Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1973. The car was the first automobile with a rear mid-engined two-seat layout, although the concept was first seen in a production road car with René Bonnet's Matra Djet, introduced in 1964. This layout has since become the standard for high-performance sports cars. When released, it was the fastest production road car.
| Lamborghini Miura | |
|---|---|
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. |
| Production | 1966–1973 |
| Designer | Marcello Gandini at Bertone |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Layout | Transverse rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3,929 cc (3.9 L) L406 V12 |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,500 mm (98.4 in) |
| Length | 4,360 mm (171.7 in) |
| Width | 1,760 mm (69.3 in) |
| Height | 1,055 mm (41.5 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,292 kg (2,848 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Lamborghini Countach |
The Miura was originally conceived by Lamborghini's engineering team, which designed the car in its spare time against the wishes of company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini, who preferred powerful yet sedate grand touring cars over the race car-derived machines produced by local rival Ferrari. However, when the development mule was revealed to Ferruccio, he approved for it to continue the development.
The Miura's rolling chassis was presented at the 1965 Turin Auto Show, and the prototype P400 debuted at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. It received stellar receptions from showgoers and the motoring press alike, each impressed by Marcello Gandini's sleek styling and the car's revolutionary mid-engine design.
Lamborghini's flagship, the Miura received periodic updates and remained in production until 1973. A year later the Countach entered the company's lineup, amid tumultuous financial times for the company.