13/10/2020 MIURA

LAMBORGHINI WHO? MIURA

Creators of some of the wackiest, fastest and most desirable cars ever to grace the road, Lamborghini are firmly entrenched as one of the world's major manufacturers. But it hasn't always been this way. Because they actually started out at the opposite end of the speed scale, making tractors.

Ferrucio Lamborghini founded Lamborghini Traori in 1948, churning out some of the most incredible agricultural machinery ever to grace planet earth. He was Italian, what else would you expect?

His business was immensely successful, and Ferrucio wanted to splash his cash on a couple of -one for him, one for Mrs. Lamborghini. They story goes that aer the clutch being replaced a number of mes on his beloved 250 GT, he decided to strip the car himself at his factory, discovering that the clutch was idencal to one fied to one of his tractors. Being charged 1,000 Lira a me for something he could buy for 10 obviously rankled the Italian, who are renowned for their level-headedness in such situaons, and an argument ensued, in which he told Enzo himself that he made “his cars from tractor parts”. Enzo, being similarly Italian, responded that Lamborghini was “just a farmer”, and that he “shouldn't be driving my cars, because they are the best in the world.” The resulng feud has led directly to one of the longest standing rivalries the automove world has ever seen, and produced some breath-taking machinery. And the car that started the legend was this…

Wrien by: Si McNally I Photography by: Rick Noel 13/10/2020 LAMBORGHINI MIURA The Miura. It is, without a doubt, one of the most beauful cars on the planet. You can't argue with that. It first hit the roads in 1966, and was the blueprint for the majority of today's , with its mid-rear , 2-seater layout. The rear mounted engine gave it unrivalled aerodynamics, and when it hit the road in the mid- '60s it was WHAT? like nothing people had ever seen before. It was, quite literally, the original supercar, and defined a generaon.

Powered by a 3.9 litre, normally aspirated V12, the Miura S pictured here kicks out 365bhp at 7,700rpm, with 388nm of torque at 5,500rpm, and weighs in at just under 1,300kg. It may not be as quick at its contemporary cousins, but its capable of 171mph, and 0-60 in 6.5 seconds-figures that were earth shaering at the me. And the noise it makes is heavenly-like a chorus of slightly drunken angles, shoung through a holy trombone.

This parcular example is a very special car. It actually started life in 1968 as a white P400-the base spec Miura. Poverty indeed. However, within just a few months it had been returned to the factory to be converted to 'S' spec, which means an extra 20bhp, wider wheels and those sexy silver side sills, amongst other things, and repainted the iconic 'Candy Apple Green'. It was owned at the me by a chap called Bernie Ecclestone, who you may have heard of, before being sold to Nigel Davies in 1969. Now, Nigel Davies more commonly went by the name 'Jusn de Villeneuve', and at the me was the partner of Lesley Hornby, otherwise known as Twiggy-probably one of the most famous models that's ever lived.

That's right, this is the famous 'Twiggy Miura', in which she was photographed numerous mes cruising down London's super-cool Kings Road-it was an integral part of not only the swinging '60s, but the Miura becoming the icon that it is today.

In the late '80s, the car was damaged by a workshop fire, aer a neighbouring car combusted, and was sent back to the Lamborghini factory to be rebuilt at a cost of more than £120,000-equivalent to almost £400,000 now! With values now skyrockeng, and the Miura in higher demand than ever before, it was definitely the right decision to make.

The car is no show piece, cosseed and never driven-it's enjoyed to the fullest, and regularly seen around its Worcestershire home. In fact, it was driven by its owner to the London Concours show, through central London, in the pouring rain, when other examples were most certainly trailered. If you search for 'Top Gear Miura' on YouTube, you'll also see this very car being driven by Richard Hammond, as part of the BBC's tribute to Lamborghini's anniversary celebraons. Wrien by: Si McNally I Photography by: Rick Noel 13/10/2020 LAMBORLISTERGHINI KNOBBL MUIRAMIURAY

Fancy a Miura? Well of course you do-it's the original supercar. Nowadays you'll need north of £1.5m to pick one up, and if you want one with as much provenance as this one, don't expect any change from £2m. If you want the ulmate SV version, of which just 150 were made, you WHERE can expect to add at least £1m to that, with a low mileage example of the 4.0 V12 version recently selling for more than £3.2m. They don't come up for sale oen though, with just a few hundred made, and values are steadily increasing.

HOW This Miura is the jewel in the crown of the JHW Classics Collecon. It's been owned by Jane Weitzmann since 2001, and she has stated categorically that it will never be sold. It's available for TV and promoonal work, as every car in the collecon is, and if you're interested in finding out more, you can contact Jane on her website- www.jhwclassics.com.

Wrien by: Si McNally I Photography by: Rick Noel 13/10/2020 LAMBORGHINI MIURA THE SPECS

Manufacturer: Lamborghini Model: Miura P400S

Powertrain: Mid-rear mounted 3.9 V12

Construction: Monocoque steel construction with aluminium front & rear clamshells

Weight: 1,298kg (dry)

Power: 370PS, 365bhp, 272kw

Performance: 0-60mph 6.5 seconds, 171mph

Price: £1.5m upwards

Exclusivity: 763 total built

Wrien by: Si McNally I Photography by: Rick Noel