The Miura turns 60 this year; its final major production evolution, the Miura SV, marks its 55th anniversary. We touched on the model's 50th Anniversary in 2021. Now, Lamborghini has enlisted Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli to tell the story of the Miura SV, pairing two icons linked by a shared belief in engineering’s ability to push beyond established limits with a new short film, titled Beyond the Edge.
Nespoli’s role in the anniversary tribute carries particular significance. The Miura emerged during the space race, an era shaped by rapid technological progress and a determination to push beyond accepted limits. Across three missions, Nespoli spent 300 days in space, experiencing accelerations exceeding 4g and speeds exceeding 27,500 kph (17,100 mph). Driving a pristine Miura SV in the film, he recognizes the same conviction that propelled the early space program: a belief in engineering’s power to redefine what is possible.
“The Miura SV went beyond the edge, beyond belief. Even 55 years on, you can feel the engine power, the way the clutch moves with the gearshift, putting power to the wheels. I am obsessed with engineering and technology; I always look to the future, but driving the Miura SV I feel young again.” - Paolo Nespoli
Introduced in March 1971 at the Geneva Auto Show, the SV, or Super Veloce, was the Miura’s final major production evolution, with an estimated 150 examples built. It refined the formula that had made the original Miura a sensation back in 1966: a transverse 3.9-liter V12 mounted behind the cabin and bodywork created at Bertone under Marcello Gandini.
The SV received revised engine tuning, a wider rear track, and substantial chassis and bodywork changes. Output rose to approximately 385 horsepower, making it one of the fastest road cars of its era with a top speed in excess of 180 mph. Later examples also adopted separate lubrication systems for the engine and transmission.
As for the Miura itself, just two years after Lamborghini was established, the Italian marque revealed a radical mid-engined chassis at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. The production Miura followed in 1966, three years before Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
Its development began as an unofficial project led by Lamborghini engineers Giampaolo Dallara and Paolo Stanzani, together with chief test driver Bob Wallace, at a time when the young automaker was known primarily for front-engined grand tourers. Ferruccio Lamborghini ultimately approved the concept, and the resulting production car helped establish the mid-engined layout as the defining architecture of the modern exotic car.
To this day, the Miura is widely regarded as the world’s first modern supercar. Its combination of dramatic (now timeless) styling, extraordinary performance, and an engine mounted behind the cabin helped establish the template for the exotic cars that followed.
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Super Veloce went on to become one of Lamborghini’s most evocative designations. It later returned on models including the Diablo SV, Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, and Aventador LP 750-4 SuperVeloce, with the related SVJ badge taking the formula further. Although each interpreted the idea differently, the designation consistently signaled a sharper, more performance-focused Lamborghini.
Interest in the Miura has only intensified with time. Exceptional examples can now command several million dollars, as highlighted in our recent Miura market spotlight, while the model’s anniversary year has inspired events beyond Sant’Agata, including the largest gathering of Miuras at Pebble Beach during the upcoming Monterey Car Week. It also set the direction for Lamborghini’s subsequent V12 flagships, a lineage the company has revisited with the Revuelto Miura 60° Homage, unveiled earlier this week.
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Images: Automobili Lamborghini
