Lamborghini's 1966 Miura put a V12 behind the seats, was the fastest production car of its day, and spawned the P400S, SV, Jota and a film role that still endures.
The Lamborghini Miura was a sports car built from 1966 to 1973 with a transverse V12 behind the seats. It pioneered the rear mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout that later became standard for performance cars, and it spawned the S, SV and Jota variants.
Built by the Italian maker between 1966 and 1973, the Miura is widely credited with proving that a mid-mounted engine could work in a road car. It pioneered the rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive formula that later became standard in performance cars, and it was the quickest road car on sale when it arrived.
Why did Lamborghini build the Miura?
The Miura was conceived by Lamborghini's engineering team, who worked on it in their spare time against the wishes of the company's founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini. He preferred powerful but relaxed grand touring cars to the race-derived machines built by rival Ferrari.
When the development mule was shown to Ferruccio, he approved its development to continue. Dallara, Stanzani and Wallace had spent 1965 working on the P400 prototype, which they hoped would win on the track and still be driven on the road by enthusiasts.
Lamborghini gave his engineers a free hand, reasoning that a prototype of that kind might be a valuable marketing tool even if it never made a profit. That choice let the company build the car that would come to define its reputation.
A V12 behind the seats, a film opening and a supercar template that the whole industry has followed since.
How was the P400 prototype revealed?
The rolling chassis was displayed at the 1965 Turin Auto Show, and showgoers placed orders for the car even though it had no body. Bertone was given responsibility for styling the prototype, which was completed just before the Geneva show opened in 1966.
The engineers had not yet confirmed that the engine would fit its compartment. To hide the gap, the engine bay carried ballast and the bonnet stayed shut, and Ubaldo Sgarzi, who ran sales, had to refuse reporters eager to see the power unit. It nonetheless stole the Geneva show.
The favourable reaction at Geneva led to production in the following year. The name Miura, taken from a famous Spanish breeder of fighting bulls, was chosen and featured on the company's newly created badge.
Who styled the Miura?
Marcello Gandini's styling of the car immediately boosted his reputation. Its low, sleek body was built around a transverse mid-mounted V12 that the engineers had packaged into a tight space, and the design helped establish a template that later supercars would follow.
Gandini's work also set a pattern that carried forward. The 2005 Lamborghini Concept S brought in Y-shaped lamps that later became a hallmark across later models, and the 2006 Miura concept, the first design drawn by the marque's design head, Walter de'Silva, marked the 40th anniversary of the original car.
How was the V12 arranged?
The engine and transmission shared one casing, and the differential sat inside the same unit, a compromise forced by how tightly the car was packaged. The Morris Mini had inspired the idea of forming the engine and gearbox in one casting.
That shared lubrication continued until the last 96 SV engines, when the case was split so that the correct oil could be used for each element. The change made it easier to fit an optional limited-slip differential, and it reduced concerns about metal shavings from the gearbox reaching the engine.
What did the P400 deliver?
The earliest model was the P400, which took its name from Posteriore 4 litri. It used a 3,929 cc Lamborghini V12 borrowed from the 400GT of the time, mounted transversely and producing 350 PS, equal to 257 kW or 345 hp. A total of 275 P400s were built between 1966 and 1969.
The P400 was expensive at its launch price of US$20,000, yet Lamborghini still sold the full run, which was a considerable success for a new marque. Early cars wore Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tyres, and the body used steel frames and doors with aluminium skins on the front and rear sections.
What did the P400S add?
The P400S, also called the Miura S, was unveiled at the Turin show in November 1968. It gained power windows, bright chrome trim around the windows and headlights, a new overhead console with rocker switches and larger engine intake manifolds.
The engine changes were worth about 20 PS (15 kW; 20 hp), and the car also received notched trunk end panels that allowed slightly more luggage space. Around 338 P400S cars were built between December 1968 and March 1971, and optional air conditioning was available for US$800.
What made the SV the most famous Miura?
The most celebrated version came in 1971 as the P400SV, also called the Miura SV. It had different cam timing and altered Weber carburettors, which lifted output to 385 PS, or 283 kW and 380 hp, at 7,850 rpm, with 400 N m of torque at 5,750 rpm.
The SV could be recognised by the absence of the eyelash trim around its headlamps, and it had wider rear fenders for 9-inch (230 mm) wide rear wheels. Only the final 96 SV engines used a split sump, and 150 SVs were produced in all before the model ended.
What was the Jota?
In 1970 Bob Wallace, a development driver at Lamborghini, built a test mule to satisfy FIA Appendix J rules. The car was named the Miura Jota, and it used lightweight aluminium panels, plastic side windows and fixed, faired-in headlights to shed weight.
The Jota came in roughly 360 kg lighter than a production Miura, and its engine was tuned to 418 to 440 bhp at 8800 rpm. The compression ratio went up to 11.5:1 from 10.4:1. The single car was later sold to a private buyer, and it was destroyed in a crash on the Brescia ring road in April 1971.
How many SV/J cars were built?
The factory itself is known to have built six SV/J cars during the Miura's production run. Chassis #5090 was built new, and five more were converted from SVs that already existed. Each chassis record matters to collectors, which is why the individual histories are so closely studied.
A seventh SV/J came from the factory in the 1983 to 1987 period, converted from a spare Miura S chassis, but most experts do not count it as an official SVJ because it was converted long after production ended. Other owners later upgraded Miuras to SVJ specification in Switzerland, the United States and Japan.
Were there open-top Miuras?
Bertone's Miura Roadster was a show car derived from a P400, debuting at the 1968 Brussels show, and it was later turned into a display vehicle for zinc alloys under the name ZN75. Each open example was a one-off, which made the open cars rare among the Miura family.
In 2006 the car was bought by a New York developer and returned to its original form by a San Diego restorer. It was first shown in restored condition at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and it appeared again at the Amelia Island Concours in 2013.
A P400 SVJ Spider was also displayed at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show, but it was never a factory model. It was built on behalf of a Swiss importer from the formerly yellow Miura S shown at the 1971 Geneva show.
How did the Miura appear in popular culture?
The 1969 film The Italian Job opens with an orange Miura crossing the Alps. The car was destroyed by a bulldozer in the film, but the actual vehicle used in most of the shots survives and was restored by Lamborghini's Polo Storico division in 2019.
Several famous owners and admirers followed. Frank Sinatra owned P400S chassis #4407, Miles Davis crashed his Miura in October 1972 and totalled it, and Eddie Van Halen can be heard revving his Miura on the song Panama.
How did Lamborghini honour the Miura later?
Lamborghini presented a Miura concept at the North American International Auto Show in 2006 to mark the 40th anniversary of the original, but the company's chief executive made clear that a production revival was not planned. The concept's lighting continued a design language that the marque still uses.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the company unveiled the Aventador Miura Homage at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Ad Personam division built only 50 units of the special edition.
What are the Lamborghini Miura specifications?
The table covers the main figures for the three production variants. Metric values come first, and where a figure applies to one model only, the table names that model so the P400, S and SV values stay separate. Values are quoted metric first, with imperial in brackets where both are given.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years built | 1966 to 1973 |
| P400 engine | 3,929 cc V12, 350 PS (257 kW; 345 hp) |
| P400S power | About 20 PS (15 kW; 20 hp) more than the P400 |
| P400SV output | 385 PS (283 kW; 380 hp) at 7,850 rpm |
| P400SV torque | 400 N m (295 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm |
| P400SV rear wheels | 9-inch (230 mm) wide |
| Jota output | 418 to 440 bhp (312 to 328 kW) at 8800 rpm |
| Units built | 275 P400, 338 P400S, 150 SV |
| Launch price | US$20,000 for the P400 |
What else changed on the P400S?
Beyond the engine work, the P400S gained a locking glovebox lid, a reversed position for the cigarette lighter and the wiper switch, and single release handles for the front and rear body sections. Those touches made the car feel more finished for owners who used it every day.
The P400S ran on 215/70VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 tyres at the front and 225/70VR15 at the rear, which gave it a slightly wider stance than the original P400 on the road.
How did the Jota differ from a production Miura?
Bob Wallace widened the Jota's wheels to 9 inches at the front and 12 inches at the rear, and he replaced the single large fuel tank with two smaller tanks mounted at the sills. A front spoiler was added, and the headlights became fixed, faired-in units.
The suspension was reworked and lightweight wheels were fitted, while the engine gained an increased compression ratio, altered cams, electronic ignition and dry-sump lubrication. Together those changes turned a road car into a credible competition machine.
Frequently asked questions
Was the Miura the first mid-engined road car?
Its layout pioneered a class of machines, placing the V12 behind the seats and driving the rear wheels, and that approach later became standard for performance cars.
Did Lamborghini ever bring the Miura back?
Not as a production car. The 2006 concept was shown, but the company said it would not revive the Miura, and the 2016 Aventador Miura Homage was a limited celebration instead.
How many Miuras were built?
Exactly 275 P400s were built, followed by 338 P400S and 150 SV cars, which together make up the core of the production run.
Which Miura is the most valuable?
SV/J chassis #4934 sold for US$490,000 at auction in 1997, and a later SVJ, #4892, reportedly sold for over $1.9M.
Did the Miura have a racing version?
Yes. The Jota was a test mule built in 1970 to meet FIA Appendix J rules, with an engine tuned to 418 to 440 bhp and a body reduced in weight by around 800 lb (360 kg).
Where did the Miura name come from?
It honours a Spanish breeder of fighting bulls, and the name was printed on the company's new badge.
