The Classicist: The Holy Grail of Lamborghinis

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Jan 19th 2009 at 9:02AM

Between 1966 and 1972, Lamborghini built what has come to be known as the "Holy Grail" of its many famous sportscars: the legendary Miura. Named after a Spanish ranch famed for its ferocious bulls, the Miura's (pronounced me-you-rra) flamboyance and engineering astounded the public when it was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1965. It quickly became the supercar of choice for the coolest of the cool and richest of the rich - members of royal families and two of the world's most famous and stylish musicians owned one, for starters.

Miles Davis is said to have driven his Miura around with a .357 Magnum stashed under the seat and enjoyed outrunning police cars while terrified passengers like Jimi Hendrix held on for dear life. He crashed the car in 1972, breaking both ankles in the process, and immediately ordered another. Frank Sinatra arrived at the Lamborghini factory outside carrying a roll of specially tanned wild boar skin with which he instructed the workmen to upholster the interior. He chose orange metallic paint for the exterior and matching shag carpet within.

So why are we talking about the Miura now? Because Joe Sackey, the world's leading authority on the vehicle, has just published the definitive volume on it - aptly titled The Lamborghini Miura Bible - after 20 years of diligent research. Sackey makes the case that the Miura is nothing short of "The Most Beautiful Sports Car of The Postwar Era." Having himself himself owned, maintained and restored five Miuras, he knows whereof he speaks. "The Miura is not a car without its flaws," Sackey notes. "But, what a benchmark post-war classic! A special car, it is to be enjoyed and indeed put on a pedestal. In terms of reliability and utility, it may not be the ultimate example of a sports car, but for sheer charisma and emotion the Miura is hard to beat."

Gallery: Lamborghini Miura

The only book of its kind, the Miura Bible contains over 400 photographs and illustrations (see the gallery for a preview, including pix of a Miura SV built for the Shah of Iran). Sackey also includes a never-before-published factory chassis production register, along with exclusive interviews with the designers of the car. It's as close as you can get to a trip to the Lamborghini Museum without leaving your favorite fireside chair. Of course, Sackey's first-hand experience gives him an edge over the usual armchair enthusiast. Here he is describing his first encounter with the car that became his obsession:

"I remember distinctly, the seminal moment I first laid eyes on a Miura, on a wintry day many years ago. It was cold, grey, drizzly and depressing in central London....Traffic was sparse, and a blanket of fog had descended upon the few miserable souls such as me who walked the freezing pavements with coat collars turned up, staring straight ahead. And then, there was this cacophony of sound, a deep roar that echoed off the walls of the stone buildings all around. And there, emerging from the fog up ahead like a techno-colored vision, was a Lamborghini Miura, instantly recognizable in outlandish poison lime green, startlingly low and voluptuously beautiful. It crackled and popped as it thundered by, lamps ablaze and wipers flailing, and left me rooted to the spot. It was such a shocking sight and sound that it left an impression on me forever."

Tags: Frank Sinatra, FrankSinatra, Joe Sackey, JoeSackey, Lamborghini, Lamborghini Miura, LamborghiniMiura, Miles Davis, MilesDavis, Miura