Known for perfecting the balance between sensual and muscular, the design language on the Lamborghini Miura P400 was first noticeable when the car debuted at the Geneva Salon in 1966. From there, the model went through a considerable number of variations in just eight years of production. The most famous, and final, iteration of the Miura was the P400 SV, released in 1971 and ceasing production two years later. Crossing the auction lot today at RM Sotheby’s is one of 21 examples of the Miura SV made for the U.S. market.
Updating the already-impressive Miura S in several ways, the Miura SV improved on the handling and suspension, widened the rear bodywork, and removed the divisive “eyelashes” from the headlights. The SV was also made to be more tractable at a lower RPM due to larger carburetors and changes in the cam timing. Lamborghini took some horsepower from the V12 engine in order to comply with U.S. federal emissions standards and reinforced the chassis and steel passenger compartment, but the result was a smoother and safer ride compared to its European counterparts.
This particular Miura SV being auctioned was also the very first to be sold in the U.S.; a homologation prototype with a single-sump oil system and a 200-mph speedometer — making this one of eight with that particular spec (the other 13 had a split sump and “only” went up to 190mph). This very example was also used for a factory publicity brochure for the Miura SV and is seen on the cover of The Lamborghini Miura Bible, written by author Joe Sackey, who owned the car for some years starting in 2005.
Sackey restored the entire vehicle to factory specifications, including the Bertone seats on the interior. This 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV will be auctioned off in Monaco through RM Sotheby’s on May 14. There is no current estimate, but similar models have sold anywhere from $1.3 million to $2.7 million.
