MEMORIES IN A MIURA
A once-in-a-lifetime drive around Turin in a vintage Lamborghini
Iwas in Turin in May at the invitation of the Italian National Motor Museum to test drive Tazio Nuvolari’s 1947 Cisitalia 202 SMM Spyder. The car had been especially prepared by the museum for the 2019 Mille Miglia the previous weekend where it had performed admirably. However, the toll of running on the legendary 1,000-mile route had exacted a heavy price and the rare Cisitalia unfortunately could not be made available to me.
I was disappointed, and so were those who had invited me. Perhaps, they said, I would care to drive another famous Torinese car instead – the Lamborghini Miura? But hang on; Lamborghinis are from Sant’Agata Bolognese, over 300 kilometres to the east, not from the capital of the Italian automobile industry and home of
Fiat.Yes, they said, but if you look a little closer, the Lamborghini was as much a part of Turin as it was of Sant’Agata.
How so? Well, for a start, the car was designed by the coach builder Carrozzeria Bertone of Turin, and in particular, by Marcello Gandini (then just 25 years old), of Turin and its first chassis was shown at the Torino Salone dell’Automobile in November 1965. I was told it was also built by Golden Car of, yes, Turin. Golden Car was founded by Alessandro Festa in 1949 and by the time the Miura was built, the company was responsible for producing complete bodywork (lower chassis, sides, motor and boot lids) for De Tomaso and Maserati, as well as Lamborghini.
When the Miura came out in the mid-1960s, it caused a sensation and was so glamorous that it made contemporary
Ferraris look out of date by comparison. Some 763 of the car were made between 1966 and 1972 with Gandini’s stylish capolavoro (masterpiece) body and was often acknowledged as the world’s first supercar. With its transverse V12 engine set in the middle of the car, the Miura was capable of a top speed of 174 mph (280 km/h).
Still in top form
It is always an honour and a rare privilege to drive a Miura – much more so when the one you’re driving is the stunning yellow Miura S that is an integral part of the Gandini exhibition at the museum. I could hardly believe my luck. The car was beautiful, with its exquisite lines and Bertone’s Swinging Sixties pallete, and here we were moving it from the central spot of a major exhibition just so I could have a go at it.
I have been very fortunate to have driven three Miuras previously – the 1968 Sydney Motor Show P400 (silver when I drove it but now restored to its original white and recently displayed at the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance), the Miura S originally owned by the 1960s supermodel Twiggy (lime green with white and orange racing stripes), and the most powerful of the trio, the Miura SV (in the most popular and striking rosso arancio Miura colour, favoured by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself).
However, this amazing 1971 Miura S was likely the most well-sorted of them all. In superb condition, it was also mechanically right on the button and drove like an absolute charm, strong and refined, subtle and responsive. The steering was precise and direct, the engine providing lots of torque, and of course, fast. Acceleration in any gear is enormous and with it, brakes to match, firm suspension as one would expect and the feeling in the cabin, one of practical comfort created for those who want to drive a challenging and aggressive beast.
Dashboard nostalgia
Driving around a city, let alone a historic one, is hardly relaxing and it is only out in the open road that the Miura truly comes into its own. However, our day was not going to be one of open road driving. Instead, we were rediscovering the city’s landmarks, which served as backdrops for new car models to be photographed, back during Turin’s golden era as an automotive capital.
First stop was the now somewhat down at heels and graffiti-adorned Torino Salone dell’Automobile where the original Miura was shown nearly 54 years ago. Then on towards the Parco Valentino, now home to an annual supercar show, and the Castello del Valentino, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Architecture Faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin, and where the first official Turin Motor Show took place in April 1900.
Next stop was in front of the 1898 Fontana dei Dodici Mesi (Fountain of the Twelve Months). Designed by architect Carlo Ceppi, the fountain is composed of marble statues representing the 12 months of the years, the four seasons and the Rivers Dora, Sangone, Stura, and Po, which flows nearby through the city. We stopped by the fountain to have some photos taken of the car with a beautiful model, our own living statue to add even more lustre to the already beautiful car.
A drive through a small tunnel reminded me of the scene from the 1969 film The Italian Job where a Miura was unceremoniously destroyed as Rossano Brazzi drives chassis number 3586 through the Alps up the Gran St Bernard Pass with “On Days Like These” by Matt Monro in the background. But perhaps it is the words of another crooner that best sums up the Miura. As Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra himself, said, “You buy a Ferrari when you want to be somebody.You buy a Lamborghini when you are somebody.” I certainly felt like somebody driving Gandini’s creation around this lovely city before returning it to its temporary home at the museum, thoughts of any other car now firmly banished from my mind.