1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone

1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone
Sold for $2,475,000 Including Commission
RM / Sotheby's Auction, Monterey, CA. 2015
Chassis no. 4906
Engine no. 30651
385 bhp, 3,929 cc DOHC transverse mid-mounted alloy V-12 engine with Weber twin-choke carburetors, five-speed manual transmission, independent front and rear suspension with A-arms, coil springs with tubular shocks, and anti-roll bars, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 98.42 in.
•Impressively original throughout
•Exceptional restoration by marque specialist Jeff Stephan
•Stunning color combination
•Matching numbers
•Best of Show at the 2007 Concorso Italiano
•Featured on the cover of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine
•The first true supercar in its most desirable "SV" specification, with only 148 built
If you were a rock star in 1971, there was only one car you had to have, the Lamborghini Miura SV, as it had the biggest performance and the most sought-after specifications.
Sinister, voluptuous, brutish, and elegant seemingly all at the same time: the Miura SV was the definition of cool. Miles Davis owned a Miura, so did Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and Rod Stewart. The Shah of Iran was a Miura owner as well. Simply put, if you owned a Miura, you were someone, you were going places, and you were cool.
The example offered here, chassis number 4906, was completed by the factory on July 23, 1971. It was built during the first year of Miura SV production as a European-specification example, wearing production number 650, and was fitted with a single-sump V-12 engine, number 30651, which could produce 385 horsepower. It was originally finished in the popular Miura SV color of Rosso Corsa, fitted with a Nero interior, and then delivered new to S.E.A., Lamborghini’s official distributor in Rome.
It is believed that it remained in Europe for at least 10 years before it was shipped to the United States, where it was owned by Wayne Nelson in the 1980s, presumably having been imported by Joe Nastasi, a U.S.-based Lamborghini distributor. In 1994, this Miura was acquired by Dr. Bill Rozzi, who sent it to preeminent Lamborghini expert Gary Bobileff in San Diego, California, for a major service and cosmetic refreshing. It is noted that at that time the car’s odometer displayed 21,000 kilometers.
Chassis 4906 was then purchased by Bill Rice, of Westlake Village, California, in 1997 as a replacement for his Ferrari 512 BBi. Rice commissioned Lamborghini specialist Jeff Stephan to perform a concours-quality, no-expense-spared restoration. When he was asked why he chose Stephan in particular, it was because Stephan was known not only as a Lamborghini specialist but also a perfectionist who took on only one car at a time, treating each as though it was his own. Much like a famous Saville Row tailor, people from around the world traveled to have work commissioned by him, and Rice was no exception.
The restoration began in early 1998, and upon disassembly, it was found that the bodywork and chassis were exceptionally sound, showing no signs of corrosion or previous accident damage. The car was meticulously refinished in its original shade of Rosso Corsa and fitted with gold Campagnolo wheels, which had matching gold rocker panels. The Miura’s interior was swathed in a biscuit leather with matching carpets. The car was fully mechanically restored, with the suspension rebuilt, and the engine and transaxle were found to be in excellent condition, being refurbished and detailed where necessary. From top to bottom and inside out, every component of this car remains spectacular, and the restoration quality is superb in every regard.
Following the completion of the car’s restoration, the Miura premiered at the 2001 Lamborghini Club West National Meet in Monterey at Concorso Italiano and took home Best of Show honors out of a field of 25 other Miuras! Over the next few years, the Lamborghini accrued many similar results at concours events, taking First in the Miura class at Concourso Italiano in 2007, Best of Show at the Thousand Oaks Car Classic, and Best in Class at the 2010 Avila Beach Concours d’Elegance. Additionally, the Miura was featured in Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine and pictured on the cover.
Since the completion of its restoration, the Miura has been sparingly driven on the road and well maintained ever since. It was purchased by its current owner in early 2012 and still remains in exceptional condition inside and out, illustrating the quality of Stephan’s restoration and the level of care lavished on it by previous owners.
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Robert Myrick Photography