1972 Lamborghini Miura Information and History

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P400 SV Coupe
Designer: Bertone
Chassis Num: 5080

The Lamborghini Miura is widely accepted as the original road-going supercar capable of 170 mph in an era where most cars on the road could not top 90 mph. It is accepted as the first mid-engined sports car developed exclusively for road use and became renowned as a benchmark classic for the ages.

Miura SV 5080 is a late-chassis Miura in the ultimate factory-fitted specification of split-sump engine, A/C and twin fuel pumps. Delivered new to ace Ferrari racer Karl Foitek, this example is one of the last Miuras built in the iconic 'Spinto Veloce' variant.

P400 S Coupe
Designer: Bertone
Chassis Num: 4820
Engine Num: 30747

This Lamborghini Miura SV was completed on September 14th of 1972 and was number 737 of the 765 total Miura's built. It is one of only 96 SVs equipped form the factory with the split sump lubrication system and it features a ZF limited slip differential. This right hand drive vehicle was first sold to Buckinghamshire, England by Lamborghini GB and was given the GB registration UHH 1. In 1982, it was imported to the United States and by this point in history, it had been converted to left-hand drive by DK Engineering of Watford, UK. A short time after arriving in the US, it was sold to Benny Caiola who had the car restored by Lamborghini specialist Alfredo Pedretti.

In 2001, the car was purchased by Al Burtoni before selling it to its current owner. The car has been shown at events such as Concorso Italiano where it won the People's Choice award. The car remains period correct, finished in period-correct colors of Orange with Gold rockers and wheels. The interior is Biscuit leather hides. It has been driven only 3700 miles - though in 1982 it was fitted with a new set of gauges that started at zero so it is unknown how many total miles have been accumulated during its lifetime. It is believed, however, that the old gauges had less than 19,000 miles on them.

In 2008, this 1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV with chassis number 4820 was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $825,000 - $975,000. Those estimates were proven accurate when the lot was sold for $891,000, including buyer's premium.

The Miura was first show to the public at the November 1965 Turin Auto Show. At the time, it did not have a body. It was just a rolling-chassis. The design was mid-engined, very revolutionary at the time. Bertone was chosen to body the vehicle. Nuccio Bertone gave the project to Marcello Gandini. In early 1966 the Bertone body and the chassis designed by Giampaolo Dallara were assembled into one unit. In completed form, it was show to the public at the 1966 Geneva Auto Show and dubbed the Miura. The name coming from a breed of Spanish fighting bulls.

The vehicle was instantly popular with demand overshadowing the supply. Ferrucio Lamborghini had originally planned the Miura to be a low production, flagship vehicle with production set to around 30 models. The demand for the vehicle eventually changed the plan for the vehicle and throughout its lifespan, three series of the Miura were produced, the P400, S, and the SV. Each series brought with it mechanical and aesthetical changes through either fixed problems from the prior series or brought about new developmental improvements.

The P400 was the first series, the 'P' stood for Posteriore, the location of the engine. The 400 represented the engine size, or 4.0 liters. The four-liter engine was capable of producing 350 horsepower to the rear wheels. The spot-welded chassis was made from steel and the steering was a rack-and-pinion unit built and designed by Lamborghini. The front and rear hoods were both 'clamshell' design. There were two small compartments in the rear allowing a small amount of luggage or storage space.

Since the vehicle had been initially intended to be a temporary vehicle, it was poorly assembled and lacked quality. Another major problem was the lack of materials available. The builders of the vehicle rarely had the parts and resources they needed to keep up with demand. As time progressed, so did the quality.

Production began in March of 1967 and offered at a price of nearly $20,000 US dollars with 108 units being constructed. The Miura S series appeared in December of 1968. It was debuted to the public at the 1968 Turin Auto Show. The 'S' stood for 'Spinto' meaning 'Pushed' or 'Tuned'. Horsepower had been increased to 370, thanks in part through the use of a new combustion chamber and larger intakes. The later 'S' series models were given ventilated disc brakes and a modified rear suspension. Air conditioning was available for an extra cost.

In March of 1971, the final version of the Miura, the SV, was displayed at the Geneva Auto Show. The SV was the pinnacle of performance in regards to the Miura series. The rear suspension received modifications including a wider track. Wider tires were placed increasing the performance and handling. The headlights, turn signals, bumper and tail lights received changes. A carburetor change and larger intakes brought the horsepower rating to 385. During its production lifespan only 142 examples of the Miura SV were created. The acronym 'SV' represented 'Sprint Veloce'.

750 examples of the Miuras were built, the last being constructed on October 12, 1973. Production would have continued but Lamborghini was preparing to introduce its successor, the Countach. Since Lamborghini was a small shop, it could only handle the production of one model.

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