Video: Before the Countach, Lamborghini gave us the Miura

I remember checking out one at a local show when I was in high school. It might have been the first time I saw one in the flesh. I remember the owner telling me how it could reach the 55 mph speed limit in first year. Mind blown. 

This was certainly a beautiful example of a Lamborghini Miura.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I had the same engine in my Islero S, although not the Miura version that had the block cast together with the transaxle casing (I think that was a first!).

Cars like this have a reputation for being peaky high revving cars, but I took mine out one day and got it going at idle in 5th gear - 1,000 rpm. I then floored the accelerator (6 - 40 DCOE Webers) and it just pulled smoothly away. It would have gone from about 20 mph to 170 mph in the same gear. Amazing flexibility.

I wonder if I have a little (passenger) seat time in a prototipo...  In 1967 I was 15 and my father was the president of a St Louis corporate based car club.  The club was holding a rally where local blind children would read the rally instructions as a way to participate.  The Lamborghini dealer in St Louis loaned my father this car for the weekend and got some press coverage in the newspaper.  My father drove it quite a bit (during and outside of the rally), giving neighbors rides, and it wasn't long until the Police showed up.  After giving them a few rides, all was well.

In reply to Firks :

Awesome story. Awesome photos. Thanks for sharing. 

I think the first time I saw a Miura in the flesh was while in high school at a local show–almost like a concours before they were so prevalent. 

When the owner told me that it could do 55 mph in first gear–at the time the national speed limit–my little mind was blown. 

Beautiful car and a fun drive, no doubt about it. But have you ever worked on one? Especially the one-piece engine/gearbox/differential? You work by braile in many areas, and use lots of extensions, u-joint drivers and maybe home-made tools just to get to the trouble area.

This powerplant is so tightly packed into the chassis you're better off in many cases with pulling everything out and doing the job on an engine stand. The starter is a prime example: Even with mirrors, two of it's three mountng bolts are invisible and it weighs 10 lbs. Good thing I was young.