Lamborghini Miura P400 S “Jota Conversion” (1969)

For 430,000 euros, this Lamborghini Miura was refurbished and given an “Arancia Miura” finish, a more potent SV engine, and Jota optics.

The Lamborghini Miura, which was developed by Marcello Gandini and Gian Paolo Dallara, is a stunning sports car that, more than 50 years after its introduction, still leaves people’s mouths hanging open. The Miura is a mid-engine sports car. Nobody created a manufacturing vehicle before or since that featured a transversely positioned 12-cylinder engine in the center. This designer sculpture, which stands just one meter and five centimeters high, is highlighted by the lacquer Arancio Miura.

Estimated price 0.9 to 1 million euros


Lamborghini Miura S Jota conversion (1969)
RM Sotheby’s

About ten years ago, the Miura had a paint job.

Not necessarily, orange was the Miura S with chassis number #4280. On October 23, 1969, it rolled out of the plant in Rosso Corsa. The 1968 S engine has a 20 horsepower more potent V12 engine in front of the rear axle. That wasn’t enough for a subsequent owner, so as part of a restoration that cost the equivalent of 430,000 euros, he had the twelve-cylinder engine increased to the 380 horsepower of the SV introduced in 1971. Because Bob Wallace, a test driver for Lamborghini, developed it as a racing vehicle in accordance with FIA rules, it even has the same appearance as the Jota. The weight was decreased by using an aluminium chassis and other stringent lightweight building techniques, and the V12 is claimed to have had 420 horsepower. After being involved in an accident in 1972, the car was never repaired.

The manufacturer created many SVJs based on the Jota model. Private owners occasionally use the Jota as a template. This is also true of this vehicle, which was given its current appearance in Japan in 2006 and 2013. Under the hood, an SV engine has previously moved. The Miura, which had spent about 30 years in Japan, was acquired by a British collection in 2014 after being sold at auction in Sweden. The twelve-cylinder had a significant servicing in the UK in November 2022 for £7,500. (about 6,500 euros). The vehicle will be put up for auction by RM Sotheby’s on February 1 in Paris. A price range of 900,000 and 1,000,000 euros is predicted.

50 years with one owner

On Sunday, October 16, the Lamborghini Miura P 400 S, which has only had one owner for more than 50 years, was auctioned off in Paris by the French auction house Artcurial. The 1969 sports car’s speedometer displays 52,143 kilometres driven on the original engine. The price ranged from 900,000 to 1,400,000 euros. The sports automobile brought in 1.416 million euros after adding the premium for the auction house.

Sadly, the colour has changed from its original state. The first owner, an Italian businessman, received chassis number 3997 in “Miura White” with a blue leather interior. The vehicle was painted yellow with a green interior when the second owner sold it in 1974. Today, he still possesses the inside. However, the Miura was painted red by the French third-party owner after the sale since, according to him, an Italian sports vehicle should have red paint. The now 87-year-old Frenchman covered fewer than 10,000 kilometres in 48 years. The regular maintenance of the transversely mounted mid-engine, which according to the description starts right away and runs on all cylinders, is supported by a number of invoices from repair shops near his place of living in Toulouse.

Miura at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey

Lamborghini P400S (1971)Karissa Hosek/RM Sotheby’s

A Lamborghini Miura that was up for sale at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey in August 2021 had a unique history. It was purchased as a new car for the Iranian couple’s daughter. She was gonna travel to California in a Lamborghini Miura to study. There was a plan for her to sell the car and utilise the money earned to pay for her studies. The parents came up with that. The daughter diligently posted an advertisement as well, but the automobile was not sold. For two years she was the driver.

She sold the Miura to a shop that also serviced it after an accident left the bodywork with damage at the level of the right headlight. In 1977, the proprietor of the shop placed an order with Lamborghini for parts with the intention of fixing the damage. However, for some reason, the anticipated repair was never completed, and the sports car and replacement parts remained in a storage facility.

The Miura wasn’t purchased by a fan until almost forty years later. Even the original Pirelli Cinturato CN 73 in size GR 70 VR 15 supported it. Less than 16,000 miles are now displayed on the speedometer (about 25,000 kilometers). He made the decision to conserve the car as much as possible rather than fully restore it.

Sold for two million euros


Lamborghini P400S (1971)
Karissa Hosek/RM Sotheby’s

In 1971, the Miura was delivered in grey-white. The interior is still covered in the original blue leather. The cost was expected to be between 1.5 and 1.9 million euros. On August 14, 2021, the Miura was sold in Monterey, California, for $2.095 million, which at the time was the same as €1.78 million.

The Miura P400 S

The Lamborghini Miura, unveiled in Turin in 1965, underwent ongoing development. The later Series II S models had several technical advancements starting in 1971, as well as a stronger V12 engine with 370 horsepower as opposed to 350 horsepower. The cooling system was enhanced, the frame was reinforced, and ventilated discs were added to the brake system. There were about 140 Miura S produced. After 474 units, production of the Miura ceased in 1973. The Countach is its heir apparent.

Conclusion

The fact that a Lamborghini Miura just has a few kilometres on the clock does not seem all that unusual. More interesting than the mileage are frequently the tales behind these vehicles.

A third-hand automobile that hadn’t changed hands in nearly 50 years was being auctioned off by Artcurial while RM Sotheby’s had just sold a Miura whose first owner had been a student. The selling price of approximately 1.4 million euros was within the typical range for this model, therefore it doesn’t appear that this had a significant impact on the pricing.

A sports automobile that has been owned by multiple different people on different continents for 50 years and has remained original during that time is very unusual. Some vehicles, like a 169 example that was originally delivered in red, receive an Arancio Miura paint job, a quicker Jota exterior, and a more potent SV engine.

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