to this by veteran author Karl Ludvigsen whose "PORSCHE - Excellence was expected" has gone through this very evolution over the past 20 years, turning it into a definitive work based on the collective input of Porschephiles everywhere.

Joe

BTW - Karl supplied me with never-before-seen images of the Miuras coming down the 'line at Sant Agata from his 1967 visit there. Thanks Karl.

 

Youre too kind for relieving me of that enormous burden. LOL. But seriously, you are quite right on the basis of physical inspection. Please collate some of these pearls of wisdom and e-mail to me at [email protected] so I may cross-reference them with my findings. The book will always err on the side of caution and never make a declaration that such-and-such is so unless I have seen such or it can be proven beyond doubt by someone.
Joe

 

Agreed. Exactly the reason I retained my ORIGINAL Chassis ID plate in the restoration.
However if you are familiar with the ID plates of many SVs in particular, Gary's reproduction is damned close. Most of the Miuras he restores are SVs, although that picture is slowly changing. He is now booked 2 years in advance....

Joe

 

You will have to contact www.bullpublishing.com direct.

Joe

 

Why do I get the feeling that at school you were the teachers pet showing off constantly with clever questions? Now the answers to all the questions your heart desires as set forth here would begin to make the purpose of a good book a little redundant, wouldnt it? One could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps youre doing dilligent research for a good book. LOL...In an attempt to satisfy your insatiable quest for Miura trivia, I couldnt resist answering at least one of your questions as I dont want to leave you hanging.

How many P400SV were fitted with Savara vapor control cannisters? Answer = 21.

Craig, my man, please be patient. The book will be out later this year in the format that we have decided to put it out. There will be an updated version in the future to include the pearls of wisdom learned and bestowed upon us by the likes of yourself, and others.
However, the publisher and I doubt that most will want to read to determine on which specific day in 1969 was the very first air-conditioning unit installed in a Miura at Sant Agata, by whom, and why? Or, who at Bertone SpA made the determination what color the wheels & sills should be painted and which was the very first car to receive the aforementioned in gold?..... the book will be kept realistic.

By the way, all your questions beg a question of their own...can YOU answer any of the questions youve posed on this thread? Now that would be being helpful, not least for the purpose of cross-referencing and because enquiring minds want to know. (Note: ask any 2 Miura experts a series of questions and youll always get some different answers) If you cant answer them here, theres always room for another good Miura book...

Joe
www.lamborghiniregistry

 

He actually signed your book! Thats a first...
Youre working with the right people.

Joe

 

Bull Publishing has a promo Ad in the Haynes catalog worlwide and this is the pre-production cover being used. This is NOT what the final production cover will feature....

Joe
www.lamborghiniregistry.com
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Walter dear,
WHERE are your reading glasses?
Did you see that I wrote: "This is NOT what the final production cover will feature" ......??
Did you also read that this is just a "Promo Ad"....??
Anyway, I suspect you will approve of the actual cover
Joe

 

I promise....

 

I am already getting a lot of messages for the Miura book. If anybody has an interest in getting a copy of the book, simply contact the publisher directly at www.bullpublishing.com and let them know what you wish and they will make sure it is supplied to you when it is produced late in the year.

Thanks indeed.

Joe
www.lamborghiniregistry.com

 

Thank you Craig, youre too kind by half.

Joe