A young company makes a very big statement
Lamborghini was still a young carmaker when engineers Gian Paolo Dallara and Paolo Stanzani, working with test driver Bob Wallace, developed the idea that became the Miura. Their proposal placed a V12 behind the occupants, mounted sideways to keep the package compact. In November 1965, the company displayed the bare chassis at the Turin Motor Show. The machinery attracted attention before the car even had its famous body.
That arrived at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Marcello Gandini’s design for Bertone gave the Miura a low nose, a close-fitting cabin and a rear section that seemed to flow over the engine. Earlier road cars had used mid-engine layouts, but the Miura established a formula that would become central to the modern supercar.
The name came from the Miura family’s celebrated Spanish fighting bulls. Lamborghini’s own history also records a revealing publicity moment: an orange Miura parked outside Monaco’s Hôtel de Paris during the 1966 Grand Prix weekend attracted a crowd that clogged the nearby square. The car knew how to sell itself.
P400, S and SV: three chapters
The original Miura P400 introduced the essential shape, including the black trim around the headlights that became known as its “eyelashes.” The P referred to the engine’s rearward position; 400 pointed to its roughly four-liter capacity.
The P400 S, introduced in 1968, brought more power and refinements that made the car easier to live with. Electric windows and chrome window trim were among the changes, and air conditioning was available. Development continued during production, so individual cars deserve closer examination than a model badge alone can provide.
The P400 SV arrived in 1971 with more power, wider rear bodywork and revised suspension. Most lost the headlight eyelashes. Later SVs also separated the engine and gearbox oil supplies, an important distinction because earlier Miuras shared their lubricant.
The original production era ended in 1973 with fewer than 800 cars built. The SV became the most developed regular-production Miura, while the earlier cars retained the delicate proportions that first made the design famous.
Twelve cylinders, inches behind the seats
All three principal versions used a naturally aspirated, 3,929 cc V12 with four overhead camshafts. Four triple-choke Weber carburetors supplied the mixture, and a five-speed manual transmission sent power to the rear wheels. The engine’s transverse position gave the Miura its compact proportions while creating an unusually intricate mechanical package.
The chassis used fabricated steel construction, with independent suspension and disc brakes at all four wheels. Large front and rear body sections opened to expose the machinery. The rear louvers were functional, helping hot air escape around the engine.
This is a very different experience from a current Lamborghini. The driver works through a manual gearbox, feels the controls directly and sits remarkably close to the mechanical activity. The attraction is the involvement: a Miura makes the act of driving feel like the main event.
Lamborghini Miura specifications
The basic engine capacity stayed the same while Lamborghini developed the breathing, chassis and running gear. The power figures below use metric horsepower, the CV/PS convention found in Lamborghini’s historical specifications.
| Specification | Miura P400 | Miura P400 S | Miura P400 SV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model era | 1966–1969 | 1968–1971 | 1971–1973 |
| Engine | 3,929 cc, 60-degree V12 | 3,929 cc, 60-degree V12 | 3,929 cc, 60-degree V12 |
| Engine position | Transverse, behind cabin | Transverse, behind cabin | Transverse, behind cabin |
| Factory-rated power | 350 CV/PS at 7,000 rpm | 370 CV/PS at 7,700 rpm | 385 CV/PS at 7,850 rpm |
| Approximate mechanical horsepower | 345 hp | 365 hp | 380 hp |
| Fuel system | Four triple-choke Weber carburetors | Four triple-choke Weber carburetors | Four triple-choke Weber carburetors |
| Transmission / drive | Five-speed manual / rear-wheel drive | Five-speed manual / rear-wheel drive | Five-speed manual / rear-wheel drive |
| Suspension / brakes | Independent / four-wheel discs | Independent / four-wheel discs | Independent / ventilated discs |
| Defining development | Original narrow-body design | More power and cabin refinements | Wider rear body, revised suspension |
The SV’s factory literature quoted approximately 290 km/h, or 180 mph. Published speed claims and period test results vary, so brochure figures should be read in their original context. CV/PS and U.S. mechanical horsepower are different units. Sources: Lamborghini and period factory specifications.
The opening that made it a movie star
In The Italian Job (1969), an orange Miura climbs the Great St Bernard Pass road while Matt Monro sings “On Days Like These.” Rossano Brazzi’s character, Beckerman, is at the wheel. Lamborghini employee Enzo Moruzzi handled the driving-double work.
The roadworthy car survived. Paramount used a different Miura, already damaged, for the wreck sequence. In May 2019, Lamborghini Polo Storico confirmed that chassis 3586 was the intact car used in the opening scenes, resolving decades of uncertainty about its identity.
One clue was inside the cabin. Its white seats were temporarily replaced with black ones to protect the upholstery, but the separately mounted white headrests remained. That apparent mismatch became part of the evidence connecting the surviving car with the film.
The sequence lasts only a few minutes, yet it captures the Miura’s appeal: an Italian road, an exceptional car and the sense that the driver has somewhere worth going.
Other films featuring a Miura
The Miura also appeared in European cinema, where it could announce a character’s wealth before a word of dialogue. Lamborghini’s film archive identifies these appearances:
- Sissignore (1968): a Miura appears in a coastal-road racing sequence involving the lawyer played by Gastone Moschin.
- Il commissario Pepe (1969): a red Miura is associated with a character played by Virgilio Scapin.
- L’Homme orchestre (1970): a yellow Miura appears on mountain roads in the film starring Louis de Funès.
- L’Invasione (1970): another documented appearance, in the film featuring Michel Piccoli, Lisa Gastoni and Mariangela Melato.
- La prima notte di quiete (1972): a red Miura appears in the drama starring Alain Delon, also known as Indian Summer.
A second career on television
The Miura’s screen life continued long after production ended. A 1969 P400 S, chassis 4248, appeared with Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock in Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Gooding Christie’s documented that television connection when the car sold for $2.59 million in March 2026.
Jay Kay’s former Miura SV also appeared on Top Gear; RM Sotheby’s records him driving the car in a 2004 episode. These appearances introduce the car to viewers who were born decades after its launch.
The distinction is useful when tracing a famous Miura: an actor appearing in a car, a presenter borrowing one and a musician owning one are different stories. A documented chassis history makes the connection meaningful.
Famous people who owned and drove Miuras
The Miura attracted musicians, actors and serious car enthusiasts. These connections are supported by factory accounts, auction provenance or an owner’s own description.
Frank Sinatra
Sinatra’s P400 S, chassis 4407, was finished in metallic orange with wild-boar leather and orange shag carpeting. Christie’s records its dispatch on December 12, 1969, his 54th birthday. Catalogued as a 1970 car, it was a particularly personal interpretation of Italian luxury. The Sinatra car’s history.
Rod Stewart
Stewart’s 1971 Miura S, chassis 4863, was originally white and right-hand drive. The car was later modified toward SV specification and repainted blue. Lamborghini Polo Storico eventually returned the car, nicknamed “Maggie May,” to its original S configuration. Lamborghini’s restoration account.
Little Tony
Italian singer Antonio Ciacci, known as Little Tony, bought three Miuras. His P400 S chassis 4797 was delivered in March 1971 in Azzurro Mexico blue with a black interior. Its later restoration, supported by Lamborghini Polo Storico, preserved a vivid connection between Italian music and automotive style. Lamborghini’s Little Tony history.
Jay Kay
The Jamiroquai singer owned Miura SV chassis 4972, catalogued as a 1972 car. His connection went beyond displaying it in a collection: the auction history records him driving it on Top Gear in 2004. The documented ownership record.
Jean Todt
The former Ferrari team principal owned a red 1972 Miura SV restored by Lamborghini Polo Storico and presented at Rétromobile in 2019. Its Rosso Corsa paint, gold lower trim and black interior demonstrate how much a period color combination contributes to the car’s presence. Lamborghini’s handover announcement.
The Shah of Iran and Nicolas Cage
One of the more unusual ownership chains connects the Shah of Iran with actor Nicolas Cage. Sotheby’s records that Cage acquired the ex-Shah Miura SVJ at auction in 1997. It belongs to the rare Jota-inspired branch of the family. Sotheby’s account.
Jay Leno and the Dean Martin connection
Leno’s own program describes his 1967 Miura P400 as a car originally bought for Dean Martin’s son. It later reached Leno with a seized engine. The story is as much about his enthusiasm for bringing machinery back to life as it is about celebrity ownership. Jay Leno tells the story.
Factory colors: much more than orange
Orange may be the Miura’s most cinematic color, but the factory offered a much broader palette. Lamborghini’s historical color list includes bright solids, restrained blues and metallic finishes that change the character of the bodywork. Among the documented names are:
Swatches illustrate color families and are not paint-match references. This is a representative historical palette; a particular car’s original paint and trim should be established from its factory records.
Lamborghini’s 60th-anniversary retrospective and historical color list
That distinction matters because many Miuras changed colors during their lives. A fashionable repaint can look convincing while obscuring the combination selected by the first owner. An original specification such as yellow over blue, or brown with gold lower bodywork, can be a large part of an individual car’s appeal.
What does a Lamborghini Miura cost?
Market snapshot: October 2026. A Miura was already expensive when new: Car and Driver listed a $19,250 price for its 1967 example. Today, significant cars occupy several-million-dollar territory. Originality, restoration quality, specification and documented history explain much of the spread.
| Version | Range within these examples | Documented transactions |
|---|---|---|
| Miura P400 | $1.77–$3.03 million | A restored 1968 P400 sold for $1,765,000 at Gooding Christie’s in August 2025. An exceptionally early 1967 car brought $3,030,000 at RM Sotheby’s in August 2026. |
| Miura P400 S | $1.88–$4.08 million | A 1969 S sold for $1,875,000 at RM Sotheby’s in February 2026. An exceptionally restored, low-mileage 1968 S achieved $4,075,000 at Broad Arrow’s Quail auction in August 2026. |
| Miura P400 SV | $4.46–$6.61 million | A 1971 SV reached $4,460,000 at Broad Arrow’s Amelia auction in 2025. A highly original 1972 SV sold for $6,605,000 at Amelia in March 2026. |
The ranges summarize the selected transactions shown here. They are not an appraisal of every example: condition, provenance and originality can move an individual car outside them. The figures are published auction sale totals, including buyer’s premium. Applicable taxes and transport are additional.
The highest result does not automatically reset the value of every Miura in a garage. An unusually original SV, an early P400 with special construction details and a thoroughly restored S are different propositions. Buyers also pay attention to matching major components, the quality of restoration work and whether the history survives on paper.
The Roadster’s unlikely second life
Bertone unveiled the unique Miura Roadster at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. Chassis 3498 was a proper design exercise, with altered bodywork and an open cockpit. A regular production convertible never followed.
Then the story took an unexpected turn. The International Lead Zinc Research Organization acquired it in 1969 and turned it into a rolling demonstration of zinc applications, renamed Zn 75. The car was eventually restored to its original light metallic blue exterior, white interior and red carpeting.
It is one of the few supercars whose biography includes both a glamorous motor-show debut and a career promoting industrial materials.
Jota: the Miura that went further
Bob Wallace’s experimental Jota explored how far the Miura idea could be pushed toward competition. Developed around 1970, its name referred to the FIA’s Appendix J regulations. The original was later destroyed in an accident, which helped turn an already unusual car into a legend.
A handful of factory SVJs subsequently answered customer demand for cars inspired by the Jota. Their identity matters: an original factory SVJ, a later conversion and a replica are separate things, even when the bodywork looks similar.
The standard Miura had already made a powerful impression as a road car. The Jota and its descendants added another layer of intrigue, giving collectors a small group of cars whose individual histories can be as important as their mechanical specifications.
Owning the history
A Miura’s purchase price is only one part of the commitment. Specialist mechanical care, suitable storage and a complete service record belong in the ownership budget. An immaculate finish does not establish the condition of the carburetors, cooling system, electrical equipment or driveline.
Restoration records are particularly valuable. They can explain what was repaired, which major components remain original and why a car now wears a particular color. For an SV, the lubrication arrangement deserves individual verification rather than an assumption based on its badge.
A prospective buyer benefits from a marque specialist who knows these cars, together with a careful review of factory and ownership documents. The right example is a complete story: the body, the machinery and the paperwork agree.
An example of documented restoration and maintenance history