The last time England won the football World Cup, a small Italian sports car manufacturer had just launched a svelte new model. Measuring 43 inches high, with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive set up, this radical Lamborghini would impact supercar design for decades to come. With bodywork penned by the late Marcello Gandini – then at Bertone – it was designed in a matter of mere months yet is still described as the most beautiful car in the world.
1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
Fewer than 800 Miuras were built between 1966 and 1973 at an initial price (in the UK) of around £8,500, a massive amount of money when the average house cost £3,500. Just 400 are believed to be still in existence and the current auction record is a heady £3.85 million.
Lamborghini Miura
Company founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, initially opposed building the mid-engine road car, saying the design would be too noisy and impractical. Fortunately, his team of rebellious young engineers disagreed, designing the mechanicals for the P400 concept entirely after hours.
After a reveal at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966, it was a further 18 months before the first Miura arrived in Britain. Chassis #3198 proved a crowd-stopper at the Earl’s Court Motor Show in 1967, especially when parked alongside more austere offerings from Triumph, Austin and Rover.
Everything about the Miura was dramatic
Finished in blue over white, that particular Miura certainly caught the eye of travel company boss, Thomas Cook. He didn’t hesitate to open his cheque book, insisting the show car was resprayed a vibrant shade of orangey-red, with a silver lower section. The car returned to the Sant’Agata factory to be refinished, coming back to Cook’s Norfolk home wearing the plate OPW 8F.
Headlight detail of the 1972 model
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Miura is widely regarded as the first true supercar. Before the Miura, sports cars were based on machines that had proved successful on the racetrack. This low-slung two-seater, however, was specifically designed for the road and, with a top speed of 170mph, the fastest production car in the world.
The Miura with the modern day Revuelto in the distance
The Lambo quickly gained celebrity status – Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart and Elton John just some of the stars unable to resist Marcello Gandini’s jaw-dropping design. A Miura also featured in the three-minute opening sequence of the original The Italian Job movie, surging through the Alps with a Matt Munro soundtrack.
The 2026 Lamborghini Revuelto meets the Miura
The 345bhp Miura proved so fast in 1966 that it left the legendary Jaguar E-Type chasing exhaust fumes. To add to the glamour, early models featured the now iconic ‘eyelash’ headlight surrounds. It was the one aesthetic touch sadly dropped on later variants, such as the 1972 SV model I’m driving in Italy to celebrate the 60th.
The 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
The tiny cabin is like a greenhouse without air con, which was a rare and expensive option. The 3.9-litre V12 also had overheating issues, which doesn’t help. Indeed, Lamborghini fitted the car with two engine cooling fans – one operated manually via a switch on the roof when things really warmed up. Monitoring the water temperature gauge is essential.
The interior of the 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
As I quickly discover, both the brakes and steering are woefully inadequate by modern standards, while the clutch action is heavy and there is limited seat adjustment, forcing my thighs to bang against the underside of the steering wheel. Forget a radio, that transverse V12 engine behind me drowns out any whines of discomfort.
The flickering speedometer reading seems a little optimistic too – what a Miura must feel like above 100mph almost beggars belief. The large steering wheel and lack of power steering means the Lamborghini requires true physical effort to navigate around corners, or when parking at low speed.
1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
The Miura’s steel chassis was highly advanced and featured strategic holes that made the framework extra light. However, with an engine mounted behind the driver, Miura handling is entertaining at best. The rear-biased weight means front-end steering feels light, while handling can be further affected as fuel is used up from the front-mounted petrol tank.
1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
Of course, compared to a modern Lamborghini, such as the hybrid Revuelto hypercar, the Miura is old-fashioned, dated and a complete handful to drive. However, if you must ask which is the most desirable, you’re probably missing the point.