Lamborghini Restored This 1972 Miura to Original Spec
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What’s the best way to return a classic supercar to its former glory? Asking the people who built the car to handle the restoration. The result is gorgeous.
That’s the story behind the stunning 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV that the automaker recently displayed at Anantara Concorso Roma, after the marque’s in-house heritage division, Polo Storico, had spent three years working on the coupe to make sure it got every detail just right.
The Miura was the automaker’s breakthrough vehicle (Lamborghini was founded as a tractor manufacturer in 1948) and laid the groundwork for nearly every rear mid-engine supercar that would follow when it debuted in 1966. The car could sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds when brand new and reach a top speed of 180 mph, both rather impressive feats for the era. It featured a gorgeous, flowing design and a potent V-12, but production came to an end in 1973, with just 763 examples having rolled off the line.
Click to enlarge | All images courtesy of Lamborghini
The Polo Storico team replaced and restored parts like the front fender grilles, the rear louvres, and the “Bob-Type” exhaust tips (which are named after test-driver Bob Wallace). No detail was viewed as too small to matter. Interestingly, the toughest challenge was recreating the hand-painted Luci del Bosco ('Lights of the Forest') finish. The distinctive brown shade had evolved over the decades, but the team managed to ensure that the lovingly restored look met the “correct chromatic specification” of the era. The interior, meanwhile, is covered leather and features a period-appropriate compact steering wheel and extended handbrake.
The restored Miura SV, like other Polo Storico builds, is a one-off, so Lamborghini has not disclosed how much it cost or what the value of the supercar would now likely be. But, unsurprisingly, well-maintained Miura can fetch significant prices at auction, says RobbReport. Earlier this year, another SV from 1972 sold for a record-setting $6.6 million in Florida.
Petrolheads, film-buffs and lovers of timeless Italian styling, will enjoy watching (and listening to) the Lamborghini Miura that appeared in the opening sequence of The Italian Job in 1969.
