Allow us to introduce you to the subject of this epic story: the Lamborghini Miura SV chassis number 4848. An early single-sump SV finished in Rosso Corsa and specified with optional air-conditioning, this Miura was delivered new to Italy. The car was subsequently exported to Japan and ultimately returned to Europe in 2021, shortly after when it was acquired by its current US-based owner.

A client of Girardo & Co., said owner entrusted our own historical research guru Marcus Willis with overseeing and managing chassis number 4848’s complete restoration. And so, over the last three years, Marcus has divided his time between Oxfordshire and Emilia-Romagna, Italy’s ‘Motor Valley’, where a band of incredibly knowledgeable and remarkably talented artisans led by Roberto Bertaccini of Cremonini Classic have undertaken this truly remarkable project.

Before this Miura LP400 SV woos the judges at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, we thought it only right to chronicle the restoration of this Lamborghini and showcase the talent, time and energy poured into this project by everybody involved. As we’re sure you’ll agree, the result speaks for itself…

Avengers assemble! Key personnel from Cremonini Classic, Marchesi, Top Motors Salvioli, Elettrauto Gatti William and Interni Auto Bussolari join Marcus (and Alex!) to inspect the Miura and officially commence the restoration. Frankly, when it comes to the restoration of a Miura, there is not a more qualified or respected group of specialists on the planet.

 

The Miura’s original transverse V12 engine is separated from the chassis by Top Motors Salvioli in Modena to be disassembled and restored – the engine will not be reunited with the chassis for over two years…

 

Steampunk! Water-blasting is the first step for the Miura’s bare chassis – in addition to stripping the paint, water-blasting allows the raw condition of the metalwork to be established.

 

Marchesi & C. was the company charged by Lamborghini with originally building the chassis for the Miura back in the 1960s and 1970s – where better to send ‘our’ P400 SV to ensure everything is just as it should be beneath the surface?

 

Marchesi & C. retains all the original technical drawings for the Miura, which its skilled craftsmen referenced when carrying out the necessary tweaks to this SV’s chassis to make it pinpoint perfect.

 

With the chassis straight as a die thanks to Marchesi, Cremonini turns its attention to the sultry Bertone-styled bodywork…

 

After an anti-corrosion spa treatment, it’s a case of adjustment – a painstaking game of millimetric to-and-fro to get the wonderfully intricate doors and sharp, sculptural clams in the exact right position.

 

It’s by no means a quick process, but the obsessive attention to detail by Cremonini’s craftsmen will pay dividends on the world’s concours fields in years to come…

 

It’s a numbers game – pictured are chassis number 4848’s original door handles, numbered with their correct Bertone production numbers (738).

 

After hundreds of hours, the metalwork is very nearly complete by this point, with the rear clam and its various slats, cut-outs and openings finalised and the rest not far behind.

 

A well-used but overall healthy engine block – it’s always satisfying when the disassembly period of a restoration doesn’t throw up too many nasty surprises.

 

Two milestone have been smashed – not only is chassis number 4848’s body now dry-fitted and virtually ready for primer, but it became one of the very first cars to be relocated to Cremonini’s magnificent new headquarters in Maranello. 

 

Marcus and Roberto inspect every inch of the Miura’s body prior to signing it off for primer and paint – a vital ‘no-going-back’ stage of the project.  

 

Failure to prepare, prepare to fail – before even the primer is applied to the body panels, each has to be cleaned, sanded, cleaned and sanded again in order to ensure the surface is absolutely flat. 

 

Pretty, isn’t it? The Miura is now completely in primer and awaiting its new coat of paint. It’s now over to the estimable gents over at Top Motors Salvioli to restore the mechanical components and ensure they’re in ruder health than the day they left Sant’Agata all those years ago.

 

“There’s something about a classic car body in its raw primer that just makes you want to touch it,” explains Marcus.

 

One can never underestimate the importance of the dry-fit – even in the period after priming and before paint, Cremonini piece the car back together to ensure everything fits with perfect precision.

 

Case in point... 

 

Now comes perhaps the hardest part of the restoration for this Miura’s owner, which is deciding which colour to paint the car – Rosso Corsa, as chassis 4848 left the factory, or something different but more to his personal taste? Decisions, decisions…

 

Without further ado… Verde Metallizzato was the colour chosen by this Lamborghini’s owner – the very same shade in which the Miura P400 SV was launched at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show.

 

It’s a rich and sumptuous shade that will accentuate the Miura’s Gandini-designed curves and angles beautifully…

 

Patience is a virtue, especially for the man charged with masking the black steel sections of the chassis (they’ve undergone cataphoresis anti-corrosion treatment) prior to paint.

 

Painting a car is an art form in itself and Cremonini really is one of the best in the business.

 

The application of several layers is required to give the colour its alluring metallic shine…

 

Marcus has his first opportunity to see the Verde Metallizzato in person – suffice to say, he is not disappointed.

 

With painting complete, the chassis of this Miura is sent over to Elettrauto Gatti William where the wiring loom will be fitted.

 

The wiring loom has been painstakingly rebuilt by hand from original archive drawings, pictured in the labelled tubes.

 

All the car’s gauges have also been inspected, with date stamps satisfyingly corresponding with the original factory dates of production.

 

A nightmare to the untrained eye, but for Elettrauto Gatti William, it’s its craftsmen’s bread and butter.

 

Slowly but surely, chassis number 4848’s internal nervous system is fastidiously wired back in.

 

Over at Top Motors Salvioli, chassis number 4848’s mechanical components are being meticulously reinstalled, from the suspension and the brakes to the fuel system.

 

Shiny restored Weber carburettors wait patiently to be refitted to the engine... 

 

...but not before the cylinder heads! 

 

More pertinently, the Miura’s heart – that glorious 380HP V12 – has sung its sweet song for the first time since the car arrived in Italy well over two years earlier. Okay, so it’s not in the chassis but rather on the dyno, but seeing and hearing the freshly rebuilt engine is a hugely exciting moment.

 

After over two years, a pivotal moment in the restoration of this Lamborghini Miura SV has arrived... 

 

Having been tuned to perfection on the dyno (with particular attention paid to the intricate balancing of the carburettors), chassis number 4848’s transverse V12 is very carefully reinstalled.

 

Take a bow, Top Motors Salvioli!

 

*Takes note: “Engine now in car…”

 

By no means nearing completion, but incredibly satisfying to see the painted car on its wheels and awaiting its new interior.

 

On the subject of the interior, it’s now over to Interni Auto Bussolari, the historic company which will retrim the Miura by hand.

 

Pictured is the underside of the dashboard, once again showing the correct period Bertone production number.

 

As per the specification of the 1971 Geneva Motor Show Miura SV, the interior of chassis number 4848 will be retrimmed in Senape, or mustard.

 

Once again, artisan skills employed just as they were in the period are used to restore the interior of this Lamborghini – it’s not quick, but the quality is unparalleled.

 

Here are the freshly upholstered door cards, which gives you a better idea of how the colour looks on the car – beautiful, right?

 

Call us sad, but opening the original unopened new-old-stock set of Kangol seatbelts we managed to source was the undisputed highlight of this particular visit to Italy – they are just fantastic, complete with all the original fittings and even the labels, which have aged a little, giving them an authentic feel.

 

If you’ve ever driven a Miura P400 S or SV you’ll know the roof-mounted controls form a big part of the experience…

 

Having the opportunity to witness these incredibly talented craftsmen plie their (often generational) trades has arguably been one of the greatest gifts of this project.

 

Back to Interni Auto Gatti William now, where Christian is wiring in the final instrumentation. It’s just the fitment of the front clam and windscreen to go after this…

 

With the finish line emerging into sight on the horizon, it’s down to Top Motors Salvioli to put the finishing touches to the mechanical aspects of this Miura.

 

A tantalising taste of things to come... 

 

It’s not unfair to say that hundreds of hours have led up to this point – chassis number 4848 waits patiently to be driven out on the road for the first time in almost three years.

 

A clearer photo of the aforementioned new-old-stock set of Kangol seatbelts, fitted to the gorgeous Senape seats – there are few more inviting classic car interiors than a Miura’s!

 

First things first, fuel... 

 

Pre-flight checks with the experts from Top Motors Salvioli...

 

Chassis number 4848 is road-tested on the very same Modenese roads it was back in 1971, an incredibly important moment for everybody involved in this exhaustive project. 

 

Road-testing a Lamborghini Miura SV – it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it…

 

The factory seal of approval for what is arguably the best Miura on the planet: chassis number 4848 is submitted for Lamborghini’s Polo Storico certification at the factory in Sant’Agata.

 

The process allows Marcus to examine the original Lamborghini factory build records for this Miura, an unforgettable experience and a fitting full-circle moment for this three-year project.

 

Fin.

This Lamborghini Miura P400 SV makes one last appearance for the camera before its starring moment at Pebble Beach, at home at Lamborghini. Priceless.

Photos courtesy of Gabriele Natalini 

We’re currently offering a fabulous 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 S finished in Verde Miura over a Senape interior (just like chassis number 4848’s) – if you’d like to discover more about the car, you can click here.