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HomeCar CultureIconic Lamborghini Miura SVR is restored by the Italian factory

Iconic Lamborghini Miura SVR is restored by the Italian factory

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One of the world’s most-famous Lamborghinis Miuras, the Miura SVR, has been restored by Lamborghini Polo Storico in a 19-month project that brought the uniquely modified coupe back to its original SVR specs.

Just one Miura SVR was produced by the Lamborghini factory, which rebuilt a standard 1968 model based on the performance-enhanced Miura Jota created by famed Lamborghini engineer and test driver Bob Wallace. The project was prompted by customer demand after Wallace’s Jota received so much publicity and acclaim.

The Lamborghini Miura is powered by a V12 engine

“The Miura with chassis number 3781, engine number 2511 and body number 383 was born as an S version painted in trademark Verde Miura with black interior,” according to a Lamborghini news release. “After changing hands eight times in Italy, the vehicle was bought in 1974 by German Heinz Straber, who took it back to Sant’Agata (Lamborghini’s factory location) in order to have it transformed into an SVR – a job that required 18 months of work.”

The re-created SVR was sold in 1976 to a customer in Japan, where it achieved iconic status and inspired a series of comic books called Circuit Wolf. It also became the blueprint for a highly successful 1:18-scale model from toy maker Kyosho.

The Lamborghini Miura SVR inspired a scale-model edition and a comic-book series

“After Wallace’s Jota was lost in an accident, incessant customer demand in the following years led Automobili Lamborghini to build a few Miura SVJ models and – remarkably – a single Miura SVR,” the news release says. “The latter was eventually sold in Japan, where it served as the ‘model’ for both the vehicle used in the comic book and the Kyosho toy version.”

Paolo Gabrielli, Lamborghini head of after sales and director of the Polo Storico, said the restoration of the only Miura SVR was extremely challenging. The only deviation from the original custom build, he said, was the addition of four-point safety belts, more-supportive seats and a removable roll bar for track-demonstration safety.

The restored Miura SVR received some safety upgrades
The restored Miura SVR received some safety upgrades

“The full restoration took 19 months and required a different approach to the way we normally work,” Gabrielli said in the news release. “The original production sheet wasn’t of much help, as we relied mostly on the specifications from the 1974 modifications.

“The challenge for the Polo Storico team was even more daunting as the car arrived in Sant’Agata in pieces, although the parts were all there, and with considerable modifications (from the factory build).”

The restored Miura SVR was exhibited at Japan’s Nakayama Circuit before being delivered to its new owner.

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Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

1 COMMENT

  1. C’Bell ~
    sweet to see UPDayted acknowledgement of this Miura.
    I was thinking the past 10 -20 yrs that it was Hubert Hahne . Im grateful for the Correcction .
    Where can i find the Original Specifications of the SVR, .Engine-wise etcetera .
    🏁Devotamente ☇gF NM/FL USA
    🕊

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