1971 Lamborghini Miura S (late Series II)
- Engine
- Transverse mid-mounted V12
- Colour
- Bare metal (originally Gray-White)
Lamborghini Miura S chassis 4761 is a late Series II S example, one of roughly fifty transitional cars combining the narrow-fendered, eyelash-headlight aesthetics of earlier models with SV-style brakes, CV-joint rear axles, enlarged Weber carburettors, and reinforced structure. Delivered new to a young Iranian student in California, the car was laid up after a minor front-end incident and remained dormant for decades before being acquired by a preservation specialist who commissioned a documented, sympathetically executed revitalisation rather than a full restoration. The car retains its original interior, sub-16,000-mile odometer reading, and original delivery tyres.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$2,095,000
- 2019 →Acquisition unknownCurrent consignorfull documentation
Preservation-focused enthusiast who commissioned a careful mechanical recommissioning and nose repair while deliberately retaining original paint, interior, tires, and documentation rather than undertaking a full restoration.
- Date unknownFactory deliveryIranian student at UC Berkeleypartial documentation
Young woman whose parents arranged delivery at the factory as a US-spec car; she kept and drove it for roughly two years rather than selling it as intended, until a minor front-end incident took it off the road.
- Date unknownPrivate saleSan Mateo body shop proprietorpartial documentation
Acquired the damaged Miura intending to restore it to running condition; sourced replacement parts directly from the factory in 1977 but never completed the project. The car remained dormant in his care for over four decades.
Competition
- —Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceBest Postwar Preservation Car
Award was given to a different Miura also owned by the current consignor, not to chassis 4761 itself.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1977Repair
Replacement parts were sourced directly from the Lamborghini factory in preparation for repairing front-end damage, but the repair work was never undertaken. The removed original parts were kept with the car.
Work initiated by the San Mateo body shop owner who had acquired the car; project stalled and car remained dormant.
- 2019RepairBeckman Metal Works
Painstaking eight-month reconstruction of the damaged front nose section by a specialist metalworker, incorporating factory-sourced parts from the 1977 procurement; only the minimum metal was sectioned in, and all removed original pieces were retained alongside photographic documentation of every stage.
Carried out by Steve Beckman of Costa Mesa, California, following the consignor's acquisition of the car.
- 2019BodyworkMorgan Images
Additional paint and bodywork corrections completed, culminating in the removal of remaining paint from the body to expose bare metal; original factory colour survives untouched in door jambs and front bulkhead.
Carried out by Chris Morgan.
- 2019Mechanical
Comprehensive mechanical recommissioning: fuel tank removed and serviced, fuel manifold restored, water and oil pumps rebuilt, new aluminium cooling tubes and brake lines fitted, timing chain tensioners serviced, valve springs adjusted, twin distributors restored and timed. Weber carburettors fully restored to factory condition including original colour and inspection markings, and custom velocity stacks fabricated to specifications developed with the late Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace.
Mechanical work directed by Lamborghini Miura specialist Jeff Stephan; uninstalled factory airboxes retained and included with the car.
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