In its inauguration, the Lamborghini Miura SV was the fastest ever production car, and today, it’s widely thought to be the world’s first true supercar. It was a legendary car that put Lamborghini on the map and certainly on Ferrari’s map, as a true Italian rival. The Miura will be remembered for its rear mid-engined concept which paved the way for all future high-performance cars, as all supercars to this day deploy the mid-engine concept.
This really set a new standard and served as a template for how car manufacturers would design super cars for decades to come. All fast cars conceived before the Miura had engines at the front, thus making it a truly revolutionary car.
If a Hall of Fame existed for super cars, the Miura would rightfully belong there with other historically important super cars. If it didn’t make that imaginary club based on its history, then it certainly would based on its looks. The aesthetics is almost as brilliant as its engineering, a feat not to be taken lightly.
The golden wheels, combined with the deep red is a combination that is usually rather unsettling but on this car, it fits perfectly and stands the car out from the pack. Perhaps this encapsulates what the Lamborghini logo represents, a lone, raging bull. The bull in this car often creeps up, just open up the trunk and bonnet and the car takes the shape of a bull’s horn.
” The bull cannot be contained in this car no matter where you look. The Miura is wild, magnificent and unapologetically resembles the beast it so much wants you to see. Surely, this is a wild creature living vicariously as a car.”
Then look at the Miura emblem on the back and there are horns arching from the ‘M’. The bull cannot be contained in this car no matter where you look. The Miura is wild, magnificent and unapologetically resembles the beast it so much wants you to see. Surely, this is a wild creature living vicariously as a car.
The interior is as easy on the eyes as the exterior. It conveys luxury and quality in volumes. The seats were sporty looking and were luxuriously comfortable even with no option for an adjustable head rest. The whole cabin area is a tan colour which was supposed to match the secondary gold accents of the exterior. The floor had a velvety carpet and offered plenty of foot space. The whole interior had a futuristic feel, ahead of its time as no other car had an interior that looked like that. On reflection, the Miura was indeed ahead of its time. Inside and out, this car was special.
The engine is also an example of engineering brilliance. The 380 horse-powered 4.0 litre V-12 engine is a thing of beauty and was pure innovation. The mid-mounted engine was the first of its kind and as aforementioned, inspired all future generations of supercars. The Miura had a top speed of 270 km/h, extremely fast for a car in those days. Besides this, it was also equipped with a standard five-speed manual gearbox which had its own lubrication system designed to boost the car’s efficiency and reliability.
The Lamborghini Miura SV, then, was special in almost every way. The fact that only 150 were ever made also adds fuel to its special status both of brilliance and exclusivity. No wonder then that it is so highly sought after, and the chances of you or I seeing this historically important car in person are about as high as seeing a bull in your garage. In 2014, a beautiful condition Miura SV sold in California for $2.1 million.
It is certainly plausible that even today, after half a century, the Miura still remains as Lamborghini’s finest. The Miura is every enthusiast’s dream toy, but with so few made, this rare and pricey car for most, will likely remain a dream. It is this elusiveness though that elevate the Miura’s mystique and allure.
