Lamborghini restores the one-of-a-kind Miura SV presented at the 1971 Geneva show

By Ronan Glon March 11, 2016

Lamborghini Miura SV 1971 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lamborghini’s Polo Storico division is celebrating the Miura’s 50th birthday by restoring the very first pre-production Miura Super Veloce (SV) ever built. The car was shown to the public for the first time during the 1971 edition of the Geneva Auto Show.

Wearing chassis number 4846, the first-ever Miura SV is a monumentally important car in Lamborghini’s history. It’s a one-of-a-kind model that was built using parts borrowed from the earlier Miura S, as well as components that were later introduced on the regular-production SV. Lamborghini explains that its Polo Storico division went to great lengths to preserve the show car’s authenticity instead of simply rebuilding it to standard SV specifications.

Lamborghini took chassis number 4846 entirely apart in order to restore or replace every single component. The V12 engine was fully rebuilt, the bucket seats were re-upholstered with tan leather, and the Bertone-designed body was repainted in its original Verde Metallizata hue. All told, the restoration process took about a year from start to finish. Some parts were conveniently waiting in Polo Storico’s warehouse, while others had to be custom-fabricated using period blueprints.

“This is a very important car, not only for its place in history as the Geneva show car and the forerunner of future Miura SV models, but as the first completed project of Lamborghini Polo Storico,” explained Polo Storico boss Enrico Maffeo in a statement.

The first-ever Lamborghini Miura SV is being displayed at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance that’s taking place this weekend. It doesn’t sound like Lamborghini is ready to part with the SV, but enthusiasts lusting after a like-new Miura can have their car shipped to Lamborghini’s Polo Storico shop in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, and painstakingly restored by the same people who built it decades ago.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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