Lamborghini Miura Classic Cars for Sale

The Lamborghini Miura was the car which firmly established Lamborghini as one of the world's greatest makers of supercars. With its glorious V12 engine and dramatic styling, it is hard to believe that this car dates from 1966. The name Miura is taken from a fighting bull and the Miura bull found its way onto the company's new badge.

The Origins of the Miura

The young Lamborghini design team desperately wanted to create a true road racer but their enthusiasm was not shared by the company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini who favoured a more luxurious GT style. He reluctantly agreed to the project for a super-sportscar but the team largely had to work in their spare time on their pet project and, when the car was finished, Ferruccio still saw it more as image-boosting concept car, demonstrating just what the factory was capable of, rather than a viable sales proposition. There had been other mid-engine cars but the Lamborghini Miura actually had enough space to comfortably house two normal sized occupants! When the car was displayed at the 1965 Turin Motor Show it caused a sensation. This was a car that the young super-rich had to have and orders flooded in despite the fact that the car was shown simply as a naked rolling chassis. Bodywork design was entrusted to Bertone who came up with graceful curves and readily identifiable features such as the louvered engine cover and "eye-lash" trim to the pop-up headlights.

Lamborghini Miura Models

The first Miura, designated the P400, produced 350 bhp and was produced from 1966-69. The next model, the P400S was in production until 1971 and had various improvements including an additional 20 bhp and the luxury of electric windows. The P400SV (1971-73) had the power upped to 380 bhp along with other improvements and styling details including the loss of the "eye-lashes".

Lamborghini Miura Rarities

The design team finally got to build the car they really wanted with a special factory test car called the Miura Jota. This was given the full race-car treatment including lightweight body, engine and suspension modifications and fixed, faired-in, headlights. This rarest of all Miuras was eventually sold, crashed and destroyed. The company went on to build a handful of cars to the same specification, known as the P400SVJ, and some Miura owners had their own unofficial conversions carried out. A few non-factory convertibles also exist including a Bertone show car.

Ferruccio Lamborghini may have set out to create a comfortable cruiser for the wealthy but succeeded in producing an automotive legend which was an enthusiasts' dream, a drivers' delight, and had the rare attributes of being both a beauty and a beast!