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Details
1972 LAMBORGHINI MIURA SV
COACHWORK BY BERTONE
Chassis No. 5012
Engine No. 30708
Rosso Corsa with blue leather interior
Engine: V12, inboard rear, transverse mounted double overhead camshafts, 3,929cc, 385bhp at 7,850rpm; Gearbox: five speed within engine unit; Suspension: independent front and rear double transverse wishbones with coil springs; Brakes: front and rear ventilated disc. Left hand drive.
Named after the famous breed of fighting bull, the Miura was introduced in completed form at the 1966 Geneva Salon and has since been widely regarded as the original 'supercar'. It was certainly the car that caused sleepless nights at Ferrari and got the Maranello firm thinking hard. Imagine, if you will, a sports GT for the street, with a transversely mounted V12 engine capable of 170mph! The Miura was nothing short of an astounding sensation at Geneva that year.
Never one to miss a promotional opportunity, Ferruccio Lamborghini had his chief development engineer Bob Wallace drive the prototype Miura to Monte Carlo over the Grand Prix weekend. Strategically positioned in front of the Casino, crowds quickly gathered around what many now consider to be the most beautiful sports car ever built. With crowds ten persons deep, Ferruccio himself climbed in and fired up the V12. Within minutes, the number of awed onlookers doubled!
Both beautiful and fast, the iconic Miura was the sports car to own in the '60s and '70s. Well-heeled clients waited a year or more for the Sant'Agata factory to complete their often personalized Miuras, in many cases taking delivery at the factory itself. The list included the likes of '60s Formula One driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Briggs Cunningham, the Shah of Iran, Frank Sinatra and Rod Stewart.
It is clear that Ferruccio Lamborghini adored the Miura indeed. Interviewed by the French magazine Automobiles Classiques for its Spring/Summer 1984 issue, he quite simply stated, 'When people ask me nowadays to describe my ideal sports car, I still answer with one word; MIURA... When we launched the Miura, our plan was for (just) 50 cars... I know sports enthusiasts all over the world who would have paid a king's ransom for a racing version... for the rest of my life I'll feel happy when I look at my Miura... I say that nobody has built anything better since. It was the first car of our wildest dreams, a car for absolute fanatics. We refused to make a single technical compromise in the Miura. Mounting the engine transversely in the center was a daring step in itself, one that no one had ever dared to try (for the street in 1966). As for its appearance, you can judge for yourself nineteen years later... when I miss the sound and fury, I take refuge in my garage and turn the key in the ignition of my Miura.'
Ferruccio was probably referring to his beloved red Miura SV, no. 5028, that he drove during his years of retirement from the factory, and that he kept in the family, leaving it to his son Tonino when he passed away in 1992.
474 examples of the Miura's original P400 were thought to have been built before the Miura P400 S was introduced in 1968. The 'S' featured ventilated disc brakes halfway along its production run, which ended after 140 examples had been built. In 1970, Bob Wallace built the one-off Miura Jota in an experimental project sanctioned by Chief Engineer Paolo Stanzani. Some of the technical knowledge gained was employed for the Miura's ultimate version, the Miura P400 SV. The two letters SV (Spinto Veloce, which translated means 'tuned fast') came to symbolize the very best version of Lamborghini's legendary Miura, a car that eventually gained cult status among its dedicated group of enthusiasts. 142 SVs were built by the factory from 1971 to 1973.
The SV was introduced at the Geneva Salon of 1971, and the accompanying factory press release at the time stated that it would be built to special order for VIP clients only. The factory described the Miura's Swan Song as "even more aggressive and more beautiful" in a 100 x 200mm mini-brochure, and heralded the SVs arrival on the sports car scene. The SV now featured a wider rear track, revised suspension geometry, reinforced chassis, a split sump separating gearbox and engine oil (this was employed in the last 96 SVs built and is obviously the much desired version), hotter cam-timing, larger inlet valves and upgraded Weber carburetors making power and torque increases to 385bhp and 289ft-lb respectively. Dry weight was listed at 2840lbs. Cosmetically, the SV received wider 9in Campagnolo rear wheels, wider rear fenders, deletion of the grilled 'eyelashes' around the headlights, new larger 3-section Altissimo taillights and a revised front bumper with parking lamps. The interior appointments were usually leather-lined and air conditioning remained an option. The SV improvements over the P400 and the P400 S led Bob Wallace to describe it as "a different car" by comparison in terms of handling and performance. From a driver's standpoint, those fortunate enough to own a SV soon found out that the new model was not only easier to pilot effectively, but displayed superior acceleration and better handling on the road. 21 SVs were built for US production, with just 11 delivered in 1971 and a further 10 in 1972.
Chassis 5012, a late model, split sump SV was supplied new in March 1972 to agent Hollebecq in Belgium, bearing the Rosso Corsa and blue leather interior trim livery combination it retains today. Optional air conditioning was also fitted. It later passed to Alain Auoizerat, a Frenchman and owner of an SVJ Miura, and in his hands it was registered in France.
In the early 1980s the car was sold to the Middle East and into a noted Miura enthusiast's collection. While in this ownership the car returned to the factory and was subjected to a detailed restoration. Post-restoration the car was sold through Philippe Fournier to Switzerland, where it remained for nearly two decades, later selling to another noted Miura enthusiast before passing into the present hands.
Last year, following a change of ownership the car was sent to DK Engineering in the UK, where it received various preparation works, including overhaul of the starter, radiator, and engine as well as attention to the electric window winders (at a cost approaching $17,000) prior to use on the Tour d'Espagne rally, which it was driven to and back from the UK. Since then the car has been repainted by Graeme Shultz's Lamborghini agency in the U.K.
At some time during the Miura's life the air conditioning machinery was removed, most probably very early on as the systems were generally renowned for causing expensive failures (being run off the flywheel), but the car is otherwise ostensibly to original specification and with the air-con ducting still in place, this could once again be fitted.
Today, the Miura can best be described as a good driving car, with fresh paintwork and tidy original interior. The latter shows modest signs of wear commensurate with its age and reflecting its mileage, which is generally believed to be original at approaching 50,000km from new.
With the average prices of Miuras steadily increasing, opportunities to acquire the definitive model are few and far between, Christie's is delighted to be able to present this example for sale.
COACHWORK BY BERTONE
Chassis No. 5012
Engine No. 30708
Rosso Corsa with blue leather interior
Engine: V12, inboard rear, transverse mounted double overhead camshafts, 3,929cc, 385bhp at 7,850rpm; Gearbox: five speed within engine unit; Suspension: independent front and rear double transverse wishbones with coil springs; Brakes: front and rear ventilated disc. Left hand drive.
Named after the famous breed of fighting bull, the Miura was introduced in completed form at the 1966 Geneva Salon and has since been widely regarded as the original 'supercar'. It was certainly the car that caused sleepless nights at Ferrari and got the Maranello firm thinking hard. Imagine, if you will, a sports GT for the street, with a transversely mounted V12 engine capable of 170mph! The Miura was nothing short of an astounding sensation at Geneva that year.
Never one to miss a promotional opportunity, Ferruccio Lamborghini had his chief development engineer Bob Wallace drive the prototype Miura to Monte Carlo over the Grand Prix weekend. Strategically positioned in front of the Casino, crowds quickly gathered around what many now consider to be the most beautiful sports car ever built. With crowds ten persons deep, Ferruccio himself climbed in and fired up the V12. Within minutes, the number of awed onlookers doubled!
Both beautiful and fast, the iconic Miura was the sports car to own in the '60s and '70s. Well-heeled clients waited a year or more for the Sant'Agata factory to complete their often personalized Miuras, in many cases taking delivery at the factory itself. The list included the likes of '60s Formula One driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Briggs Cunningham, the Shah of Iran, Frank Sinatra and Rod Stewart.
It is clear that Ferruccio Lamborghini adored the Miura indeed. Interviewed by the French magazine Automobiles Classiques for its Spring/Summer 1984 issue, he quite simply stated, 'When people ask me nowadays to describe my ideal sports car, I still answer with one word; MIURA... When we launched the Miura, our plan was for (just) 50 cars... I know sports enthusiasts all over the world who would have paid a king's ransom for a racing version... for the rest of my life I'll feel happy when I look at my Miura... I say that nobody has built anything better since. It was the first car of our wildest dreams, a car for absolute fanatics. We refused to make a single technical compromise in the Miura. Mounting the engine transversely in the center was a daring step in itself, one that no one had ever dared to try (for the street in 1966). As for its appearance, you can judge for yourself nineteen years later... when I miss the sound and fury, I take refuge in my garage and turn the key in the ignition of my Miura.'
Ferruccio was probably referring to his beloved red Miura SV, no. 5028, that he drove during his years of retirement from the factory, and that he kept in the family, leaving it to his son Tonino when he passed away in 1992.
474 examples of the Miura's original P400 were thought to have been built before the Miura P400 S was introduced in 1968. The 'S' featured ventilated disc brakes halfway along its production run, which ended after 140 examples had been built. In 1970, Bob Wallace built the one-off Miura Jota in an experimental project sanctioned by Chief Engineer Paolo Stanzani. Some of the technical knowledge gained was employed for the Miura's ultimate version, the Miura P400 SV. The two letters SV (Spinto Veloce, which translated means 'tuned fast') came to symbolize the very best version of Lamborghini's legendary Miura, a car that eventually gained cult status among its dedicated group of enthusiasts. 142 SVs were built by the factory from 1971 to 1973.
The SV was introduced at the Geneva Salon of 1971, and the accompanying factory press release at the time stated that it would be built to special order for VIP clients only. The factory described the Miura's Swan Song as "even more aggressive and more beautiful" in a 100 x 200mm mini-brochure, and heralded the SVs arrival on the sports car scene. The SV now featured a wider rear track, revised suspension geometry, reinforced chassis, a split sump separating gearbox and engine oil (this was employed in the last 96 SVs built and is obviously the much desired version), hotter cam-timing, larger inlet valves and upgraded Weber carburetors making power and torque increases to 385bhp and 289ft-lb respectively. Dry weight was listed at 2840lbs. Cosmetically, the SV received wider 9in Campagnolo rear wheels, wider rear fenders, deletion of the grilled 'eyelashes' around the headlights, new larger 3-section Altissimo taillights and a revised front bumper with parking lamps. The interior appointments were usually leather-lined and air conditioning remained an option. The SV improvements over the P400 and the P400 S led Bob Wallace to describe it as "a different car" by comparison in terms of handling and performance. From a driver's standpoint, those fortunate enough to own a SV soon found out that the new model was not only easier to pilot effectively, but displayed superior acceleration and better handling on the road. 21 SVs were built for US production, with just 11 delivered in 1971 and a further 10 in 1972.
Chassis 5012, a late model, split sump SV was supplied new in March 1972 to agent Hollebecq in Belgium, bearing the Rosso Corsa and blue leather interior trim livery combination it retains today. Optional air conditioning was also fitted. It later passed to Alain Auoizerat, a Frenchman and owner of an SVJ Miura, and in his hands it was registered in France.
In the early 1980s the car was sold to the Middle East and into a noted Miura enthusiast's collection. While in this ownership the car returned to the factory and was subjected to a detailed restoration. Post-restoration the car was sold through Philippe Fournier to Switzerland, where it remained for nearly two decades, later selling to another noted Miura enthusiast before passing into the present hands.
Last year, following a change of ownership the car was sent to DK Engineering in the UK, where it received various preparation works, including overhaul of the starter, radiator, and engine as well as attention to the electric window winders (at a cost approaching $17,000) prior to use on the Tour d'Espagne rally, which it was driven to and back from the UK. Since then the car has been repainted by Graeme Shultz's Lamborghini agency in the U.K.
At some time during the Miura's life the air conditioning machinery was removed, most probably very early on as the systems were generally renowned for causing expensive failures (being run off the flywheel), but the car is otherwise ostensibly to original specification and with the air-con ducting still in place, this could once again be fitted.
Today, the Miura can best be described as a good driving car, with fresh paintwork and tidy original interior. The latter shows modest signs of wear commensurate with its age and reflecting its mileage, which is generally believed to be original at approaching 50,000km from new.
With the average prices of Miuras steadily increasing, opportunities to acquire the definitive model are few and far between, Christie's is delighted to be able to present this example for sale.
Special notice
From time to time, Christie's may offer a lot which it owns in whole or in part. This is such a lot.