1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone

1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone
Sold for $1,265,000 Including Commission
RM Auction, Monterey, CA. 2014
Chassis no. 3982
Engine no. 2898
370 bhp, 3,929 cc DOHC transverse mid-mounted alloy V-12 engine with four Weber 40 IDL-3C carburetors, five-speed manual transaxle, independent front and rear suspension with A-arms, coil springs, tubular shock absorbers, and anti-roll bars, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 98.4 in.
A desirable early P400 S in wonderful colors
Restored by marque specialists
Numerous upgrades for modern driving
The Lamborghini Miura, named after Don Eduardo Miura Fernández, the legendary breeder of fierce Spanish fighting bulls, was the very embodiment of the “supercar” moniker. Prior to the arrival of the Miura in 1967, many sports cars certainly offered high levels of performance and handling. The Miura, however, was the first to be built around the criteria that defined our modern concept of the supercar: tremendous speed and jaw-dropping design coupled with technical innovation, resulting in a wallet-wilting price tag to which only the wealthiest could aspire.
By 1967, the latest version of the Lamborghini V-12 engine, which by now had been enlarged to four liters, was used for the entirely new and radical Miura. This Miura was first shown to a stunned public in March 1966 at the Geneva Salon, and its sinuous body was penned by Bertone designer Marcello Gandini, who was at the young age of 22 at the time. The Miura development team also included two brilliant engineers who would gain fame in their own rights, Gian Paulo Dallara and Paolo Stanzini.
Under the guidance of New Zealander Bob Wallace, the Miura’s chassis was carefully tuned to deliver the handling levels needed to contain and exploit the prodigious amounts of available power. With a double-wishbone suspension at each corner, in the best racing tradition, the Miura’s technical specifications were very advanced for a road going car. The mid-mounted engine was fitted transversely to allow for a more compact overall layout. The Miura’s original design sketches also called for a glass engine cover and a three-seat layout, with the driver in the middle and one passenger on either side. Although this latter feature never made it to the production Miura, it did reemerge on future supercars, most notably on the McLaren F1 of the 1990s.
While the glass engine cover was never used, the rear window louvers that did appear on production models were an industry first. As the engine was no longer front-mounted, but rather posteriore, the first generation of Miuras were accordingly named P400. This turned out to be a sensational, trendsetting decision. Almost immediately, the young Lamborghini marque leapfrogged to the head of the class, well ahead of both Ferrari and Maserati, with this innovative mid-engine configuration.
The Miura’s technical specifications remain impressive even today, as it has a lightweight frame, fully independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and power provided by that well-proven, symphonic V-12 engine. The Miura, which breathed deeply through four triple-choke Weber carburetors, could initially offer 350 brake horsepower on tap and was capable of going over 175 mph. In the hands of the brave, it was more than a match for any other road going production car of the era.
A steady process of evolution and improvement was maintained throughout the production cycle of the Miura, and in 1968, the “S,” or spinto (tuned), version appeared, boasting 370 brake horsepower, updated brakes, and numerous other enhancements. The S version of the Miura was faster, more luxuriously appointed, and more stable with better braking, and it represented a large step forward from its already magnificent predecessor. The Miura S was capable of reaching 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds and 140 mph in fewer than 30 seconds and achieving a top speed of 177 mph. In April 1970, Road & Track called it “an exercise in automotive art.”
CHASSIS NUMBER 3982
According to the International Lamborghini Registry, Miura S chassis number 3982 was the 346th Miura built, and it was completed on March 12, 1969. The factory chassis list, published in Joe Sackey’s The Lamborghini Miura Bible, confirms that the present engine, number 2898, is the original to this chassis. The car was originally finished in Giallo Fly with a beige and black interior, and it was sent to Milanese dealer Gerini Maiocchi to be sold to its original owner.
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Robert Myrick Photography