1968 Lamborghini Miura SVR

The Lamborghini Miura SVR is a one-off supercar and one of the 763 Lamborghini Miuras built between 1966 and 1972. It began life as a green (Verde Miura with black interior) Miura S, shown at the Turin Motor Show, and then delivered to a Lamborghini dealer in Turin, Italy, near the close of November of 1968. In 1974 it was acquired German customer named Heinz Straber, who returned it to the factory for modifications. After an eighteen-month period, the Miura had been converted and transformed into the one-off SVR spec, inspired by the Miura Jota that had been developed by Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace. Upon completion, the car was sold to Hiromitsu Ito from Japan. A series of scaled Miura SVRs soon followed by the Kyosho model car company of Tokyo.

More recently, the Miura SVR has been restored by the Polo Storico team over a 19 month period.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 3781
Engine number: 2511

The Lamborghini Miura P400 SVR is a one-off evolution of the fabled Lamborghini Jota developed by Lamborghini engineer and test driver Bob Wallace. The original SVJ jota, known internally by the factory as 'Miura Privata,' was lost in a crash, but for favored customers, Lamborghini built several more SVJs to the same semi-racing specification. These SVJs were the inspiration for the ultimate, race-ready Miura SVR.

This car began life as a Miura S and was first shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1968. After several private owners, it was bought by Heinz Straber, who asked the factory to build him a very special Miura. His Miura S was returned to the factory at Sant'Agata Bolognese and was gradually transformed into this unique Lamborghini Miura SVR. By 1975, after 18 months of work, Straber lost interest in the project, and the SVR was eventually sold to a Japanese collector in 1976. During its transformation, the Miura acquired a completely new personality with a much more aggressive look. Its unique features have been recently restored by Polo Storico for its current owner, who bought the car in 2016.

Coupe
Chassis number: 3781
Engine number: 2511

Polo Storico restored a knockout Miura. The only existing Miura SVR was perfectly brought back to its original splendor and paraded down Japan's Nakayama Circuit on the occasion of its delivery to the customer.

The Miura SVR, where the 'R' stands for 'racing', is the race car evolution of the fabled Jota developed by Lamborghini's historic test driver Bob Wallace. After Wallace's Jota was lost in an accident, Automobili Lamborghini built a few other Miura SVJ models and only one SVR. They are part of the only 763 Lamborghini Miuras produced between 1966 and 1972.

The Miura with chassis number #3781, engine number 2511 and body number 383 was born as an S version painted in Verde Miura with black interiors. It was delivered to the Lamborauto dealership in Turin, Italy, on 30 November 1968, following its display at the 50th Turin Motor Show.

In 1974, it was bought by its ninth owner, who took it back to Sant'Agata Bolognese in order to have it transformed in an SVR. In 1976, after 18 months of work, the SVR was sold in Japan, where it caused quite a sensation, even serving as the inspiration for the 'Circuit Wolf' comic book series. The car's success was further sealed when model producer Kyosho used it to make its model in 1:18 scale. The lines and colors of this unique SVR thus became the most widely reproduced and famous in the world, and the model became an indelible part of model car collecting lore.

Paolo Gabrielli, Lamborghini Head of After Sales and Director of Polo Storico, had the following to say: 'The full restoration took 19 months and required a different approach from what we're normally used to. The original production sheet wasn't of much help, as we relied mostly on the specs from the 1974 modifications. The challenge for the Polo Storico team was made even more daunting by the fact that the car arrived in Sant'Agata in pieces, although the parts were all there, and with considerable modifications. The only variations on the original specifications were the addition of 4-point safety belts, more supportive seats and a removable roll bar. These were expressly requested by the customer and are intended to improve safety during the car's racetrack exhibitions.'

by Lamborghini

The Miura was first shown 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 shown 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. Ferruccio 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 of 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 to 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.

by Dan Vaughan