1968 LAMBORGHINI MIURA P400 S

Highlights

One of only 36 P400 Ss originally finished in the dazzling shade of Verde Miura

Fresh from a full interior retrim, returned to its original Senape leather and cloth, undertaken at a cost of over £20,000

The first Miura LP400 S delivered to Turin, the home of the history-steeped coachbuilder Bertone

Captured new at the Turin Aero Club in a series of stunning period photographs

Accompanied by a copy of its Estratto Cronologico, documenting its Italian ownership history

Fresh from a mechanical service and in exceptional running order – among the finest-driving Lamborghini Miuras we’ve encountered

Road registered in the United Kingdom

The Lamborghini Miura

It takes but a tickle on the firmly sprung throttle pedal for the initial awkwardness of the driving position and any accompanying anxiety to subside. The throttle bodies and insatiably thirsty carburettors of the 3.9-litre V12 are, quite literally, inches from your ear canals.

And as you press the throttle towards its stop, gazing as the needles on the two large dials directly ahead rise towards their 8,000rpm redline, corresponding with instant response, the powerful aural symphony edges towards its crescendo. A gloriously hard cacophony floods the small yet airy cabin and the Miura surges forward with unrelenting urgency and speed. The Miura is a scarcely believable 225kg lighter than a Ferrari 330 GTS. And it tells.

Driving a Miura is a life-affirming experience. All the while you’re acutely aware of how outrageously virile and desperately beautiful it is to look at – the fact you’re driving a waist-height spaceship that’s about as conspicuous a car as it’s possible to find.

But from behind the wheel and at normal road speed, it’s far friendlier and more relaxing than you’d imagine. You sit slightly higher than you’d expect, which offers a great view out ahead over the low, short nose. While requiring decisive inputs, the pedals and gearchange feel positive and modern by late-1960s standards. The ride is firm enough to inspire confidence yet supple enough for long journeys. And it doesn’t feel worryingly wide on all but the narrowest of country lanes.

The legacy of the Miura is difficult to downplay. Famously held as the first ‘supercar’, it truly broke the mould, which is of little surprise given the heavy-hitting roll-call of engineers who designed it behind Ferruccio Lamborghini’s back: Dallara, Stanzani, Wallace, Gandini, etcetera.

The P400 S

Distinguishable from the original P400 most obviously by the chrome glass and headlamp surrounds, the Miura P400 S (S for Spinto, or ‘tuned’ in English) was introduced in 1968 and brought in a raft of small mechanical and aesthetic upgrades. Take the new Koni shock absorbers, the electric windows and the (optional) factory air-conditioning system, for example.

Our favourite feature on the P400 S, however? It’s got to be the new full-length overhead bank of switches – fighter-jet style. Lamborghini style! Santa’Agata built just 338 Miura LP400 Ss and today they’re considered the sweet spot between the original LP400 and the more hardcore SV model which followed.

Chassis number 3799

The Miura S we’re offering was issued with its Certificate of Origin on 15 November 1968 and was one of a mere 46 examples delivered to the Torinese concessionaire Lamborauto, situated a stone’s throw from the Bertone plant, where the Lamborghinis’ sculptural bodies were designed.

The fifth of 338 Miura Ss built, chassis number 3799 was originally finished in the striking colour combination of Verde Miura over a Senape (that’s mustard in the Queen’s) faux leather and cloth interior. A man by the name of Piero Quadro acquired the car on 2 January 1968, paying the princely sum of 7.7m Italian lire for the pleasure. We can think of worse ways to quash the January blues than with a brand new Lamborghini!

There are some fabulous photos of this Miura at the Turin Aero Club captured shortly after it was delivered. Presumably Quadro was a keen pilot and wanted to exhibit his new land-based pride and joy alongside his Cessna.

Chassis 3799 remained in Italy for seven years, before it was acquired by Rosmarie Rosser in Schoenbuehl and re-registered in Switzerland. Almost a decade later, in 1984, this Lamborghini was registered in France.

This Miura would arrive at its final destination thus far, the United Kingdom, in 2001, when it was bought by one of the most influential industrial designers of his generation. Said designer entrusted GTC Engineering in Buckingham with a comprehensive restoration. At this point, the interior was retrimmed in blue and the car was registered in the UK with the number ‘XBY 375F’ (which it retains to this day).

It’s important to note that chassis number 3799 is currently fitted with a period-correct Miura engine which can be traced to a late-production P400, which left Sant’Agata just a few months before this car.

Chassis 3799 remained with its first UK-based custodian for 17 years, during which time it was treasured and enjoyed as part of a collection of truly distinguished taste. In 2018, the Lamborghini changed hands, the new UK owner having the car featured in a dedicated feature in Petrolicious – then a publication of dizzying popularity. You can click here to read the story.

This Miura was acquired by its penultimate owner in 2021 and promptly sent to a specialist near London for a thorough inspection and a number of remedial tasks including the fitment of 12 new spark plugs, cleaning of the rotor arms and posts, balancing of the carburettors and adjustment of the mixtures. More recently, in early 2023, a further mechanical inspection was conducted by the same specialist, at which point the engine oil was replaced and protective cavity wax was applied to the concealed areas of the Miura’s underside.

Here at Girardo & Co. we had the pleasure of offering this Miura for the first time in 2023, when we were able to find the car a fantastic new home in the Middle East. It’s important to note that the car was only temporarily imported to Saudi Arabia and retains its full UK road registration. Satisfyingly, the collector who acquired chassis number 3799 took the decision to have the interior retrimmed in its original factory-specification Senape leather and cloth – a transformation that has given back this Miura so much of its period charm. Squint in the right hazy sunshine here at Belchers Farm and you really could be looking at the car in situ at the Turin Aero Club back in 1972.

Suffice to say, from a mechanical point of view, this Miura is in rude health, having had £6,000 spent on it for remedial works in January of this year. Both Max Girardo and Marcus Willis commented about how well-sorted chassis 3799 feels from behind the wheel – both specialists with plenty of Miura experience under their belts. It’s a car which has benefitted from regular use and careful maintenance. And it’s a car whose next owner should not hesitate to use and enjoy – as Ferruccio Lamborghini intended when he set out to build a more refined and useable car than his foe Enzo Ferrari in Maranello.

Price Upon Application