1967 Lamborghini Miura P400

In 1966, the mid-engined supercar, as the world knows it today, would be born. It would be hard to capture the scene, the spectacle, the excitement caused by the presence of the Miura at the Geneva Salon that year. It defined the age to come; it became the benchmark and remains just gorgeous today as it did when it made its audacious debut.

The Miura was, and still is in just about every way, the complete package. The car has the powerful mid-engine and the complexity that a supercar should have. But then, as a result of its design and the era in which it was born, there is the spectacular styling that certainly had to define what a supercar needed to look like as well.

This particular example would be an early one. Produced in the summer of 1967, chassis 3057 would be just the 37th Miura to be completed by Lamborghini. Wearing its stunning Bertone coachwork, it was destined to turn heads no matter where it went. It was a part of a small family of supercars that had no equal at the time.

The Miura was such an achievement that it was almost like another wonder of the world, just to see one would be considered a bucket list item. Ben Johnson would seemingly have that experience. Johnson was an American travelling through Italy when he decided to buy a Miura. He would take delivery of 3057 while still in Italy and would immediately set out to tour Europe with the incredible car. He would drive all over Europe and then would have the car exported to the United States.

Unfortunately, the love affair between Johnson and the Miura would be short-lived. Soon after returning to the United States Johnson would become ill and would pass away leaving the Miura without a home. As a result, the automotive piece of art would end up in a museum.

It was now 1968 and the Miura had only just arrived in the United States when it would end up being shipped off to a museum. Here it would stay for not the next couple of years, but every bit of a decade. It would not be until the late 1970s the Lamborghini would make its way to another owner.

In 1978, the current owner would determine to own the Miura. Having less than 2,500 miles on the car, this was one Miura that was a collector's piece before it had even had the chance to become a collector's piece.

The new owner would determine the car had sat in a museum too long too early in its life. Immediately after buying the car the owner could be seen driving the Miura just about everywhere. Weekly the owner would take his car out and enjoy the revolution taking place all around him.

The enjoyment of the Miura is best exhibited by the 35,000 miles now accrued. Still, the car retains a very high degree of originality never having been restored at any point, especially given the first decade of its life was spent sitting in a museum.

The only damage the car has ever experienced actually came during a servicing when a mechanic left the rear latches of the car undone. The rear hatch would fall off scratching the rear quarter panels. The lid itself would not suffer any damage and would only need to be re-sprayed as well. As far as anyone knows, this is the only refinishing the car has undergone since its having left the Lamborghini factory in 1967.

Originality has been the key word with this car. Over the course of its lifetime the only modification that would ever be performed to the car would be an updating to the SV-spec dry-sump lubrication system. This would take place in 1995 while the engine was being rebuilt. In 2014 a new clutch disc would be installed and the fuel lines would be upgraded to stainless steel. That is it.

Still wearing its original orange livery, 3057 remains a veritable time machine making it highly desirable. Some awards would further the interest. A class award, the car's first, would be achieved in 1992 at the Santa Barbara Concours. Though not an award, the cover of the July 2000 issue of Classic Cars only add to celebrity status of this Lamborghini.

Having a history of just two owners, this highly original Lamborghini Miura was certainly a highlight of the 2015 Bonhams Quail Lodge auction. Not surprisingly, the bidding would exceed the seven figure mark. The final sale price, inclusive of buyer's premium, would be $1,039,500.

By Jeremy McMullen