Beschreibung:

1971 LAMBORGHINI P400 S MIURA GT BERLINETTA Chassis No. 4824 Red with gold SV trim and blue cloth and vinyl interior Engine: V-12, transverse rear-mounted four overhead-camshaft with four valves per cylinder, six twin-choke Weber carburetors, 3929cc., 350/400bhp at 7000rpm; Gearbox: five speed manual with synchromesh; Suspension: independent front and rear by double wishbones with vertical coil springs, roll-bars front and rear; Brakes: four wheel disc. Left-hand drive. When it appeared as a prototype late in 1965, Lamborghini's P400 Miura coupe was the first 12-cylindered production mid-engined sports car. It redefined both specification and form in the ultimate high-performance road car and was a major sensation at that year's Turin Auto Show. The fabulous 350bhp four-camshaft V-12 powerplant was installed transversely immediately behind the two occupants in a rigid sheet chassis and was matched by racing-style suspension. It was murmured that there was a 180mph maximum. Clad by one of the most elegantly aggressive Berlinetta bodies ever to emerge from the workshops of the brilliant Nuccio Bertone, the Miura brought contemporary Formula One design to the autostrada. For Taurean Ferruccio Lamborghini, self-made tractor tycoon turned exotic car maker, the Miura, named for a famous strain of fighting bulls, was the culmination of his determination to drive his company forward until it became Italy's most famous high performance automobile manufacturer. Lamborghini created other fabulous supercars, most notably the Countach coupe, but the Miura first confidently announced the arrival of this important new force. At the heart of the car was the immensely strong V-12 powerplant, already seen in the earlier front engined Lamborghini 350 and 400 GT models, created by the young Gianpaolo Dallara who had trained as an aeronautical engineer. With its twin overhead camshafts to each bank of cylinders, it was clearly intended to out-do Ferrari. It proved to be a long-lasting and reliable unit. To enable the engine's formidable output to be unleashed with confidence, there was a worthy semi-unitary chassis to provide a secure base for the twin wishbone full independent suspension to operate as intended. Road-testers were impressed by its cornering power and huge disc brakes. It has long been argued whether the Miura was designed by Carrozzeria Bertone's Gandini or the rising young star Giugiaro, but there can be no doubt that the body was at once aerodynamic and sensationally original. The 'eyelashed' headlights which retract to point skyward and the ease with which the passenger might observe the engine at work just behind his shoulders by looking through a vertical rear window were just two of the Miura's notable details. Never a man to resist a publicity opportunity, Lamborghini permitted a development engineer to take an early specimen to Monaco during the 1966 Grand Prix weekend. Parked alongside other automotive exotica outside the Casino on the night before the race, the Miura upstaged all of them. It went into production during the following year; only 500 were built before it was superseded by the Miura S and SV variants. Although early reports confidently spoke of 180-plus available with early factory cars (the speedometer was calibrated to 200mph), in production form the P400 Miura's maximum was realistically no more than 170mph. Despite its exotic appearance, the coupe was quite a practical car. Front and rear sections pivot upwards to lay bare the mechanism. The transverse engine installation leaves space for a useful luggage locker at the very rear. This Miura is one of the very last chassis numbers before the SV series cars and is finished in SV color livery. It has been part of an east coast collection for the last ten years, seeing only occasional use. A recent service was completed and the vendor reports that the Miura runs with its characteristic fury and spectacular roar.