First super-sports car for street use with a V12 engine

[a007apl]

Lamborghini Miura P 400
First super-sports car for street use with a V12 engine mounted transversely in front of the rear axle. Its progressive, high performance engineering, orientated towards racing car construction, was without peer in the 60s.

When did it originate?
Ferruccio Lamborghini presented his Miura as rolling chassis at the end of 1965. At the beginning of 1966 the model reappeared complete with a body designed by Bertone. In the original version (P 400) Lamborghini built the Miura in the years between 1966 and 1968. The 20 h.p. stronger Miura S followed in 1969, 1971 superseded by the 1973 model Miura SV with 385 h.p.

How successful?
The Miura was the most built Lamborghini two-seater of its time: 763 in all were built, including 275 P 400.

What effect?
The construction of Italian street bollards initiated new thinking in the construction of the Miura: following on from this both Ferrari and Maserati changed their luxury class front-engine sports cars to mid-mounted engines.

Interesting technical data:
V 12-cylinder, 3.929 cm3, 257 kW/350 h.p., all-round independent wheel suspension with coil springs; maximum speed/velocity: 280 km/h, price of the new model at the time: DM 75.500.