1972 Lamborghini Miura SV (P400 SV)
- Engine
- 3.9L DOHC transverse mid-mounted alloy V12 with four twin-choke carburetors, 385 bhp
- Colour
- Rosso Corsa (red)
The Lamborghini Miura SV, chassis 3673 (production number 751), is among the last ten examples built before production closed at 762 units. Delivered new in November 1972 to Captain Arthur Mechin in South Africa in Rosso Corsa over Nero, the car employed a Lamborghini factory practice of re-using a destroyed car's chassis number to circumvent local import duties. Retaining its original drivetrain, factory-numbered body panels, and approximately 80 percent of its original interior, the car was subsequently conserved rather than restored, with mechanical work carried out by specialists. It has since been shown at concours events including the Miami Beach Concours.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$1,900,000 – US$2,200,000
- 1972-11-01 → 1990Factory deliveryCaptain Arthur Mechinpartial documentation
South African resident who took original delivery; the car was registered using a previously destroyed Miura's chassis number to circumvent local import duties, with only the factory and owner aware of the arrangement.
- 1990 → 1994Private saleMr. Jordanpartial documentation
- 1994 → 2001Private salePrivate collectorpartial documentation
- 2001 →Private saleStephen Dohmepartial documentation
Enthusiast and collector who eventually sold the car to the current consignor.
- Date unknownPrivate saleCurrent ownerpartial documentation
Acquired as a restoration project but, guided by his father and a Lamborghini specialist team, shifted focus to conservation; approximately 140,000 USD was spent on mechanical work including an engine rebuild.
Competition
- —Miami Beach Concourswell received and applauded
First public showing following completion of the conservation effort; specific year not stated in the text.
- —The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
Planned appearance in Monterey in the same year as the auction, immediately prior to the RM Sotheby's Monterey sale.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Bodywork
An earlier repaint in Rosso Corsa lacquer was applied at some point in the car's history; approximately 80 percent of this paintwork survived and was subsequently touched up and preserved rather than replaced.
The surviving original interior (roughly 80 percent intact) was also preserved as part of the same conservation philosophy.
- —Engine rebuildZakira's Garage
The V-12 engine was fully rebuilt by a Cincinnati-based specialist known for vintage Indy car engine work and previously featured in the automotive press.
- —MechanicalLamborghini Palm Beach
Approximately $140,000 in additional mechanical work was carried out over roughly a twelve-month period as part of the broader conservation programme.
Work was overseen over a five-month period with guidance from the owner's father, a long-standing Miura specialist, with the goal of making the car concours-eligible while preserving originality.
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