A special tribute display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura, a car recognised as the father of all modern supercars. In total six classic Miuras are present, positioned alongside the vivid Miura Concept which made its international public debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January earlier this year. The Miura display is located in the “Cartier Style et Luxe” section of the event.

Although Ferrucio Lamborghini wouldn’t let his young design team build a racing car, he was content to give the go-ahead for a show-stopping ‘supercar’. The Lamborghini founder once said, “it means very little to produce the best racing cars in the world, people only remember the drivers, but if you can produce the best road cars in the world, no one will ever forget them.” Engineers Giampaolo Dallara and Paolo Stanzani developed an innovative unitary steel chassis and, to keep the length to a minimum, mounted a 3,929cc, 320bhp V12 engine transversely behind the cockpit. The bare chassis and engine prototype (chassis number 509) was presented at the Turin Motor Show in the autumn of 1965, after which the bodywork was developed.

Due to Carrozzeria Touring’s dire financial situation at the time, Lamborghini commissioned Bertone to clothe the prototype chassis, and brilliant 28-year-old designer Marcello Gandini is credited as having designed the Miura’s bold and sensual shape. The completed Miura supercar became a sensation at the 1966 Geneva Show. Memorable styling signatures include ‘eyelashes’ around the flip-up headlights, the ‘bull horn’ profile on the air vents mounted on tumblehome of the doors, and the slats mounted over the rear glasshouse. Forty years on, this design masterpiece has lost none of its head-turning appeal, and is recognised as being amongst the top three most beautiful cars ever created.

The most extreme classic Miura on display at Goodwood is the 1967 Jota replica. To appease test driver Bob Wallace’s racing ambitions, Ferrucio Lamborghini allowed the respected New Zealander to develop a high-performance prototype Miura in his spare time. Christened the Jota after the ‘J’ in the FIA appendix code for race cars, this 900kg, 440bhp road rocket was extensively modified from the production model. Used as a mobile test-bed and to frighten journalists on the roads around the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory, the Jota could reach 304km/h (190mph) and 0-96km/h in 3.6 seconds. Sadly it was destroyed in a road accident in 1971, but in 1991 Lamborghini collector Piet Pulford decided to build a faithful Jota replica based on a production Miura restoration project. Even Bob Wallace was enticed to build its special engine.
 

The P400S model is represented by two examples on display from 1968 and 1969. Evolving and refining the 1966 original, the P400S incorporated a number of improvements over the initial design. Differences also included some creature comforts such as an optional radio and locking glove compartment. More significantly, the S introduced a more powerful 370bhp engine, vented brake discs and revised rear suspension. The bodywork, however, retained the purity of the Bertone original. Only 140 P400S models were built, and owner John Braithwaite bought the example on display as a fire-damaged restoration project in 1988. It has been totally rebuilt, including a new crankshaft from Lamborghini’s former development engineer Bob Wallace in the USA.

Alongside the five classic coupes present is the 1981 Lambrghini Miura SVJ Spyder. Just one open-top Miura was developed by the Lamborghini factory with Bertone in 1968. The tempting idea was never taken up by Lamborghini, and the stunning concept car was sold to ILZRO, who further detailed it as a rolling showpiece for the lead and zinc industry. However, the Miura Spyder concept inspired several conversions, including the P400 on display at Goodwood. This particular car was converted by specialist Lambo-Motor AG in Basel and, with its removable ‘targa’ top, the car was first shown at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show.

Rounding off the Miura display is the controversially retro 2006 Miura Concept. Opinion over this high-profile project has been very deeply divided amongst enthusiasts and designers alike, however the car has drawn a lot of attention over the past year. The Miura concept car was the first Lamborghini to be developed under the leadership of chief designer Walter de’ Silva. Theoretically powered by a longitudinally-mounted 6,192cc V12, producing 500bhp, the Miura remake is based on a Gallardo chassis. The design study, however, is only a model fitted with mechanical components and therefore curiously goes against Audi’s own philosophy of strictly producing concept cars that run and function. It remains unclear as to whether the Miura concept car will live on as a production model, with no “firm date” decided upon.

by James Granger at Goodwood