9 fast facts about the Lamborghini Miura
10 March 2021
As far as most people are concerned – including ourselves – the Lamborghini Miura is one of the best cars ever designed. In fact, we’ve eulogised a couple of times on our blog about what makes the Miura so special – but, really you only need look at it to see that it is a thing of beauty.
The Miura was iconic for its starring role in the opening credits of the 1969 film The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine – but there’s more to this cult car than a movie appearance.
In this article, we’ve gathered some facts about the Lamborghini Miura to help you give a sense of where it came from and just why it will remain forever in classic car folklore. However, as our first fact demonstrates, the Miura nearly never came into being…
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It was designed behind the back of Ferruccio Lamborghini
It’s crazy to think that were it not for Lamborghini’s engineering team going ‘rogue’, the Miura – the fastest production road car at the time – would have never come to pass. The team designed this classic supercar in their spare time, against the wishes of Ferruccio Lamborghini who was wary of imitating local rival Ferrari.
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It came only three years into the manufacturer’s existence
Remarkably, the Miura – introduced to the world in 1966 – came only three years after Ferruccio started his company in Sant’Agata Bolognese. It was Lamborghini’s third vehicle — after the 350GT and the 400GT — but the first to really shake up the supercar market and made other manufacturers look a bit tired and uncreative by comparison!
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It was the first mid-engined supercar
The Miura was the first supercar on the road with a rear mid-engined two-seat layout, setting the standard for high-performance sports and supercars going forward. While Ford, Porsche, Abarth and Ferrari had enjoyed success with mid-engined layouts on the race track, they had yet to translate it onto the road. The Miura changed all that. However, as a classic car insurance provider, we can’t help but think about how much it would’ve cost to insure at the time!
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Its design was a team effort
While the great Marcello Gandini is often given most of the credit for the Miura’s design, he was quite late to the party. It was Giampaolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani and Bob Wallace who came up with the first prototype of the Miura, but many had doubts it would ever make it into production.
After its debut at the 1965 Turin Auto Show, Ferruccio gave Nuccio Bertone the job of turning the prototype into a production vehicle. However, it was Giorgetto Guigiario who laid out the initial sketches of the car’s design. When he left the firm, Gandini carried on the project – alongside Bertone – bringing in some significant design features such as the lower nose that repositioned the front radiator.
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The Miura, as we now know it, debuted in 1966
The first completed prototype of the Miura – which was noticeably different from the vehicle seen in Turin in 1965 – debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966. Painted orange and personally driven by Bertone, it became the highlight of the event, overshadowing the new Ferrari 330GTC. A further outing at the Monte Carlo F1 got even more people talking about this road-ready supercar.
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Orders quickly outstripped supply
The sheer number of people interested in buying the Miura caught Lamborghini by surprise. Orders exceeded supply initially, with Ferruccio wanting his car to be limited to only 30 units. But he had to reconsider his position due to the huge demand. Between 1966 and 1973, 764 units were made, which included two updated models: the S and the SV.
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The oil crisis played a part in production ceasing
The oil crisis and lack of demand meant that the Miura ceased production in 1973. By then, Lamborghini was focusing its efforts on the development of the Countach – another legendary supercar, designed once again by that man Gandini. The Countach was first introduced to the public in 1971, going into full production in 1974. In the meantime, in 1972, Ferruccio sold off his controlling shares of the company, probably because the success of the Miura meant he felt like he had nothing else left to prove.
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A Miura today can set you back more than £1m
It probably comes as no surprise that getting your hands on a Miura today doesn’t come cheap. The last one to sell at a public auction – at the RM Sotheby’s London 2019 sale – achieved £1,240,000. Incredibly, this unrestored 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S was found stashed away in a barn on the outskirts of a German forest.
Upon being discovered, it was believed to be one of the last unrestored Miuras left in the world, hence the lofty sale price. With only two owners to its name and only 18,000 miles on the clock, it had sat in the barn for the last 15 years.
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Celebrities couldn’t resist it
From ‘ol blue eyes Frank Sinatra to rocker Rod Stewart, celebrities galore couldn’t resist the Miura’s sweeping lines. Did you know Rod’s Miura was named Maggie May after his famous single? If you were a celebrity and/or have lots of spare cash knocking about, you’d make owning a Miura an ambition, wouldn’t you? Or perhaps you prefer a humbler classic car…
Protect your investment with classic car insurance
If you’re lucky enough to drive or own a Lamborghini Miura – or any classic for that matter – you’re going to need specialist classic car insurance.
If you have a rare classic hiding in your barn and you’re wondering how much it’s worth, Lancaster can organise a two-year agreed valuation for just £18 a year.
Like you, the team at Lancaster is passionate about classic cars. We can offer cover for static shows, historical rallies, restoration projects and more.
Limited mileage discounts are also available if your classic only comes out on very special occasions.