Miura, the original supercar

Back end '70s until 1989 , it was already fitted with it...

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The fact that Dallara chose an early Miura to fulfill his dream is significant. The early P400 cars are the true representation of the concept, and I believe they are still undervalued, although their prices are increasing slowly. There is no reason why their prices should not be on par with the SV.

 

I enjoy reading this thread, the in period photos in particular are sensational. As a non expert, and looking at the Miura register it is surprising the number of cars that are no longer in their factory delivered colour. Does it matter ? I recall for Ferrari Classiche that as long as the colour was period correct then it is ok, is that the same with Miura ? Why also have colours changed so much ? I understand that engines were changed back in the day as many failed and were swapped, and cars getting later upgrades, many wanting the SV look, but find harder to understand why so many colour changes. It does not seem to affect prices much (unless talking about the best matching numbers , super history) . I personally love the blues, the powder blue of the spider very much , though the yellow and lime green are so Lamborghini. Ok, the Miura looks good in any colour.

 

I agree with you, Giampaolo was only wondering the "original" shape, his vision combined to Marcello Gandini's one... and not the altered or improved SV... as he could afford it too... his condition was linked to the others criterias I explained !

But, you are right the early P400 should Worth more than the rest of P400 up to the "S" serie which has a good success...

Having sold several Miura "S" this year, it is the model that was the most privately asked to me in 2017.

Being also ex owner of very early P400 #3015, the 24th made (now in the hands of Paul Dutch fellow), I also consider that the early P400 are part of the pioneers era in a new market that was defined and launched by Ferruccio Lamborghini, an era of poker gambling with the success we all know since !

 

Correct, that's also my common & regular rethoric with my European customers... for any kind of cars, but even more for the 7x Miura I sold this year.

 

Can’t get better than this!

 

R.I.P. Johnny. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

O

Oh non...
Vivant à l'autre bout du monde, j'apprends son décès seulement à l'instant en lisant ton post !

 

Very sad indeed... one of of the most appreciated French singer just passed away at 74 years old, an idole is gone....

Recently I discover who owns his Miura, now restored, to be published soon...



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You can't imagine the atmosphere in France right now. This guy is our Elvis. His music and his voice will never die. He was a very kind person.

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in Belgium too, as he was half Belgian from his father...

he is a legend now more than ever...

 

Would love to see the restored Miura. This one has the same CIBIE. Photo is from a French magazine and says it was owned by Jacques Dutronc. Do you have more infos ?
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In the current circumstancies, owner is not willing to have his car published.

Yes, I hear & read that Jacques Dutronc had one too, as well as Christophe (that one was in my stocklist earlier this year), but the car on your pic has aftermarket fog lights...

 

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ENJOY!

Our Miura SV Goes Home... Back to Sant'Agata.

For just under two years we have had the honor to be the steward of a 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV.


The Red and Gold livery Miura SV became a symbol of the Curated brand and a centerpiece of our showroom and collection. It was an honor to be a part of its history, but now it is time to say Goodbye. We have sold our 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV. The car was delivered new at the end of 1972 in South Africa, (check our blog for the full story,) and eventually made its way to Palm Beach, FL in 2001 for the Bonhams Brooks Auction. In 2001, at 16 years old I inspected the car with my father, not knowing I would one day purchase it, 15 years later. After discovering the car in 2015, and deciding against a full restoration, we prepared the very original car for 6 month mechanical and aestetic renovation.

The Miura was not running when we purchased it, and as a result we spent weeks, days, and hours sourcing original parts and working to complete the car. Luckily, my father is arguably the most knowlegble Miura expert in the world, who regularly kept the staff at Lamborghini Palm Beach working till wee hours of the night. Insanely passionate, it is because of my father’s persistence that the car was completed for the 50th Anniversary of the Miura. Having my father personally aide in its completion, and deliver the car to us finished, was incredibly emotional.

In a surreal and impulsive moment, my partners and I decided to bring the car to the world famous Monterey Weekend. Showing it at the Miura 50th at the prestigious Quail Motorsports Gathering and deciding to enter it into the RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction. As part of the auction the Miura was featured on a BBC segment and numerous periodicals from around the world. We were very optimistic considering the timing of the auction and celebration of the Miura 50th. Miura SV examples rarely trade hands, and at any point there may be 1 or 2 cars available to collectors. Ironically, another very similar Rosso 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV Chassis #4920 was scheduled to be auctioned at the Gooding & Co sale the same weekend. Chassis #4920 was delivered new to the USA, was restored earlier in it’s life and had seen a few cosmetic modifications during its lifetime. #4920 was running the Gooding & Co auction block just before 5pm and ours would be scheduled for around 8pm at RM. Confident in our car, we were excited for the evening’s results. Patiently waiting in a restaurant in Monterey we watched Chassis #4920 SV sell for $2,255,000.

After almost two hours of slowly running a collection of 1960s and 1970s tired Maserati examples, the main event was about to happen. Lot 234 came across the block, arguably the biggest car sold of the Monterey 2016 weekend, the 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C. After a good 5-10 minutes of working the room for a staggering $19,800,000 sale, the room died. Considering our Miura SV was scheduled two lots later… this was not a good feeling. My friends, family, partners and girlfriend watched as the Miura glistened as it pulled onto the stage. The description was read by the lack luster auctioneer and the bids quickly went up to $1,1, $1,3, $1,4 million… $1,5 million. All within 40 seconds. All of sudden after 1 minute and 20 seconds, as if out of a dream, the auctioneer announced “ No more bids? Pass.” Wait… there were other hands in the air! There were other bidders trying to bid… How did our $2 million plus Miura SV only get 1:32 seconds on the block. Quickly, the auction representatives ran over to our area, followed by a BBC film crew and began negotiating price with me. I was in a daze… angry, confused and honestly, sad. I did not want to take any offers, I did not want to negotiate. Our Miura SV should have sold for $2 million and I was bringing it home.

I was offered an apology by RM, I am assuming they realized that the auctioneer had made a mistake. Somehow provoked to rush a flagship car off the stage to make up for a slow evening. To this day, I don’t want to remember the disappointment I heard in my fathers voice upon calling him, I don’t want to remember the look in my business partners eyes, or my girlfriends nervous reassurance, that everything would be “okay.” I knew what the car was, I knew just how original it was, I knew how well it ran, I knew its value.

I really believe everything happens for a reason, and I am an enteral optimist, but the experience was a complete blow. Emotionally, mentally, I was even physically tired. I was not upset that the car didn’t sell, I was upset that such a special car, didn’t get a fair chance. The auctioneer did not work the room, he did not bid the car up to its reserve of $1,850,000 (agreed practice in the auction world,) and imagine, I had turned down numerous offers close or over $2 million. And Yes, the week we consigned the car to RM Sotheby’s we turned down a very good offer through historian Joe Sackey, the author of the Miura Bible. For the next year we took the car off the market and fell further in love with the car.

If you have not seen a Miura SV in person, there is no way to describe its beauty. Most collectors and enthusiast would agree, the Miura, especially the SV example, is the most beautiful car in the world.

One day I was approached by a passionate fellow ex-Miura owner and historian, Mr. Olivier NAMACHE. At first Olivier came across as pushy and overzealous, but over time I realized he was driven by a relentless passion. Olivier mentioned to me he would have a client for our Miura SV. Within the week he explained to me the client was a VIP and the car would be going back to Italy, back to its birthplace, Sant’Agata Bologna, the Lamborghini Factory. After a few weeks and months of discussions with the incredible people of Lamborghini, we agreed the car would shipped to Italy, to be sold to one of their VIPs after a successful inspection at Polo Storico. The morning came when I was told the car had to be delivered to the airport. It was beyond emotional, the car had truly become part of my life. The journey was a testament to believing in “what’s meant to be…” Long and Winding Road.

As I had been certain of, the inspection went amazing, She is one of the more original Miura SV examples left in the world today. We would never disclose the name of the buyer, but he is arguably one of the most significant individuals in the automotive industry from 1990 till now. If there was ever a way to end a story, to finish a chapter, an emotional journey… This would be it.


http://wearecurated.com/our-miura-sv-goes-home/

 

Thank you John to mention my contribution for the sale of your Miura SV...

 

Does anyone know the chassis# of this Miura?

Thanks

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No, Thank you!

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login I am happy to see how nice Dallara’s Miura turned out after being restored in Italy by Lamborghini Polo Storico. #3165 was imported to Sweden in 1977 as a non running project and was purchased by a father and son who dismantled the car for restoration. I got to know these very nice guys some twenty years ago and have over the years tried to buy their car. Early 2015 I eventually got the opportunity to be the owner of #3165 and started to restore the Miura to be able to take part of the Lamborghini Miura 50 Tour in June 2016. In the beginning of the year 2016 I realized that I had no chance to finish the project in time so, in knowledge that #3165 was to be taken care of by Gianpaolo Dallara I had it changed for a “ready to go” Miura, with which I tried to do the Miura 50 Anniversary Tour.

I am really glad to see the white Tamiura back in its former glory and it was a pleasure to see it win at Salon Privé, Blenheim Palace, as well as being one representative of the early era of Lamborghini when the company introduced their new Urus. I can feel that I have some very little part in the happening.

I do like these very early Miuras a lot. They are very simple and basic cars with the cheap looking interior in dull coloured vinyl. It even got roll up windows to be handled by hand. But the styling is beyond what almost no man can take. Someone ones said: ”we blush when they appear”. Especially these early cars with their high and narrow Pirellis and non swollen rear part and with no extra fuss. And the drive train, a transversally mounted masterpiece, a V12 casted in aluminium together with both transmission and differential.

Do I miss it? Yes, I would have done that if it wasn’t for Miura #3135 which is now near its completion after many years of restoration. It has Bertone body number #65 and Dallara’s Miura has number #68 which should mean that they were together at Bertone’s plant in the Autumn of 1967. After being apart for almost fifty years they spent some time together in my garage before #68 went back to Italy. I hope to be able to take my Miura Rosso coloured #65 for a trip to Italy soon and let it have a rendezvous with its sister again.

My heart has been with the Miura since I first read about it in Road & Track in 1966 and will probably still be for the next half century.

Lars-Erik

Photo declaration:
The first three are Dallara's Miura, #3165, after and before restoration.
The other represents #3165, black as I bought it twenty years ago and the painted Rosso Miura early this year and then with the mechanical parts connected. The wheels belong to a 365 BB and will of Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login course make place for Campagnolos with Pirelli Cinturato.

 

My Marie and I took our white Miura S for a 2600 kms long trip to Norway in August this year. The Norwegian Lamborghini Klub organized a Super Weekend in the Alps of Norway with a 2 nights stay at Pers Hotel in Gol, 200 kms north of Oslo. On Saturday August 27 we made a fast 350 kms tour hunting each other through tunnels and over the alps. We were about twenty cars and with no doubt the Miura was the oldest car but by no means the slowest. One of the participants, driving the AMG-SLS Mercedes put his arm around my neck at the bar in the evening and said: “when I grew older I wanna be like you”.

Marie took some pics with her Iphone and the other day Apple had made this little video which suddenly turned up in her phone.

Lars-Erik

 

John,

A great post! Will Polo restore the car for the new owner or conduct a preservation campaign?

Geno

 

I, too, am a second-generation Miura owner, and your post puts into words perfectly the emotions that this make evokes. It's almost indescribable, but I can sum it up by saying these cars are very special and have personalities of their own. Thanks for the wonderful post.