Standing in front of a Lamborghini Miura is a dream come true for any car enthusiast. Seeing one in Spain is extremely rare, as we are only aware of three in existence. Admiring it alongside all its descendants is something even harder to experience, even at top-tier international events. We’d been dreaming of this for years, and we’ve finally made it a reality to mark the 60th anniversary of the Miura’s debut.
At a single glance, we could take in the history and evolution of the brand that invented the modern concept of the supercar: a car designed to be extremely fast and visually stunning, but not with the intention of winning races, as was the case with many of the great sports cars from Ferrari, Maserati, or Mercedes-Benz.
Although the René Bonnet Djet, unveiled in 1962 and later produced by Matra, is generally considered the first production car with a mid-engine layout, the Miura was the first to feature a large transverse V12 engine behind the seats. This layout was typical of racing sport prototypes and was applied for the first time to a production car of this kind. Ferrari responded five years later with the unveiling of the 365 GT4 BB in 1971, although production did not begin until 1973.
MECHANICAL EVOLUTION
The V12 engine family to which the Miura’s engine belonged had been originally designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and made its debut in a front-mounted configuration in the first production Lamborghini, the 350 GT. In the Miura, it was mounted transversely behind the cockpit; in the Countach, it was mounted longitudinally, a layout that was also retained in the Diablo and the Murciélago.
In total, nearly half a century of evolution of the same mechanical architecture. During that time, displacement and power increased, carburetors were phased out, electronic fuel injection was introduced, and increasingly sophisticated management and drivetrain systems were incorporated. The Aventador debuted a completely new engine in 2011, and the Revuelto has ushered in a third phase, retaining the naturally aspirated V12 but integrating it into a hybrid system with three electric motors.
MIURA IN AUTOPIA
At Autopía, we enjoy exactly these 6 models:
Miura P400 SV (silver)
Countach 25th Anniversary (blue)
Diablo SV Restyling (yellow)
Bat (sky blue)
Aventador SV Roadster (burgundy)
Scrambled (purple)
To hear the differences between the various generations, we decided to start up all six cars. The crowd spontaneously formed a circle around them, and the scene resembled a bullring by the lake—a particularly fitting comparison for a brand whose history and model names are so closely tied to Spanish bullfighting. All in all, it was an unforgettable moment that we will undoubtedly recreate when we celebrate the Miura’s 70th anniversary!
We’d like to thank the owners of these magnificent cars for lending them to us and supporting the growth of automotive culture in our country. Thanks to you, 18,000 people were left speechless!
OUR FRIENDS
The Miura SV on display at AUTOPÍA, on loan from the Heiderich-Ornilla collection, also has a particularly notable provenance, having belonged to Ben Heiderich, one of the pioneers of automobile import and distribution in Spain and a figure closely linked to the arrival in our country of brands such as Porsche and BMW.
The Countach and Diablo SV belong to our good friend Castán, a leading expert in the world of Lamborghini and the world’s finest classic cars.
The Murciélago belongs to Julio, an art enthusiast; the Aventador belongs to Carol, our number one participant in all our events; and the Revuelto belongs to our friend JL, who drives it every day because he realized that you only live once.
Thank you, everyone!
Without getting into the special editions of each model, here are the total production figures for each model in Lamborghini’s V12 mid-engine supercar lineup.
Fun fact: More Aventadors were produced than the total number of the three previous models combined!
| Model | Production | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Miura | 1966–1973 | 763 |
| Countach | 1974–1990 | 1,999 |
| Diablo | 1990–2001 | 2,903 |
| Bat | 2001–2010 | 4,099 |
| Aventador | 2011–2022 | 11,465* |
| Scrambled | 2023–present | In production |
GALLERY
