But it all started much earlier. In the early sixties, the owner of several tractor factories, Ferruccio Lamborghini, made a justified claim to Enzo Ferrari himself regarding the operation of the clutch on one of his cars, namely the Ferrari 250GT. The commandant with all sorts of upstarts didn’t really like to stand on ceremony and advised Señor Lamborghini to continue to deal with tractors and not to go into trouble with the creator of the fastest cars at that time. “Challenge accepted,” Ferruccio scratched his head and in 1963 founded Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., within whose walls he planned to embody his vision of what a dream car should be.
New concept
Lamborghini himself had a very cool attitude towards motorsport, and, as a result, he had little interest in racing technology. The company's first model, the 350GT, and its subsequent incarnation, the 400GT, were the benchmark representatives of the Gran Turismo class. But in November 1964, he was shown an original supporting structure welded from lightweight profiles. Work on this project was carried out in secret from Ferruccio by engineers Gianpaolo Dallara and Paolo Mtanzani with the active support of Lamborghini's full-time test driver Bob Wallace. The presentation turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the head of the company, he quickly revised his beliefs, and already in 1965, at the Turin Motor Show, the chassis of a promising supercar was put on public display.
Supercar chassis at the Turin Motor Show
It is important to note that, despite the fact that the prototype with the P400 index actually became the first mid-engined sports car created for public roads, such a scheme was by no means new to motorsport. The Porsche 550 Spyder, Ford GT40 and De Tomaso Vallelunga saw the light before the P400, but if the 550 Spyder and GT40 were created primarily for racing, then the Vallelunga with a small four-cylinder engine generally had little to do with speed. Therefore, after the exhibition in Turin, most experts agreed that the presented "skeleton" is a harbinger of a racing car. The chassis was a steel monocoque, to which two subframes were attached front and rear, and the engine, designed by the famous engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, had a lubrication system common with the gearbox and was mounted transversely in front of the rear axle for better weight distribution and space saving.
Lamborghini Miura P400 Prototipo "1966
Success and more success
Named after Spanish farmer Eduardo Miura, famous for the magnificent bulls he bred for bullfighting, the Miura made a splash at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. Twenty-five-year-old Bertone designer Marcello Gandini created an incredibly attractive, charismatic and impetuous silhouette. The smooth contours of the squat body look as complete and concise as possible, perfectly conveying at the same time the carnivorous character of the car, in which the truly Italian approach to creating supercars is perfectly readable. Why are there only headlights framed by functional and stylish “cilia” - air ducts, which in the off position were in the same plane with the hood. Never mind that they were actually borrowed from the budget Fiat 850 Spider – here they look simply stunning.
1966-69 Bertone Lamborghini Miura P400 Cutaway-2
Thanks to the high-speed overhead V12 with 350 hp. and weighing 1270 kg, Miura immediately became the fastest production car of its time. And if today it is difficult to surprise anyone with a ceiling of 270 km / h and a high six seconds to the first hundred, then in the mid-sixties these figures made the most eminent masters of the automotive industry bite the elbows, including Enzo Ferrari himself, who, being a wayward character, to the last refused to acknowledge that the future of the road sports car segment lay with the mid-engined layout. By the way, the Lamborghini Miura power plant developed 50 “horses” more than the flagship model of the office from Maranello, the Ferrari 275GTB.
1 / 2
2 / 2
A notable feature of the 350-horsepower Bizzarrini engine was that after stopping the car and reducing the speed to idle, the fuel pump continued to add gasoline to four Weber carburetors for some time. Thus, having trampled the right pedal to the floor, the driver was always confident in the lightning-fast response of the engine and, as a result, in confident acceleration from a standstill without any delay.
After the premiere, the first design flaws surfaced. Not only did the engine noise at high speeds make conversation between driver and passenger completely impossible, but the air in the cabin was so hot that a long trip to Miura immediately fell into the category of below-average entertainment. The pedals, including the throttle, were excessively tight, and in order to turn the lever of the five-speed gearbox, considerable effort was required - the removal of controls from the transversely located engine affected. Agree, dubious competitive advantages, given that the new Miura cost as much as four Jaguar E-types.
Lamborghini Miura P400 1966–1969
But do not forget that the ability to drown on the autobahn at a speed of 300 km / h in a chair with a massage to your favorite soundtrack, which pours from two dozen speakers scattered around an expensive cabin, appeared to wealthy thrill-seekers several decades later. And we are talking about the mid-sixties, when The Beatles were at the peak of their fame, gas cost a penny, and bell-bottoms and LSD were all the rage. At that time, adrenaline addicts with thick wallets were quite ready to sacrifice noise isolation, ergonomics and comfort for the sake of speed. The hitherto unheard of dynamic performance fully justified all the design flaws of the fresh Lamborghini and all sorts of hardships that befell the driver, so the portfolio of orders was filled pretty quickly. In the first year, 108 supercars found their owners, and a total of 275 copies of the P400 series were produced from 1966 to 1969.
Development of the model…
1 / 3
2 / 3
3 / 3
Lamborghini Miura P400 S "1969–71. Please note - the speedometer is marked from 40 km / h
In 1968, at the auto show in Turin, the public was presented with the first work on the bugs - the P400 S. The engine, chassis and exterior of the model underwent revisions. So, for example, a modified design of the block heads, new camshafts and an improved intake manifold with a higher capacity gave an increase of 20 hp. at 7700 rpm. The rear suspension has undergone minor modifications, which had a positive effect on the stability of the car at high speeds. For an additional eight hundred dollars, the customer could order power windows and air conditioning, which, in the context of the twelve-cylinder heater located directly behind the driver and passenger, was by no means a useless option. One way or another, even after eliminating many of the shortcomings, the language does not turn around to call Miura S comfortable in the usual sense of the word. Since the graceful roofline began a smooth slope directly from the upper edge of the windshield, there was practically no headroom. Tall riders instinctively moved the seat forward, but it was immediately difficult to place the legs. The problem with engine noise also remained unresolved, but many fans of the brand believed that this was the whole raisin.
1 / 5
2 / 5
3 / 5
4 / 5
5 / 5
Lamborghini Miura P400 SV "1971–72
The latest, most popular and technically most advanced generation was the P400 SV. The car was outwardly different from its predecessors with more bulging rear fenders, an oversized front grille and the absence of touching branded "cilia" around the headlights. The mechanical part has undergone many changes again: the engine received larger intake valves (although this fact is reflected only in the owner's manual and, in fact, is a typo), new camshafts and improved carburetors, which added fifteen more heads to the herd under the hood. And due to the modernization of the front and rear parts of the supporting structure, its rigidity has increased, which has a positive effect on the already excellent handling.
... and its sunset
The economic crisis that broke out in Italy in the early seventies did not have the best effect on the production of supercars and the business of Ferruccio Lamborghini as a whole. He had to sell his third largest tractor plant in the Apennine Peninsula, followed by a 51 percent stake in the automotive industry. The new owner of the company, Swiss businessman George-Henry Rosetti, soon put an end to the Lamborghini Miura SV. The last black P400 SV with white leather interior left the assembly shop on January 15, 1973. In just eight years, 764 cars saw the light.
In addition to the standard Miura, several modifications were released that never went into production, including the ultimate P400 Jota racing shell, created under the strict guidance of Bob Wallace, as well as the concept Miura Roadster and Miura P400 SVJ Spider, built in a single copy. And this is a whole separate topic for conversation, to which we will definitely return someday.
Lamborghini Miura Roadster "1968, Lamborghini Miura P400 Jota" 1970 and Lamborghini Miura SVJ Spider (4808) "1981, released in a single copy
Morality? She won't be
Today, mid-engined supercars are something absolutely logical, understandable and familiar. All over the world, the largest automakers and small firms, producing several dozen cars a year, adhere to just such a scheme, which for half a century has proven itself to be the most optimal from a technological point of view. With this historical essay, I just wanted to remind you of where dozens of today's fastest road cars on the planet originate, which will never cease to disturb the hearts of all those for whom a car is not a means of transportation or even a luxury, but something more.
Ferruccio Lamborghini and Miura
At the 1965 Turin Motor Show, Lamborghini introduced several new products, but the chassis of a mid-engined car with a transversely mounted 4-liter V-12 engine aroused the greatest interest. The frame was welded, made of sheet steel and perforated in many places to facilitate construction. It was the result of the joint work of several masters on the concept of a sports car with an engine in the base. 10 orders were immediately received for a still unreleased car with an unknown body. Several layouts of the future car were presented, but preference was given to the Bertone variant, which later became the Lamborghini Miura P400.
The brilliant debut of a production car took place at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966. The appearance of this model, named Miura in honor of the breed of fighting bulls, produced the effect of an exploding bomb on the cabin. She immediately became a sensation. At that time, no one knew about the existence of mid-engined cars. In terms of design and performance, Miura was ahead of all existing cars for many years. The main blow came to Ferrari, which at that time did not have a production car with a V12 in the base. The full official name of the model was Miura P400, (P for rear engine, 4 for engine size). It was with Miura that the procession of the Lamborghini brand around the world as an elite car manufacturer began. This is the first model that has been awarded the proud title of "supercar". For that time, Miura was a unique car. Just looking at her was breathtaking.
The design idea belongs to Marcello Gandini, who worked at Bertone at the time. The car is squat - its height is only 1055 mm. To get into the car, you need to press the lock button, which is hidden in the ventilation slots located at the top of the door. The exterior of the Miura was distinguished by expressive headlights framed by black contrasting "eyelashes".
The model was equipped with a four-liter light-alloy 12-cylinder engine located behind the driver across the car on a special frame. The creator of the engine is Giotto Bisarini. He was the oldest of the entire Miura development team. The model weighing 980 kg accelerated to “hundreds” in 5.7 seconds, and the maximum speed reached 273 km/h. The presence of sharp steering and disc brakes gave a feeling of confidence behind the wheel.
A year after the debut of the coupe, the Miura Roadster was shown in Brussels. The Italians did a lot of work on the aerodynamics of this open version - due to some changes in the body, the maximum speed exceeded 300 km / h. Miura Roadster is also known as Spider or Spyder, but these names were not official. Subsequently, the car was updated, resulting in the appearance of the Lamborghini Miura with the Zn75 index. It was shown at all significant automobile exhibitions, and then sold at auction. In the early 80s, she ended up in the Boston Museum of Transportation. In a word, things did not go beyond the prototype.
In 1969, the Lamborghini Miura was modernized. The car received the S (Spinto) index in the title and an additional 20 hp. to engine power. Updates included redesigned suspension, new Pirelli Cinturato tires, ventilated brake discs and power windows. However, the most serious difference from the first models was the use of heavy calibrated steel for the body. According to records kept in the company's archives, the thickness of the metal on the first 125 machines was 0.9 mm, and on all subsequent machines it was 1 mm. Innovations also touched the interior. The glove compartment got a lock, and the wooden steering wheel was replaced with a leather-covered one. The central dashboard has also been modified. Outwardly, Miura S was practically no different from its progenitor.
Having released only 140 cars of the Miura S version, at the 1971 Geneva Salon, Lamborghini introduced its replacement Miura SV (Sport Veloce). Under the hood is an improved 12-cylinder V-shaped engine with a volume of 3929 cm3 with larger valves and upgraded carburetors. Engine power increased by 15 horsepower compared to the previous model and reached 385 hp. at 7850 rpm. The increase in power led to an increase in fuel consumption, so the installation of a fuel tank with an increased capacity (110 liters) was optionally proposed. The gearbox now had its own lubrication system independent of the engine, which made it possible to use special grades of oils in the transmission. Externally, the Miura SV differed from its predecessors by the absence of "eyelashes" around the headlights and wider fenders that accommodated new 9-inch wide wheels with Pirelli Cinturato tires. The speed of the car reached 288 kilometers per hour, and the acceleration time to 100 km/h was 5.5 seconds. In total, Lamborghini produced 150 Miura SVs, including one owned by Frank Sinatra.
This modification became the fastest Lamborghini of that time, but its release, like all Miuras, was discontinued in 1972, to free up forces and funds for fine-tuning the successor to the Countach model. Within six years, about 800 units were sold, which is a very high figure for cars of this class.
Miura has been bought by many celebrities and young rich rakes. The car is still considered one of the best ever created by Lamborghini.
When Miura was discontinued, everyone was talking about the revival of the model, but the question was when. And now, after 40 years, the long-awaited premiere of the conceptual prototype of the new supercoupe, which received the name Lamborghini Miura, took place. The car was designed by Walter De'Silva. The project embodies the motifs of a retro car, wrapped in the modern features of the brand. Despite the fact that the concept car is like a modern version of the first Lamborghini Miura, its appearance in many ways resembles its progenitor. There are the same smooth body lines, round headlights and characteristic air intakes behind the side doors as on the old model. The rear-mounted spoiler automatically changes the angle of inclination depending on the speed, providing high stability at any speed.
Under the hood of the concept presented in Detroit was a 6.2 liter Murcielago engine, with an increased volume to 6.5 liters with a capacity of 700 hp. The twin-turbo and seven-speed sequential DSG transmission are borrowed from the Bugatti Veyron 16.4.
The production Miura is expected to get all-wheel drive, ceramic disc brakes, magnesium alloy wheels and carbon body panels. Estimated acceleration to hundreds will be 3.3 seconds, and the maximum speed will reach 360 km / h.
The Lamborghini Miura has been called the car of the future for a reason. Almost three hundred horsepower, a low streamlined body, stunning dynamics, a rich list of equipment... Quite modern sports cars fall under this description today, and the Miura sports car, the characteristics of which are given above, was released in 1966.
In the late 50s of the last century, when the Ferrari brand was already thundering all over the world, the little-known Lamborghini company specialized in the manufacture of agricultural machinery. Tractors and harvesters with the emblem of a bull rushing into battle helped the workers of the village throughout Western Europe in their difficult mission. Therefore, it is not surprising that the founder and owner of the company Ferruccio Lamborghini, quite pleased with the course of affairs, was not going to change anything in his business. But three engineers worked in his company - Gianpaolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani and Bob Wallos, who forced the entrepreneur to reconsider his point of view. They, like their boss, were not indifferent to speed, however, knowing the position of the owner of the company on the issue of creating sports cars, they were not going to argue with him. It’s just that in 1963, secretly from Ferruccio Lamborghini, they independently engaged in the development of a sports car and came to the owner for a blessing already with a finished project. Seeing what had been done, Mr. Lamborghini gave the go-ahead for further fine-tuning of the project with the subsequent production of the car at his factory.
The sports car concept, equipped with a 12-cylinder engine, was presented in 1965 at the Turin Motor Show under the name Lamborghini 350 GTV. For another year, engineers were engaged in improving the car, and in 1966, at the Geneva Motor Show, the premiere of the ready-made Lamborghini Miura P400 took place, which received its name in honor of the famous bull breeder in Italy, Don Eduardo Miura.
The production car of 1966 was equipped with a 350 horsepower engine with a working volume of 3.9 liters, which accelerated the sports car to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.7 seconds, and the maximum speed of the Lamborghini Miura exceeded 270 kilometers per hour. The secret of the stunning dynamic performance was the lightness of the car - its body was completely made of aluminum. The supercar turned out to be very successful, and from 1966 to 1969 275 cars were sold at a very high price for that time of $ 20,000.
In 1969, the legendary car underwent modernization and received the updated name Lamborghini Miura P400S. The sports car has become more powerful by 20 horsepower and faster by ten kilometers per hour. The main changes affected the interior of the car. Manufacturers added a luxurious audio system, a choice of leather upholstery colors, power windows and climate control. This version of the legendary supercar turned out to be even more successful than the previous one - from 1969 to 1971, 338 cars of this modification were produced.
The latest and most famous version - Lamborghini Miura P400SV - appeared in 1971. And although the appearance and interior have practically remained the same, a lot has changed under the hood.
The engine power was increased to 385 horsepower, which allowed the car to accelerate at a speed of over 300 kilometers per hour. In total, 150 Miura P400SV cars were produced, since in early 1973 Lamborghini management decided to curtail the production of a successful model in favor of the new Countach, which, alas, did not repeat the success of Miura.
At the moment, most of the 763 Lamborghini Miura cars produced have been preserved. Today, the price of any version of the Lamborghini Miura is at least 400,000 euros.
The proposed short review of the Lamborghini Miura will be preceded by a brief historical introduction. The world-famous Italian company has been counting its history since 1963, when Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to create his own automobile production. At that time, he already had several companies. The main profile is tractor construction, as well as the production of combines. How did a manufacturer of heavy agricultural equipment end up as the founder of one of the most prestigious brands of expensive sports cars?
The history of the company
According to legend, a conflict with the maestro himself prompted him to create his own automobile production. Being a successful businessman, Ferruccio owned several expensive sports cars, including a Ferrari 250 GT. Having once come to Enzo with a proposal to improve the quality of the clutch, he received a turn from the gate with wishes to continue to engage in combine harvesters, and not climb where he does not understand anything. So, from an almost childish resentment, a company producing world-famous sports cars, supercars and hypercars appeared.
Gran Turismo
The owner of a start-up automaker gravitated toward the GT class. For those who are not very familiar with the term, I will explain in a nutshell. Gran Turismo is a class of sports cars designed for long-distance travel. So, in fact, this phrase is translated from Italian. It has long roots, from the time of traveling around Europe in carriages. But this has nothing to do with the essence. Now the abbreviation also means a racing class in sports car competitions, but this is again a slight digression from the topic.
Be that as it may, the history of the creation of Lamborghini Miura is preceded by two interesting models with markings 350 GT and 400 GT, respectively. Which clearly indicates the initial preferences of the owner of the company. Meanwhile, three of his employees clearly wanted to get a really high-speed horse. They secretly worked out the whole concept from the owner. As a result, the model that will be discussed in this review was born.
The sports car, which was created by three wayward engineers, was presented to the court of Mr. Lamborghini. Since there were serious fears that the owner would not like the project, the guys did their best, having carefully worked out the whole concept. In fact, it was already a ready-made candy with almost sky-high technical characteristics at that time. Remember, it was 1966. And the owner liked it.
This is how the now famous Lamborghini Miura appeared, which, in general, made Mr. Lamborghini a world famous manufacturer of sports cars. By the way, the name of the model was inspired by the name of a well-known bull breeder in Italy. Don Eduardo Miura perfectly symbolized the southern passion that burned in the motors of sports cars. Let us also remind you that the world-famous now indomitable bull appears on the coat of arms of the company.
Characteristics
The first car was marked P400. The serial version of the 1966 release was equipped with a 12-cylinder engine with a capacity of 350 "horses" with a displacement of 3.9 liters. Acceleration to hundreds in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 270 km / h. Such characteristics even now allow the supercar to compete with the very best.
In fact, the amazing dynamics, hardly imaginable back in 1966, was due to the use of aluminum for the manufacture of a car body. The project turned out to be so successful that it not only gave the hitherto unknown manufacturer of tractors and combines worldwide fame, but also made it possible to make good money. In the period from 66 to 69, 275 Lamborghini Miura cars were produced, the price of each was 20 thousand US dollars. By modern standards, one supercar cost about 120 thousand USD.
P400S
In 1969, the car experienced the first upgrade. The letter "S" appeared in the name. Added power to the engine. An additional 20 horsepower made it possible to increase the maximum speed by another ten kilometers per hour. Although the main emphasis of modernization fell on the salon. Significantly increasing comfort, the manufacturer Lamborghini Miura sold even more cars from 69 to 71 years. Now their number has reached 338 pieces.
Note the power windows that the car was equipped with, chrome window trim, luxurious audio preparation, climate control, an upgraded dashboard, a choice of upholstery colors, and a steel roof. Because, as it turned out, the aluminum body was not very safe for the crazy speeds developed by the supercar.
P400SV
The most famous version of the Lamborghini Miura was launched in 1971. The P400SV modification turned out to be a swan song for the entire project, as the company was going to explore new horizons, an interesting development called the Countach was already looming ahead. But that's a completely different story.
The Miura SV hasn't changed much of its appearance since the 1969 version, except for the disappearance of the eyelashes on the car's pretty round headlights. However, the technical stuffing of the model has seriously added. The engine and carburetor were redesigned. The gearbox switched to its own lubrication system, which made it possible to increase the reliability of the motor, since in the previous version the same oil circulated in both it and the transmission.
As a result, the engine had as many as 385 "horses", which was reflected in the maximum speed of the car, which, by the way, exceeded the serious mark of 300 km / h in those days. In total, another 150 cars of this modification were produced. She was most popular in the Lamborghini Miura line, lit up, for example, in the stable of the famous American musician Frank Sinatra.
Sunset
In the early seventies, a serious economic crisis erupted in Italy. The production of supercars began to cost a pretty penny. Mr. Ferruccio Lamborghini had to sell his tractor factory, and then half the shares of the car company. The new owner of production rather quickly completed the history of the project called Lamborghini Miura. The last P400SV left the assembly line in January 1973. It was a black car in white leather, the 763rd in a row from the start of production of the Miura line. Thus ended the epic of six years.
To date, most of the produced cars have been preserved in the collections of connoisseurs and admirers of this magnificent brand of Italian bull tamers. By the way, the price of any of the three modifications described here, despite its venerable age, is not less than 400 thousand euros. So, like quality wine, cars created under the skillful guidance of Mr. Ferruccio Lamborghini only add value over the years.
Conclusion
Many experts consider the appearance of this car the beginning of a new era. It was during the description of this model that the word “supercar” flashed in the press, which is now often used to distinguish a special class in the segment of sports brands. We are talking about cars with a maximum speed of 300 km / h.
In fact, this term is rather arbitrary and often means only the ability of a pretentious owner to shell out a round sum for a “horse”, measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Lamborghini Miura supercar, the history of which is briefly presented in this short review, is a milestone in the development of the company, which now has a worldwide reputation and introduces all new superfast cars to the public.
Lamborghini Miura is the first really great modelLamborghini.Yes, she is not at all like either Countach or Diablo, but the great, and then still young, 25-year-old Marcello Gandini worked on her. Only 763 copies of such machines were produced, and this is three times less than what was produced.countach,and four and a half times less than those released by Diablo. 
That's why, and also thanks to her great, installed in the basev12,Miura is so highly regarded today.
To buy a Lamborghini Miura, you need to have at least 1 million in your account.$. Think it's expensive? At one time, Frank Sinatra himself bought such a car for himself. And this, in itself, speaks volumes.
Miura was released long before the advent of lightweight, durable carbon fiber. Therefore, the basis of its design is the spatial 
the frame, which, for the sake of reducing weight, was perforated. So the curb weight of the Miura frame itself is only 75kg. It is also interesting that initially the thickness of the bodywork of the Miura was 0.9mm, but then, the thickness of the aluminum panels was increased to 1mm. Only 125 copies of the first were produced, therefore, such cars are on a special account with collectors.
- About the salon:
Salon Miura is of course very cramped. 
However, already in those years; (I almost forgot, Miura was produced from the 66th to the 73rd), it could be equipped with electric windows. Which of course was very helpful, for a not cheap car sold in the USA,—
where no one is accustomed to working with oars.
Characteristics Lamborghini Miura
Above the twelve-cylinder heart of the Lamborghini Miura, Giotto Bizanari himself worked, a talented master who glorified his name inFerrari.With a volume of 3.9l, four-shaftv12,gave out power of 350hp and thrust of 367N.M. With such a unit, Miura took off from zero to 100 in just 5.7s, and was able to reach a maximum speed of 270 km per hour.
Introduced in the 71st, the most powerful modificationP400SV,already gave out 385hp of power, and400 N.M thrust. Such a road car is capable of accelerating from standstill to 100 km per hour in just 5.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 288 km.
In order to maximize the grip of the drive wheels with the road, the last 50 Miurs were equipped with a self-locking differential.
- Results:
The Lamborghini Miura is an amazing car. It was Miura who madeferrari,to reckon with the new supercar manufacturer, from Sant'Agata Bolognese.
