BUYER’S GUIDE

Lamborghini Miura review

The car that set the supercar template has arguably never been bettered…

What Is It?

Legend has it the Lamborghini Miura was the machine for which the term ‘supercar’ was created; even today few would argue against that description. As daring technically as it was aesthetically, the Miura’s 1966 launch is the moment Lamborghini sealed its provocateur credentials, the mid-engined layout, gorgeous ground-hugging styling and exquisite detailing still hard to fault.

Fast, loud and breathtaking to behold, Lamborghini was still learning on the job in terms of dynamics, and it wasn’t until the final SV version the driving experience fully delivered on the promise. These are now at the multiples of millions level of collectability, any Miura is a committed purchase for even the best funded of wallets but one look at it tells you it’s worth it. And if that doesn’t do it, the sound of the V12 probably will.

Corrosive Areas

Front battery tray

Engine frame

Floor

Checklist

Box-section steel chassis was clothed in aluminium panels, while the transverse V12 used an integrated crankcase and gearbox arrangement — just like the original Mini
First run of P400 Miuras followed by the improved S version, with more power and detail structural improvements
Final SV version is the most coveted and rare, with just 150 (plus one additional) built in period — extensive upgrades included more power, wider rear track and wheels, revised rear suspension, different rear lights and a segregated oil system for the engine and gearbox
Removal of the distinctive ‘eyelash’ trim around the headlights is the most obvious SV marker, though Ferruccio Lamborghini had them reinstalled on his personal car
Many cars will have been upgraded in restoration, with P400s often getting S-style body reinforcements or other retrofitted modifications — not necessarily a problem if the work has been done to a high standard but truly original cars will be hard to find
If you’re paying the premium for a SV be absolutely sure it’s an original and not a standard car converted to look like one
Super rare and exotic SVJ even more coveted — just four were made originally but others have since been converted, while if someone offers you a Spyder be aware there’s only the one original…
Rust traps abound in the chassis and once you uncover some there will likely be more lurking deeper within the structure
Even without being tipped off a mountainside by the Mafia, damage is common so be very mindful of historic repairs, bodges and misaligned frames
Miura is mechanically tough when looked after properly; condition of engine oil vital given it’s shared with the gearbox
Gearbox takes a while to warm through and demands a firm hand — rumbles and grumbles not uncommon but beware anything more worrying
Most significant mechanical work is an engine out job and time consuming, meaning this is often used as an opportunity for further preventative work like clutch changes — budget accordingly

How does it drive?

Accepted wisdom has it the Miura is style over content when it comes to the driving experience, front end lift at speed famously exacerbated when the fuel tank empties and takes weight off the front wheels which doesn’t help the inherent bias towards understeer. The reality is few Miura owners are going to be pushing their cars hard enough for this to be an issue these days, and at a more measured pace it’s easier to appreciate the glorious noise of the V12 just behind your head and enjoy its combination of low-rev tractability and top-end drama.

Even with relatively low-geared steering a Miura is a physical driving experience, the gated manual firmly sprung to the third/fourth plane and requiring deliberate inputs to stiffly sprung floor-hinged pedals. Light nose aside, the handling is predictable, the brakes are good and contemporary reviewers revelled in its abilities.

What’s good?

The looks, the noise of the V12, the magic of being in such an important and iconic car — the Miura still has the ‘it’ factor guaranteed to turn heads even among more modern equivalents. Then there’s what it represents in terms of sealing Lamborghini’s unashamedly disruptive and provocative image, and the fact it caught Ferrari napping and left Modena’s rival products looking somewhat old-fashioned. The fact it’s the original supercar and possibly nobody has done it better since also has huge appeal. If ever a car had the ability to make you feel a million dollars at the wheel, this is it.

What’s bad?

Miuras have never been cheap, but they’re now really expensive. Trouble is there was a period when they were relatively cheap, and many survivors will have skeletons in the closet in the form of bodged repairs to crash damage, half-baked restorations, rotten frames under shiny paintwork and all the usual pitfalls that come with cars bought with the heart rather than the head. While the good ones will be known within the trade and wider classic community, with over 760 built there will still be some that have slipped through under the radar whose history may or may not be rock solid. Suffice to say, once you start on a restoration things can escalate very quickly and expensively indeed. A perhaps minor niggle, but the Miura is also the car that started the trend for false exhaust tips, the ones you can see actually fixed to the rear clam with the real ones stopping short within.

Which model to choose?

Given style and the glorious V12 noise will be the primary motivation for owning a Miura, the good news is all will deliver the goods on those terms. The purity of the original P400 has some appeal, but for a car to drive and enjoy the extra power and other improvements introduced the S probably make it a better bet, the SV taking this further still but now massively expensive and very much parked in collectors’ corner. If you have the funds to be bidding at that level then it’s the one to go for, but for those with a relative grip on reality the best Miura to buy is the one with a fully documented history and proof that any restoration work has been done to the highest of standards. It will cost, but one verified by Lamborghini’s Polo Storico archive is about as close to a safe bet as you can hope for and maintaining it to this standard should see your money safe with change.

Specifications – Miura P400 SV

Engine

3.9-litre V12

Power

395PS (283kW) @ 7,850rpm

Torque

399Nm (295lb ft) @ 5,750rpm

Transmission

Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Kerb weight

1,145kg

0-62mph

c.6.7 seconds

Top speed

c.180mph

Production dates

1966-1973 (total production, all models)