Cars with history: Lamborghini Miura P400S

In this series that we show you on weekends about cars with history, we also wanted to show you some of the sports cars, muscle cars and exotics that left their mark on the world. That is why we will dedicate this article to one of the first Lamborghini that put the brand into the exclusive circle of exotic cars, from 1966 until well into the 1970s.

This particular model is an evolution of the P400, with a slight increase in power, up to 370 horsepower. The engine was a 3.9-litre V12, mounted mid-engine in a transverse position. While the bodywork was commissioned from the company Bertone, the final designer who shaped the Miura was Marcello Gandini, a young designer at the time. The design was largely based on the Ford GT40, a very low design with a very classic front typical of the era, which was also intended to offer good aerodynamics for entering cars at Le Mans, THE race of the moment.

However, the shape of the car, some gaps in the design and the lack of aerodynamic add-ons caused accidents and scares: at its top speed of around 280 km/h, the car tended to lift off the ground; the twisting of the engine caused the chassis to end up bent, and the steering was too light for what was customary at the time, meaning that it had to be driven literally with the tips of the fingers.

The tremendous heat from the V12 engine, located behind the driver’s head, and a certain discomfort in the driving position, which the Countach would later inherit, were other drawbacks for anyone who enjoyed this beauty. It was no coincidence that the sensation was that of piloting on a racetrack, which is what Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted to achieve. The S model of the Miura was soon equipped with air conditioning, so that at least the heat from the V12 was not felt as much.

Although it remained in production for several years, only 768 units of the Miura and Miura S were built, making it a very difficult and very expensive car to acquire, even in 1969. But it served as the basis and starting point for what Lamborghini is today and the philosophy that has marked its current models.

Source | Wikipedia,