After the familiar restorations of a Lamborghini Countach and a Miura SV, the Lamborghini Polo Storico — the department dedicated to restoring the Lamborghini of yesteryear — presents us with the Lamborghini Miura SVR , his latest restoration.
Only 763 Lamborghini Miuras were produced between 1966 and 1972, which makes it quite special, but there are some Miuras more special than others. This is the case of this unique specimen now restored.
Jota inspiration
The Lamborghini Miura SVR was built in just one unit, the result of the request and desire of a customer, the German Heinz Straber, in 1974.
The inspiration behind the SVR is one of the most mythical Miuras ever, the jot . Developed in 1970 by Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace, it was a considerably lighter and more powerful Miura, ready to compete — the Jota designation referred to Appendix J of the FIA regulations.
The only Jota in existence, unfortunately, would end up destroyed in an accident, burning beyond any chance of recovery. It was the end of Jota, but not the fascination for him. At the request of several customers, Lamborghini would produce several Miura SVJs, not as extreme as the original, but still heavily inspired by the original, featuring modifications to the bodywork, engine, exhaust system, suspension and brake cooling.
But Straber wanted more. He was the ninth owner of a 1968 Miura S — chassis #3781, engine #2511, bodywork #383 — painted in the characteristic Miura Green and interior in black, having even been on display at the 50th Salon in Turin.
The oportunity
In the winter of 1974, he was moving towards Sant’Agata to carry out a maintenance service on his Miura, but he had an accident, with the front of the car slightly damaged. Why repair if we can totally transform the car? That's exactly what he asked Lamborghini to turn his Miura S into something similar to the Jota.
But the Miura had already gone out of production, so Lamborghini informed Straber that such a request, to convert the S to Jota specifications, was not possible to satisfy. There are people who simply don't take no for an answer, having taken the initiative to get the necessary pieces. In February 1975, he returned to Lamborghini with a set of high-performance car parts — which included three-piece BBS wheels and brakes from a… Porsche 917 — as well as a list of what he wanted Lamborghini to build for him. and also, of course, a generous amount of money to make your wish possible.
His dream machine would be delivered to him later this year. Thus was born the only Lamborghini Miura SVR . But I wouldn't keep it for long — Heinz Straber and the SVR were in Germany, but the car still had the original registration in Italy, which didn't please the German authorities. When he tried to register it, the German authorities declared the car too radical to drive on public roads.
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Next destination: Japan
He had no other option but to sell it, which would happen in 1976. Its new owner would be the Japanese Hiromitsu Ito who took it to Japan and remained there until 2015, the year it became available for sale.
But not before becoming a star. The car impressed everyone and everything, becoming one of the main inspirations of the manga publication “Circuit Wolf” and would be reproduced by Kyosho in a 1:18 scale, elevating it to the status of a cult car.
19 months in restoration
The restoration at Polo Storico, directed by Paolo Gabrielli, took 19 months. The approach to it had to be different from other restorations – it is, in fact, a transformed car, so they used the transformations carried out in 1975 as a reference. The challenge was even greater because the Miura SVR arrived at the premises disassembled.
Regarding the original specifications, the only changes made relate to the addition of four-point seat belts, seats with more support and a removable roll bar — requests made by the new owner to be able to properly and safely use the Miura SVR in exhibitions on circuits.
The SVR may not be the most beautiful of the Miura, but it is without a doubt the ultimate evolution of the Miura, correcting many of its flaws.