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Lamborghini Miura

Peppone and Don Camillo

(the communist mayor and Father Camillo)

Ferruccio Lamborghini seems to be the character who went out from Giovannino Guareschi's pen, the writer who more than all has understood and described the "Emiliano" soul: stubborn until unreasonableness people, not very prone to theory but more inclined to practice, shrewd traders, impulsive, fond of challenge and not devoid dreamers of a certain poetry. This eclectic entrepreneur, who was born in 1916 at Renazzo, a suburb of Cento, in the provinces of Ferrara, might be assimilated to the Peppone character of the situation, in conflict with the "Saint Maranello Church of the Automobile", played by Enzo Ferrari in the unusual part of Father Camillo: the delicate theological argument on the V12 GT, purchased by the former and built by the latter. The legend has it that (but it seems much more than a legend) Ferruccio Lamborghini were a great fan of GT cars and, among the numerous cars he owned, there was the 250GT Ferrari, to which he ventured to make a little change to the clutch so as to improve its utilisation. It was already in itself a great affront to try improving cars that were sold as the top of technology and perfection, but Ferruccio wasn't satisfied and set out for Maranello with the intention to suggest that such modification should be extended to the whole production. Let us fancy Ferrari's indignation, well known to be not very incline to take advice; between thunders and lightnings, he threw in Ferruccio's face that he was only a tractor manufacturer and he had to continue his tractor business, without meddling in something he was completely inexperienced. At that point, the man in the street would have gone away, being offended, perhaps he would have sold his Ferrari, certainly he wouldn't have purchased a second one and for ever and ever he would have spoken badly of the rude "commendatore". But Lamborghin was like one of those who if receives a slap will return ten slaps, plus a complimentary one. Eight months after that dispute, we are in 1963, in the middle of the fields of Sant'Agata Bolognese, the Automobili Lamborghini factory was built, that very soon launched the 350 GTV, a powerful 12 cylinder car, very refined both from the style and mechanical points of view. It was nothing but a technological demonstrator to judge the capability of the newly formed company and, in fact, one only model was made. The real production started with the following 350GT. That's how the story begins of one of the most prestigious makes in Italy that, notwithstanding the vagaries of Fortune and many transfer of property, it succeeded in maintaining its image, style and exclusivity unchanged.

Birth

In the middle of the 60's Lamborghini was a young company making cars that were beyond criticism from the point of view of mechanics, however the company was yet lacking of the final consecration and above all of the stylish identity. There were many bodybuilders that measured themselves against the trim of the chassis produced by the factory of Sant'Agata Bolognese, but results were often too much tied to traditional style of the Modena school. The comparison with Ferrari berlinettes always lay in wait and represented a threat to the image of a trademark in search of its own character. Ferruccio Lamborgini, as for him, had the ability to recruit for his court a group of exceptional brains, where engineers like Gian Paolo Dallara (former Ferrari and Maserati) and Paolo Stanzani distinguished themselves for technical expertise. From their genius an engine chassis unit went out with complete new features, that was displayed at the 1965 Turin Motorshow, under the anonymous mark "P400". Interest aroused was immediately remarkable, because it wasn't even clear how they could turn a basic race car into a road car. In effect, it seemed that Dallara and Stanzani just thought of races when they were developing the guidelines of their project: chassis in boxed steel and of light weight, independent suspensions with double transverse wishbones on the 4 wheels, to which it was added a powerful 12 cylinder 60° V engine, with capacity 4000 cm3, transversely mid-mounted, an anomalous architecture for a simple road car. Fuel system was assured by 4 triple body Weber vertical carburettors. The gearbox was built into the same block with the engine and the five gears were engaged by a refined hydraulic actuator, that permitted to significantly soften the shifting of gears, while the control was keeping the traditional central lever system. Finally, the radiator was forward mounted, horizontally positioned, trying to minimize the drag. On paper they planned two separate models: a standard version with 350 bhp at 7000 rpm and a second one, the "Sprint" version, with 430 bhp at 8000 rpm, purposely designed for races and never produced. But it was missing a bodywork up to such a mechanical system: at the end of 1965 Ferruccio Lamborghini made an agreement with Nuccio Bertone, who had just recruited Marcello Gandini as a substitute for Giorgetto Giugiaro, who left the company to set up for himself. In Turin they started working hard, also because it wasn't an easy job to dress such a chassis with respect to its extremisms and reflecting its charisma in the sheets. Compromises are unavoidable: the hydraulic actuator of the gearbox was set aside because too sophisticated and expensive, while the radiator was again vertically mounted to improve the cooling system. Then there were big problems related to noise and heat insulation of the cockpit in regard to the engine room, solved thanks to the insertion of a 8 mm thick (double glazed) window which let passengers enjoy a pleasant view of the 12 cylinder engine. In March 1966, after only three months of work, the new creature was revealed at the Geneva Motorshow, being successful and arousing enthusiasm both in keen sportsmen and press. Suddenly all the GT cars that till the day before were regarded as the top of modernity, were getting old in comparison with that bold group of lines christened "Miura", from the name of a wild breed of Spanish fighting bulls. The car was characterized by a line of a very low and soft waist that underlined its mudguards with sinuosity, while the striking bonnet was ended by a wide and tight shark, mouth, that hid the radiator cooling grill and the side lights. Two other grills, black and rectangular shaped, protected the hot-air vents (one let the access to the petrol filler) with a longitudinal design that reminded us to speed and interrupted the purity of the sheet. Same motif was repeated around the headlights, perfectly round shaped and fitted with a direction system so as to position them vertically during their activity. The tail concentrated the union of the waist line with the roof panel one, hiding the Kamm outline combined into the boot, behind the engine room. This one was protected by Plexiglas to let the engine in sight, while under the lights there was a wide hot-air vent, refined by the honey-comb grille housing and hiding the exhaust pipes. The roof panel was featured by the very inclined windscreen and the rear posts, housing the extra air-vents for the engine room, protected by a weft of horizontal lamellae and a shape that followed the particular cut of windows. It's fundamental to look through the available colours for the bodywork: Miura green, Miura orange, Miura white, Miura dark blue, emerald and race red. It's mostly a question of warm pastel colours that stressed the car streamline, by making it, if possible, still more garish and exciting. Also the cockpit was very innovative, like an aeronautical layout, featured by scarcely upholstered seats but wrapping around the back. The instrument board, behind the steering wheel, housed tachometer and gyro meter, which were separated by the steering column and indipendent from stylistic point of view. Secondary instruments were gathered on the central console, while the main push button panel was obtained on the roof of the cockpit. The tunnel housed the gearbox with metallic gearshift, electric push buttons for headlight regulators, as well as the hand brake. From these elements on the whole we can understand how the Miura was the breaking point with the traditional style of GT cars built at that time. The Miura was a so sensational and up-to-dated car, that Lamborghini and Bertone thought they would have built ten models only, and in fact, there wasn't a real industrial plan behind that project, but the audience, and potential clients, in particular, forced the two characters' hand: different orders were already collected in Geneva with much advance. To start producing it was necessary to wait till June 1967, after passing through the Paris Motorshow, where the final version was revealed with some detail changes: the Plexiglas rear window was replaced by the black Venetian blind (slatted cover), while the exhaust pipes were moved below the body getting a wider boot. The price of 7,700,000 Liras was sheer madness, but we can go up by increasing the envisaged optional extras: interior in leather (155,000 It Liras), air-conditioner (300,000), external wing mirrors (16,000), extra painting (80,000), extra metallized paint (125,000). Not to mention that nothing was impossible in such a price sector and any wish could be fulfilled. However, not even competitors joked about costs and after having a look at the price-list of the time we discover that Ferrari 360 GTC was priced 6,500,000 Liras, 365 GTB 7,900,000 Liras, Bizzarini 5300 GT Strada 5,950,000 Liras, Iso Grifo GL 7 litres 7,900,000 Liras, Maserati Mexico 6,900,000, while for De Tomaso Mangusta Coupé it was necessary to pay 6,495,000.

Evolution

At the 1968 Turin Motor Show they made the debut of the Miura S, featured for an increased compression ratio 9.5:1 to 10.4:1. The power took advantage of it rising to 370 bhp at 7700 rpm, while torque went from 37.6 Imkg at 5100 rpm to 39.5 at 5500 rpm. The electrical equipment was supported by a new alternator 450 KW. Detail interior evolution also in the cockpit and bodywork: new steering wheel guided the drivers' emotions, while the roof console and the handle of the passengers side were revised. It was slightly changed from the aesthetic point of view by the addition of chrome trim around the windscreen, side windows and front headlights. At the1971 Geneva Motor Show the last evolution: Miura SV that learnt from the Jota experience, with Jota we will deal separately. The engine delivered 385 bhp at 7850 rpm, while torque rose to 40.7 Imkg at 5750 rpm, with a compression ratio equal to 10.7:1. The engine sump was separated from the gearbox one, improving lubrication, while rear suspensions were modified by the lower double transverse wishbones. The increasing performance obliged the use of brakes that got self-ventilated discs, as already mounted on the last S versions. From the aesthetic point of view the car had heavy changes: the front side was redesigned, inserting new fog lights and integrated side lights into the lower air intake. Moreover there was the loss of the "eyebrows" over the headlights, as previously provided on the other versions. Wider mudguards to house Pirelli FR205/70VR15 improved the car performance. The rear was featured by new integrated reversing lights, while the black band lost the honey-comb motif and housed the plate carrier.

How it was running

To proceed "cum grano salis" (with a grain of salt): it seemed the advice of "Auto Italiana" and "Quattroruote" in their reports on the Lamborghini Miura. The first tested the car in November 1968, recording 269 km/h top speed with 11/47 rear-axle ratio (by using 11/45 the company declared a speed of 290 km/h). What was highlighted by the authoritative magazine it was the double character of the car in relation to speed: with a reduced speed the car offered wide margins of safety, assuring a neutral behaviour when cornering and some handling qualities. Once on the racing circuit and with the use of the rod, the Miura immediately revealed its race car nature, comparable with the racing prototypes that stood out above all the others in those years. Therefore, it's necessary to be careful because "if we can make a remark, it is that the car didn't warn in advance when it slipped out of the hand". They sang the steering wheel praises, "moderately geared down, but never causing excessive fatigue", while the engine "at once responded regularly and started running vigorously around 3000 rpm. The cockpit was judged comfortable in relation to the set up and the class of the car, suitable for people of average height, and above all well soundproofed and heat insulated from the engine. The gearbox was somehow criticized, "well placed, perfectly synchromeshed, but it had a hard gear level that required very wide movements and it was impossible to use it so rapidly as they would like in a car belonging to that category". Not even the clutch appeared to have a high performance and they noticed that when warmed up it was not perfectly disengaged Same remarks were made by "Quattroruote", that tested Miura at the same time of "Auto Italiana" and with same rear-axle ratio (11/47); this time the recorded speed was 276 km/h, but the datum that stroke more the test authors was its acceleration, They wrote, in fact, that the standing start kilometre was run in 24.150 seconds : it was the best time they got at the wheel of standard production cars. It was really a lightning acceleration". They were also surprised at the fuel consumption data: "with an average of 120-130 km/h on a proving level ground without curves they could run 7-8 kilometres with one litre: on the contrary, when they wanted to test the bright qualities of the car, consumptions went down to near 3-4 km/l values". In comparison, in that period the Americans associated such a consumption with the "Chevy II", regarded as an average class car. Finally, we refer herewith to the significant conclusion of "Quattroruote", under which "apart from the improvements that could be still made, the Miura is really a fantastic car and it's all to be driven: we think of it the only car in a position to give to its lucky owner the joy of a pure drive".

The end

In 1973 they built the last Miura for a total of 755 units. Its myth was nourished by the famous names of the time who had wanted one of them: Shah of Persia, Ranieri of Monaco, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Little Tony. As to the praises ascribed to the Miura we have already mentioned abundantly, but to its qualities we have to add one more that can be defined indirect: it stimulated Ferrari company to renew style and features of its own GT cars. It's no accident that Maranello answered with the 365GTB/4 Daytona, not less exciting and innovative one, even if still more traditional one with front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, while the Miura had already adopted the mid-positioned engine on high performance cars. The discontinuation of Miura production went along with the increasing absence of interest that Ferruccio Lamborghini showed to the automobile world; he ended by selling the company control of his block of shares into two subsequent tranches. Those were the years of energy crisis and the market didn't favour such cars, without counting that the world of the automobile was going through a way of continuous sophistication, and that involved the availability of many resources to keep up with the best competitors. Since 1969 Ferrari company had been supported by FIAT a big industrial group, while behind Lamborghini there was only a stubborn entrepreneur who was able to start from nothing and make the bull on the blue field insignia known all over the world. It's not a mere trifle, if we consider how many others have tried this impassable road, before and after him, going out with broken off bones.

Canio Jakir

In particular I wish to thank the Automobili Lamborghini Holding and Automobile Museum "Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffa" in Turin.

Lamborghini Miura, in "Auto italiana", November 1968.
Lamborghini P400 Miura, in "Quattroruote", November 1968.
Deganello E., "Quando Ferruccio sognava" (When Ferruccio dreamed) in "Ruoteclassiche", October 1994
Rancati G.,"Sotto il segno del Toro" (on the sign of Taurus) in "Ruoteclassiche", October 1995
Deganello E., "Un corno a Ferrari" (the up-you sign to Ferrari) in "Ruoteclassiche", January 2003

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