The Classic Lamborghini Miura Is Proof That Not Everything Needs Supervision

10. Working After Hours

A sports car from the 1960s makes you paint a picture of a track-ready, powerful monster that might not be that good-looking. The Lamborghini Miura was quite the opposite in this case, as it was a road-legal supercar with an impeccable design that made everyone fall in love. While it is true that Marcello Gandini laid out the primary design of the Lamborghini Miura, the three engineers, Gian Paolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani, and Bob Wallace, made it possible.

However, they were doubtful that founder Ferruccio Lamborghini would approve the project, so they worked after office hours, keeping it a secret from the boss.

Lamborghini Miura Side - Source Lamborghini Media

We consider ourselves fortunate that Ferruccio found it a worthy project and gave it his blessing, resulting in the first-ever "supercar" the world has seen.

9. Third Time’s The Charm

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. was founded in 1963 as a competitor to Ferrari, and before the Miura, there were only two cars from the brand. While the 350GT and the 400GT were performance machines, they were not enough to set a benchmark.

Lamborghini Miura Interiors - Source Lamborghini Media

The Miura was the third model released by the company, and it showed what an incredible manufacturer, designer, and engineer Lamborghini is in just three years. It was a true masterpiece that took the automotive world by storm, and we are still not over it.

8. Exclusively Limited Edition?

The iconic Lamborghini Miura was supposed to be a truly limited edition, as Ferruccio thought of releasing just 30 models in total. However, he was taken by surprise by the volume of interest in the model. And boy, are we glad.

1972 Lamborghini Miura SV - Source: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Common

The founder changed his mind and decided to make 700 Miura models with different variations, and the final number of models in production was 764 when it closed in 1973. These variations included the Miura P400, P400S, P400SV, P400SVJ, P400 Jota, and P400 Roadster.

7. The One-offs

The Lamborghini Miura SV is considered the best of the lot, as it fixed issues like front-end lift and improved performance. The Lamborghini Miura P400 SV/J was only six in number, but five of them were transformed from the SV models only. The most unique one, built from scratch, was designed for the Shah of Iran and ultimately went to Hollywood star Nicholas Cage in an auction.

1973 Lamborghini Miura SVJ - Source Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0 httpscreativecommons.orglicensesby-sa4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Miura Jota was another one-off that was reworked just to satisfy Bob Wallace, one of Lamborghini's most prestigious customers. It had a lighter chassis and was capable of delivering power up to 400 hp.

Another unique Miura SVR was built for German businessman Heinz Steber with the P400S. There was also a one-off roadster that came out in 1968. The Bertone-designed Miura was displayed at the Brussels Auto Show.

6. Love Bullfighting?

Lamborghini Miura Rear - Source Lamborghini Media

Everybody knows how Ferruccio was a fan of bullfighting and how the emblem of the brand came to exist. But it was not just the brand; even the Miura model has some deep connection with the seemingly dangerous sport. It was directly inspired by the Miura Ranch just outside Seville, which was famous for breeding and raising fighter bulls.

The designers made it quite apparent with the Miura logo as well. Also, if you stand in front of the vehicle and the doors are open wide, Miura appears like the horns of a bull.

5. The Fastest Production Car

Lamborghini Miura Front - Source Lamborghini Media

The Lamborghini Miura was one of the most beautifully designed cars in the world, but what made it beat its biggest rival was the title of the fastest production car. The Miura P400 achieved a top speed of 171 MPH, snatching the title from the AC Cobra. The fact that a carmaker was able to reach such a height in just 4 years of the foundation was a real breakthrough.

However, the triumph was short-lived, as the Ferrari 365GTB Daytona beat it in a year.

4. Your house costs less than the Lamborghini Miura

Even though Ferruccio agreed to a considerably large number of production runs for the Miura models, he made sure that the exclusivity of the Lamborghini was intact.

Lamborghini Miura Interiors - Source Lamborghini Media

The brand put a price tag of $20,000 on the models, which, considering the year was 1966, was a huge sum of money. Despite such impossible pricing, the Miura found a lot of customers, and about 275 models were shipped to customers during the first 3 years only.

3. Unmatchable Powertrain of Lamborghini Miura

The first version of the Lamborghini Miura known as P400 was offered with a 3.9L transversely mounted V12 engine. The engine pushed 345 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The Miura S also known as P400S Miura was launched in 1968 with the same engine however tuned to produce 365 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque.

Lamborghini Miura V12 Engine - Source Lamborghini Media

The most powerful was the P400SV (Miura SV) came along in 1971. With upgrades such as Weber carburetors and altered cam-timings, the P400SV cranked 385 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque and made the SV more responsive at lower rpm.

Limited to 275 units, the P400 accelerates from 0 to 60 MPH in around 7.0 seconds compared to the P400S's 6.7 seconds. The P400SV shaves off almost a complete second for the 60 MPH sprint. One-off models such as the P400 Jota could reach up to 440 horsepower due to modifications such as increased compression ratio, free-flow exhaust system, electronic ignition, etc.

2. Modern Takes on the Lamborghini Miura

The popularity of the Lamborghini Miura has been a benchmark for the brand as well as other automakers around the world. The Italian manufacturer itself has tried to recreate the magic with the Lamborghini Countach in recent years.

Lamborghini Aventador Miura Homage on display at Goodwood - Source Lamborghini Media

While the Countach is a fine car on its own, it isn’t as iconic as its predecessor. Lamborghini also launched the Aventador Miura Homage in 2017 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Miura.

1. Blowing the roof off the auction

Lamborghini Miura Roadster Rear - Source Lamborghini Media

A supercar that was priced at $20,000 back in the 60s is sure to have a high-cost today. The 1969 Lamborghini Miura's estimated value in 2024 is around $1.35 million as per Hagerty's valuation tool. The most expensive Miura ever sold was a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone, which went for $3,580,000 in 2023 at RM Sotheby's auction in Arizona.