Filed under: Time Warp, Supercars, Lamborghini, Misc. Auto Shows

Click for a hi-res gallery of the Lamborghini Bertone Miura Spyder

Enthusiasts of exotic Italian automobiles everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to Adam Gordon. The New York real estate developer has just completed what is sure to have been an extremely costly restoration of the Lamborghini Bertone Miura Spyder. We say “the” Miura Spyder because it is the only one ever made. In fact its serial number doesn’t even show in the company’s register.

As we reported when Gordon first acquired the car a year and a half ago, the Miura Spyder was made by Nuccio Bertone and Marcello Gandini as a one-off show car in 1968, when it was unveiled at the Brussels auto salon, much to the amazement of even Ferruccio Lamborghini. The car was then brought back to Sant’Agata where Lamborghini’s own people, in consultation with Bertone, deemed it impossible to put into production. The factory then refinished the only existing example in green with all manner of extra chrome bits and sold it to the International lead and Zinc Research Organization, which used it as a showcase piece and brought it to car shows in such locations as Detroit, Montreal, Anaheim, London, Tokyo, Sydney and Paris, before finally donating in 1981 it to the Boston Museum of Transportation in exchange for a $200,000 tax receipt. The car then disappeared largely into obscurity for 25 years as collectors failed - incredibly - to comprehend the value of the only factory-original Miura targa in the world.

Although the Boston museum invested what must have been considerable time and energy into refurbishing the Miura Spyder, it wasn’t until Gordon got his hands on it that the car was returned to its original Bertone condition by the Bobileff Motorcar Company. The car’s history has been chronicled in a new book, “The Lamborghini Miura Bible” by Joe Sackey. Follow the jump to read the full press release, and click the thumbnails below for a small gallery of images of the Miura Spyder.

[Source: Veloce Publishing]

Continue reading Restoration completed on one-off Lamborghini Miura Spyder

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Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, Lamborghini

Most car enthusiasts know about the Lamborghini Miura, one of the most beautiful and desirable cars from the ’60s and ’70s, but few know about the one-off Miura Jota and subsequent SV/J models. The Jota was built in 1970 as an experimental car to test new ideas for the upcoming Miura SV. It featured a lightweight body with extra vents, a split sump engine (implemented on later SV models), “Megaphono” exhaust pipes, and a bevy of bespoke features. After the car was finished, it was sold to a loyal customer. Unfortunately, the Jota was involved in an accident and was completely destroyed when it burned to the ground. However, when several of Lamborghini’s customers heard about the car, they asked if they could buy one of their own. Lamborghini decided not to officially build a production Jota, but they did offer conversions based on the SV model. The Lamborghini Registry lists only six “works” SV/J models, all featuring the Jota bodywork. The one seen here is chassis number 4892, and it will be auctioned off at the upcoming Russo and Steele classic car auction in Monterey. It’s tough to tell what the car will go for since the SV/J models rarely ever change hands, but you can bet it won’t be a paltry sum.

[Source: Russo and Steele]

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Filed under: Time Warp, Lamborghini

Click above for a high resolution image

Every year in August the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gives car enthusiasts a chance to see exceptional automobiles together at the same place at the same time. With Lamborghini as a featured marque this year, it was inevitable that some of the best of the breed will be on the 18th fairway in just a few days. The earliest known 350GT (Lamborghini’s first model), the earliest known Miura, and several one-off examples will be on display. As a bonus, Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini’s legendary test driver, will be serving as a class judge. More information can be found in the press release after the jump, and look for our coverage of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as we report live from Monterey next week.

Continue reading Rare Lamborghinis to be featured at Pebble Beach

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