Back in the 1960s, the sports car industry in Italy was monopolized by supercar giants like Ferrari and Maserati. Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the industry in 1963 specializing in the same type of sports car produced by Ferrari; the grand touring race cars. As much as he adored Ferraris, he disliked the fact that the sport cars were built for competition purposes and he would like to build sports cars suitable for normal road users.

Ferruccio finally hit the jackpot with his 1966 creation, the Lamborghini Miura. It was the sports car that defined the success of the company for years to come. Debuting into the market with only an engine on the rolling chassis, the mid-engine prototype P400 left many spectators at the 1965 Turin Salon Auto Show in awe.

The story of how the name Miura came about to represent this impressive sports car is also an intriguing piece. Ferruccio Lamborghini, a Taurus himself, was so taken by the strong and fierce nature of the Miura fighting bull at a ranch that he decided to name the model and placed the bull as the emblem for Lamborghini.

The designer for the prototype was Marcello Gandini and the bodywork was finished just days before the official debut in the Geneva Motor Show. The mid-engine layout with the front of the vehicle sporting the clamshell-style bonnet was well received by the crowd. The design was so eye-catching that the crowd could overlook the fact that Lamborghini refused to show its engine during the motor show; because there was none!

When the P400 went into production in the following year, it finally donned the official name of Miura. The engine attached to the small engine bay is the 3.9 litre capacity V12 engine which was also used in previous Lamborghini cars such as the 400GT though improvement was made on the 1970 Miura which had a higher horsepower.

The engine is powerful enough to reach a top speed of 289 km/h which is considered very high compared to average super cars on the road.

Another astonishing part of the Miura is the use of Campagnola wheels which are fitted with central locking nuts. These wheels are usually used on competitive race cars and the Miura was the first road friendly sports car to spot these set of wheels. The sports car is considered lightweight at 1292kg.

The interior of the Miura is accommodated to road users and each revised versions put in additional convenience to the comfort for the users. The 1970 Miura is the revised version fitted with upgrades such as powered windows, chrome trims added to the window frames and headlights, air conditioning and also notched trunk end panels allowing bigger space for storage.

It was only a matter of time before this model became a new toy among car enthusiasts who could afford them; namely the race car drivers, celebrities and wealthy businessmen.

Production for the exact specification of 1970 Miura ceased in 1971 and only 140 of them were produced in the world; making this classic sports car the “halo car” that Ferruccio Lamborghini had dreamed of making.