1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 Coupe

Lamborghini's influence has certainly helped shape and define the supercar arena. Their vehicles are inspiring, memorable, exotic, and offer enviable performance. Lamborghini's Miura, despite its impressive performance, was never proven and campaigned on the world's race tracks by the factory or clients. Although it had been designed for street use, Bob Wallace (Lamborghini's chief test driver and road development engineer), felt it would be a formidable contender against Ferrari and Porsche. Determined to prove this belief, he set out produce a special race-ready Miura that could help bring the company into motorsport. The resulting vehicle was called the Jota. It was built in 1970 as a one-off test bed vehicle and as a contender for FIA's Appendix J race category (hence Jota). Wallace selected the new-for-1971 SV-spec engine with split-sump lubrication for the project. The compression ratio was raised slightly and tuned to produce 440 horsepower at 8,000 RPM. The chassis was stiffened, the rear track widened, the fenders were flared to fit wider rear tires, and the Miura's 'eyebrows' disappeared. The fuel tanks were repositioned from the nose to the door sills resulting in better weight balance. The spare tire was also relocated to just behind the engine. Inside the vehicle, it was completely stripped of all non-essential materials. The windows were replaced with Plexiglas and a single windshield wiper was installed. One-millimeter-thick chrome-moly steel pipes were welded to the ladder chassis, and aluminum sheet skin was riveted over the chassis, forming an aluminum semi-monocoque shell. The entire body was formed from aluminum, whereas the standard Miruas had roofs constructed from steel. Upon completion, the special Jola weighed 1,784.5 pounds and sat four inches lower than the road-going Miura.

Upon completion, the car was put through rigorous and extensive testing, including a 20,000 mile road test. The SV made its introduced at the Geneva Salon in 1971. After the show, Ferruccio Lamborghini scheduled the car to be scrapped, as he had no interest in competition. Luckily, it was saved and sold to Alfredo Belpone in Bresica, Italy, who retained all of its racing modifications. Since the car needed a production certificate, it was given chassis number 5084, an SV-continuation number. Before being sent to Belpone, the car was restored and its racing upgrades were preserved. Shortly after receiving the car, it was crashed and burned on a closed autostrada while being tested. The original (and intended to be only) Jota was never rebuilt.

Several customers requested similar modifications be added to their cars. Five (and possibly as many as seven) Miura SVJs were built. Inside, they retained their original interior and creature comforts. SVJ modifications included the engine tuning, exhaust, suspension and brake cooling upgrades.

One of the cars to receive the Jota specifications upgrades was chassis number 4892. It was constructed by the factory in July of 1971 as a Miura SV that was finished in white with a blue interior. It was sold new to Dr. Alcide, of Rome. It is not known when the upgrades were performed; there is a letter issued by Lamborghini in 1974 listed it as a 'P400 Miura SV Mod. Jota' at that time.

Chassis number 4892 was given engine modifications including a wet-sump engine. The car was refinished red at that time and imported to Japan by Tomita Automobile Inc. It was cared by two more owners before Kazuo Takahashi restored it in the late 1980s. It came to the United States in 2007 and was shown at the 2007 William K. Vanderbilt Jr. Concours d'Elegance in Newport, Rhode Island, where it earned the Vanderbilt Award. A short time later, the car was given a complete restoration which took two years and cost $225,000. Upon completion, the car was painted in its current shade of Rosso Granda.

The current caretaker acquired the car in 2010.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2015