Lamborghini is rolling into the Schloss Bensberg Classics with some beautiful vintage iron, which isn't especially newsworthy but gives us a reason to run some pics of the Miura P400 SV.
The Italian automaker will have a Miura, along with a 400 GT, a Silhouette and a Gallardo L 570-4 Superleggera, at the show. Fine cars one and all, but the Miura.... oh, the Miura. Just look at it. Marcello Gandini designed one of the prettiest cars ever, and the Miura was the first production mid-engine sports car.
The little factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese started building the Muira P400 in 1966. It was designed from the start for the road and track, with a transversely mounted 3.9-liter V12 from the 400 GT. It was good for 350 horsepower. Lamborghini gave the car some minor upgrades in 1968, including power windows, air conditioning, a locking glovebox and -- most importantly -- another 20 horses. The revised model was called the Muira P400S.
And then there was the Muira P400 SV, for SuperVeloce. Different carburetors and revised cam timing bumped output to 385 horsepower. The last of them got limited slip differentials. It also got wider rear tires and different tailights. Lamborghini built 150 Muira SVs in 1971 and '72. The company built 764 in all.
Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini's chief test driver -- and oh what a sweet job that's gotta be -- will drive the Muira SV in the Rallye Historique during this weekend's Bensberg Classics show.
Photos: Lamborghini. More after the jump, of course.
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The Miura is a timeless car beautiful from every angle, and one of Marcello Gandini's best designs. Gandini also designed the Lancia Stratos, Maserati Ghibli and Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 2+2, among others.
The chassis and doors were steel; the front and rear hoods were aluminum.
The 3.9-liter V12, taken from the 400 GT, fit within the Miura's slight body. Barely.
Random shot of the rear suspension.
Famed designer Walter de'Silva penned the Muira Concept, a one-off that Lamborghini brought to the Detroit auto show in 2006. The concept commemorated the 40th anniversary of the original's appearance at the Geneva Motor Show.
