shot by aguswiss1 in Wetzikon, Switzerland and posted at the Cohort
Cohort Pic(k) Of The Day: Lamborghini Miura
– Posted on December 3, 2019
-
-
Curbside Classics Archives
shot by aguswiss1 in Wetzikon, Switzerland and posted at the Cohort
“The most beautiful sound I ever heard” – Miura
(With apologies to West Side Story )
Motor cars arguably ceased evolving after this.
I agree, Uncle. The person who coined the phrase ‘Sex on four wheels’ was looking at one of these when he said it.
Hard to believe the Urus shares the badge with this work of art.
The Urus is still 100% Lambo, just a 100% Lambo among crossovers: a piece of machinery that is as extravagant and exotic as it is fast.
It isn’t even the first Lamborghini SUV, see Cheetah and LM001 prototypes and LM002 production vehicle. Lamborghini was making SUVs before some car brands even existed…
The Urus looks like a Hyundai concept crossover
Nope. Not by a long shot. You’re probably thinking of LM002 (produced from 1986 to 1993 with 328 units). It was considered the first “high performance” SUV in the 1980s and first SUV with V12 engine.
Lamborghini Urus uses the same chassis, Volkswagen MLBevo, with Audi Q7 and Q8, Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touareg. The 4.0-litre V8 engine fitted to Urus is same as one in Audi Q8, Bentley Bentayga V8, Porsche Cayenne, Turbo S and Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid. Don’t get me started on listing all of other passenger cars in VW Group that uses the 4.0-litre V8 engine…
If you are thinking of a 100% Lambo today, it’s Aventador which doesn’t share chassis and engine with other marquees in Volkswagen Group.
I remember walking around a corner at night in Naples and seeing a white Miura at the curb. It took my breath away. One of the most stunning cars I’ve ever seen, particularly in its home environment.
Sometimes the most exotic cars are in the least special places.
I once saw a Bentley Bentayga at my local McDonalds drive-thru, as well as a Lamborghini Espada at a local low-profile classic car show.
I first came across one of these in Sorrento, Italy in the summer of 1969. Fifty years later, the Miura still blows me away.
There are folks who say the Jaguar XKE is the most beautiful car ever built.
Those folks have perhaps never seen a Miura
A FAR more attractive car than later Lamborghinis. IMHO.
Something overlooked by the stunning shape for its time may have been the op-art color palette of the Miura. I’m going to guess those bright colors were the first to be offered on a production car and could even have been the influence of the famous ‘high-impact’ series of colors available on many 1970 Chrysler models.
Blackout grilles and rear window louvers too. Its influence on 70-71 era Muscle cars is significant
The Francoise Hardy of automobiles
👍
I saw these in the car magazines of the time, but what brought it to life is the opening of “The Italian Job.” Can this possibly be fifty years ago?
The combination of a Lamborghini and snow isn’t something one sees very often!
I think the C3 Corvette was a parody of this
Without a doubt one of the worlds most beautiful cars.
One of the few toy cars I got to choose for myself as a kid, this is all that remains.
I still have the Matchbox version (in bright yellow). I also have the Matchbox Jaguar XK-E coupe. The diecast engineers did justice to both cars, especially considering the size and low purchase price.
Little brother had a really nice die cast Miura in red. I think the back even hinged up so that you could see the motor. Fortunately, he was more of a tractor toy kind of child, so it survived a long time, along with the SBD Dauntless with the folding wings. I think that was the first Miura I ever saw. Dad and Mom had a good eye for pretty cars of all sizes.
Molto Bella!! Interesting, though, that while the Miura is widely considered to be his greatest masterpiece, Marcello Gandini himself doesn’t seem to necessarily agree.
In this interview from 2018 (done in Italian with English subtitles) he is fairly critical of certain Miura design aspects, some of which were a result of certain component-related and engineering constraints. Anyway, it’s well worth watching (FF to the 9:05 mark for the Miura criticism part): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CavdfZe6QUc