This Lamborghini Miura Is Rolling Art
If not for a minor accident, Dr. Georg Gebhard would have had no idea just how special his 1967 Miura really was.
“I just wanted an early one, because they were only 930 kilos [2050 pounds],” he explained as he showcased the car this fall at the Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705 in Italy. “The next one was 1100 [2425 pounds] and the last one is half a tonne [1102 pounds] heavier. It also has a very brutal sound.”
The German scientist and car collector determined that his Miura, chassis number 3045, had been delivered new to Italian textile magnate Felice Riva and had a couple of owners in France before Gebhard bought it in 2004. What he knew, it turns out, was only a fraction of the story.
“We had a small repair and the painter called us and said there were more colors underneath,” Gebhard recalls. “We looked at it, and my wife wanted to scratch it all back like it is now, but I didn’t want to and said, let’s do it in the original color [Rosso].”
“Then three years ago we had another small repair at the front, and we saw all the colors again. We decided, let’s do it—scrape it back and see what we find. I did it with the painter and spent two weeks scratching off the paint by hand—I would call it reverse painting. Of course the problem with reverse painting is when you scratch off too much, you will not get it back.”
As he began to reveal multiple different colors–more than 20 layers in total—Gebhard realized he was creating a piece of automotive art. He refers to works by Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandisky and others as inspiration.
The result is unquestionably the most unusual-looking Miura. Even more fascinating is how its vivid colors may reveal a long-hidden history.
Gebhard shares that after more than two years of research, he unearthed an extraordinary story. It was widely believed that the original Miura “Sperimentale” prototype had been destroyed after a collision with a truck, but the colors on Gebhard’s car painted a different picture.
The Miura that Lamborghini revealed at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show car was chassis number 0502, which was sprayed Rosso (later known as Arancio). At Turin, a Miura appeared in Bianco. Further show cars wore Argentino Indianapolis and Giallo Sole. At the 1967 Geneva show, a Miura appeared again in Argentino Indianapolis and, later that year, in Giallo Verde. Gebhard asserts that this was exactly the sequence of colors revealed as he painstakingly removed layer after layer. All lay beneath the Rosso hue in which the car was sold to its first owner Riva.
“So that means it was done before,” he adds. Gebhard says he subsequently spoke to former employees at Bertone who confirmed that just one Miura was painted over and over—Lamborghini wanted to test public reaction to the different colors.
Gebhard’s detective work does present evidence that his may well be the protoype show car, even though its chassis plaque number is not the same. “It was so easy to replace and put any number they wanted on [the car],” he says. Hagerty has not been able to independently verify Gebhard’s assertion.
Gebhard estimates all those extra layers of paint added 50 kg (110 pounds) to the Miura, so it’s not exactly the lightweight he originally wanted—but it’s even more special than that.
Miura psychedelic edition. It’ looks like it’s a trip, literally.
HEAVY…..
PLEASE..PLEASE..LEAVE IT SS WE C IT IN THE PICTURE..MAY B A COUPLE OF COATS OF CLEAR Poly- Urethane..THIS IS A VERY RARE N VALUABLE ASSET..2 COMPLETELY TAKE IT DOWN 2 BARE METAL N FINISH IT SS 1 SOLID COLOR WOULD RUIN ITS PEDIGREE..
I think ur 14 year old stole ur fone n may b posting on Hagerty.
h hello sir how are you how is everything with you I hope it is good I wanted to asking you about the price of your car the Lamborghini I mean if you do want to selling it how much do you want for that car and is I think good condition need anything or not can you do send me some pictures from that car me from around outside the car inside the car panel of the car inside the car trunk engine if that is possible. I do appreciate things and thank you otherwise nothing October 14th 2024 it is 5:10 in the evening Los Angeles
That guy will never sell that car
Maybe not but somebody eventually will…
This unrestored half finished look as a trend in automotive restoration has gotten way out of hand. Leaving a vehicle with an unrestored paint job started as a cop out by guys who couldn’t do body work or couldn’t afford to pay someone to do it. And in this modern world where logic and reason seems to be in short supply, every other meat head copied it. There is a skill to make old vehicles look new, only lazy morons think this is ok. BTW, these are the same people who use the phrase “good enough” regularly.
Agree. The also-overused term “rat-rod” isn’t always a 27-32 Ford.
I agree with you in theory, but make an exception for this car. We now know that this one prototype was displayed at every motor show that year and repainted every time. That is an amazing story and here is the proof. I wouldn’t blame the owner for returning it to its very first paint scheme, but I appreciate the history now revealed.
Fine. Take a picture of it, and then finish the restoration.
Touche`
This isn’t just some random old car that needs a paint job. This is the prototype that went around all the car shows. Wiping out all that history would be a crime.
No it wouldn’t. To not restore it is nothing more than laziness and a cop out. Why do I want to see what every body else thought was ok to do to this car? The only opinion I care about is the original designer’s vision. Everything else is irrelevant. That includes your opinion btw.
I am surprised by the weights quoted. I seem to remember my 1972 SV weighing 1,240kg, but I sold it in 1987, so perhaps I am mistaken
A most unusual and unique way to determine a cars pedigree, verified by the folks at Bertone who would be the very people to know for sure. Leaving the car as it is now would seem to be the logical thing to do as it shows the evidence for all to see. Thanks for the article.
This Miura is parked under the Russian Space Shuttle Buran in the Tech Museum in Speyer, Germany. I was there last year and it looks insanely beautiful. The museum is highly recommended and works together with the Tech Museum in Sinsheim.
I’m a middle class guy driving a volvo xc90 r-design
I have a 61 bugeye sprite with a sbc 383ci.
I recently met a gentleman who has a 1961 mga for sale.
He’s the original owner of the unrestored car.
It runs and drives.
No mods, no rust all original.
Interested in a story?
Email me
Has anyone determined yet why the current VIN on the car does not match the VIN originally assigned to the car? The VIN tag which is attached to the front frame section is spot welded to the frame, and would be very easy to change. The job number or production number of the car is typically stamped all over the car on various body panels and trim parts by Bertone.So theoretically even if the VIN plate was changed the job numbers would be the same. There are a few Miuras originally purchased new as a P400 that were either wrecked and repaired at the factory or upgraded at the factory and given new serial numbers, so it’s not unheard of for even the factory to change VIN tags. The article mentions “compelling evidence” but says nothing about conclusive evidence. Lamborghini assigned an engine number to every engine they built, which in turn was then recorded and noted on the ID plate riveted to the car. Are all these numbers verified by Lamborghini who was responsible for the final assembly of the car? A good story, a very interesting exterior finish, but personally would like to see something more conclusive before I started calling it “ the first Miura”!
I’m calling this the Gobstopper™ Miura.
I too roll my eyes at these $200,000 “rat rods”. Please…..
But…..do agree with roadio55 about making an exception here. This is not trying to make the Miura something it’s not; it’s revealing what it truly is. The visual representation is what makes the story.
I am highly skeptical that 20 layers of paint added just 110 pounds however. It would be interesting to hear a body man weigh in, but I’m thinking it’s more in the neighborhood of 200 – 300 pounds.
Bottom line: You gotta love the “revealing” of very special car and its coat of many colors, regardless of whether it is #1 or not. And ever better, all by chance! I’m buying the idea that it is the original show car, based on the history explained, but find it odd that Lamborghini didn’t have more cars in different colors available for the future shows and had to repaint it several times? Raises eyebrows…. And yes, @JAM, I too would be curious to learn more about if/why the VIN was changed. Great story, if that car is the original, it is priceless and I bet Lamborghini would buy it back!