"The Lamborghini Miura" by Simon Kidston

I sold this car (#4892), via Gary Bobileff, back then for our company Symbolic Motors.

 

Quick diversion back to the actual book here... In the latest edition of AutoMobilia Resource magazine, I noticed this about the "infamous" copy of the Jota Edition offered on eBay. What's interesting is that misinformation seems to reign on these books. The author of the article quotes an initial selling price of GBP 15K. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that I paid under 4K for mine, inclusive of FedEx International Priority shipping. I also received "free" shipping and a discounted price on a copy of the register. If Henry Gregory, the eBay seller, was seeking to gain attention by listing his book for sale at a huge price, he certainly seems to have succeeded, probably beyond his wildest expectation.

Note: If anyone feels that this post violates the magazine's copyright, please feel free to have this post removed.
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Kidston’s Miura Book gets honorable mention (among others) in the book, 4860 ‘La Jota Di Hahne’. I just received my copy. Now, for first impressions:

The slipcase and cover could have clothed by Ermenegildo Zegna is a passing thought as attention focuses on the life-sized Jota script that prominently adorns the cover. Inside, it’s primarily a photo book with historic content to set context (and the record) and then page after page of wonderfully composed and beautifully reproduced studio photos. It’s akin to being left for hours to pore over the details of a one of the most elusive Miuras ever made. A rare privilege. Print quality is right up there with the best. A worthy companion to Kidston’s Miura tome and register, and rarer still at 300 copies (not unlike the SVJ). https://miurasvj4860.com

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Wow, the author really gives it to the seller.

Almost boarding on slander.

 

EUR 250,- plus shipping for a 144 page book, containing studio photo's? I'm not sure this is a good deal.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Hi @Zeltweg, thanks for sharing. More images would be appreciated. I have been thinking about buying the book for some time, but the price is really over the top in my view. Having said that, I cannot judge on the quality of the book, which in your words justifies the price. So I appreciate your little review here! And, well, I start thinking about it just again ...

 

Hello Sven, happy to share. Here are some more pictures. As some have commented, it is expensive for what it is. However, I believe all 300 copies are either sold or reserved. If you reserved a copy and decide to purchase, you will find it is well researched and a joy to spend time with. It is let down by the fact that many of the period photographs are not exclusive to this book. It would have been nice if the Hahne family had more photos of the car during their ownership.

As side note, classicdriver.com has a great article featuring David Hahne telling his account of #4860. Some of the content from that online article was included in the book.

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How many do you want? https://www.negri.it/en/cart/

 

I wrote to the publisher and Davide Negri answered that the book isn't sold out and can still be ordered. So, maybe, the quoted mail was just a little bit of marketing to create a Simon Kidston moment ...

 

Ha! Very interesting. Almost in the manner of the ‘sold out’ 250GTE book.

FYI, Veloce Today recently did a review. Link here:
https://velocetoday.com/4860-la-jota-di-hahne-reviewed/

 

I got my copy just before Christmas and I must say that I think it was more than worth the price I had to pay. Mine is #293 so there might not be may left... Image Unavailable, Please Login

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Ok, that did it for me - I ordered ... Thanks to @Zeltweg as well for "selling" me the book through his praise.

Interesting: I asked for no. 300, and got that reply: "I’m sorry but the books are handmade numbered and after celophaned so we can’t know which number we’ll send you." So, it turns out to be kind of a lottery ... Let's wait, which number I get

 

Deal done for me also. The Lamborghini forum under the Muira thread, Joe Sackey and another guy were raving about the book which clinched it.

This book collecting lark is quickly emptying my wallet, just shows the superb quality of titles been pumped out.Also running out of room to store the things.

 

I’ve ordered a copy as well, I unfortunately missed out on the Miura Kidston Book And Passed on the Jota book as I couldn’t comprehend spending £4K on a book


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Well I hope I haven’t created any unrealistic expectations for anyone. The randomly dispatched books are a bit like buying Italian cars in the 60’s despite what you ordered!

 

Perhaps a @moderator could make a separate thread for all the posts in this thread, which is about Kidston's The Lamborghini Miura book, regarding the book 4860 - La Jota Di Hahne?

 

Yeah, how hard is it to add a little tag?

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Why not opening those books?

 

My thoughts too.

 

Received my Jota Di Hahne book no 271 from Negri.it this afternoon. Very well packed and received within 3 days.Do not worry about it getting damaged.

The photographs of the actual car are the best quality I have ever seen,so clear and mesmerising. The quality of the book is absolutely superb.Fitting for such an iconic car

5 stars recommended.

 

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Can’t agree more a Fantastic Book and Great photography got number 250


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My Hahne Jota copy (#295) arrived today - swift delivery, very well packed, and yes: What a great book, indeed, as far as the quality of production is concerned (haven't read in it, yet). Because of its heavy paper it appears to be much larger than 144 pages. Contains fantastic images. Many images from private archives about the Jota's early life have no captions who took the image and when. And who was the owner at that time. You have to consult the Kidston Register to get clues. But that does not diminish my joy about this great book.

 

I would like to return to the topic of this thread and especially to the accusation that the Kidston book "is full of errors", specifically that Kidston is wrong in denying #4892 Jota pedigree. I have to state that I am not a Miura expert, that I have never driven one and certainly not restored one. But I just researched the leading literature about the Miura and the Jota in the X-mas holidays.

Joe Sackey is in his reference work mentions just 6 cars: #4934, #4990, #5084, #4965/5100, #5090 and #4860. No mention of #4892.

Serge Bellu in his "Lamborghini - Tous les modelles annee par anne" lists #4860, #4990, #3781, #5084, #5100 and #5090. No mention of #4892.

Dino Brunori in his fabulous book about "La Jota di Hahne" (#4860) quotes David Hahne, who in turn remembers a talk between his father Hubert Hahne and Ferruccio Lamborghini with Lamborghini saying that they had converted 3 Miuras into Jotas already, and yes, why not making a fourth one? That does not preclude that later Lamborghini changed his mind once again and converted the later #4892 into a Jota as well, but actually it appears to be very unlikely.

Last but not least, we have Stefano Pasini and his very nice and well-written Miura book. Pasini mentions #4860, #4990, #3781, #5084, #5100 and #5090. No mention or discussion of #4892.

So, more or less there is international consent about the chassis numbers which can be considered authentic Jota conversions and which contradict Gary Bobileff's assertation that #4892 is thoroughbred as well. At the same time, all authors, who have tremendous competence and experience on the Miura topic, admit that there are many uncertainties regarding the documentation at Lamborghini and the testimonials of Lamborghini staff. But interestingly, no-one except Kidston touches the #4892 topic at all, which could speak for the thesis that #4892 cannot seriously be considered an official Jota conversion and is not worth any discussion.

Thus, there are two contradicting conclusions out there: All other international experts are right and Gary Bobileff is wrong. Or vice versa: Bobileff has discovered or has ever held information which puts part of the Jota story into new perspective, which would be thrilling. Then, my appeal would be: Gary, write a well-documented book as soon as possible about #4892. I would be among the first to order it.

Apart from that, I think it is too harsh a judgement to state categorically that Simon Kidston doesn't know what he is doing. I think, he certainly is, and although I don't know him personally, I think Kidston would be the last not to appreciate the publishing of yet unknown Miura information.

Sven

 

Buchpilot,
I never stated that " Simon Kidston doesn't know what he is doing", that is your fabrication, and an untruth. What I did say is that Kidston's book is full of errors. Let's take an example of Miura # 3901. I am in process of restoring this car now. Looking up this car in Kidston's book it says "Factory records mistakenly link production # 254 with chassis number #3901, with engine #2727". With all of the above information, authors and Miura historians that you mention get their information from the Factory records. I, personally have looked thru many of the records at the Factory, and have pointed out errors and omissions to them. These errors are published, and the same factory source is used in many of the written books, therefore, they all have the same misinformation. Continuing on regarding #3901, the Kidston book states that #3901 is now in original Blue Miura color. This is a false and misleading statement. As of this writing, the car is in primer, with paint to be eventually applied in the original color which was not Bleu Miura, but a different Bleu, Brambilla bleu. Remaining original paint on the car was used as color sample exemplar for a future repaint, and clearly, the original color was NOT Bleu Miura. I could continue to go on, but it is not necessary for me to do so.
The Lamborghini Factory and Polo regard me as a Lamborghini expert. You state in your opening remarks that " you have never owned or driven one, and you are not a Miura expert". You are all entitled to your opinions, I am entitled to my opinions and my facts.

For the record, I have no desire to ever write a book on Jota #4892, but I strongly suggest that you should, as this is your opportunity to prove to the world that # 4892 is NOT a Jota.
Gary Bobileff