It comes around every five years, and yet somehow feels even more impressive and special every time our Instagram feeds are blessed with it. A dazzling array of Giallo, Rosso, Nero and the occasional Viola all belonging to Lamborghini’s crown jewel, and the world’s first supercar, the Miura. Since 2006, Simon Kidston and his team alongside well-known Italian organisation 2Fast4You have brought owners together for a drive inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO tours that have run since the early 1980s. This year it was the 60th anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura, and 14 cars set off from Manhattan at dawn, lining up outside the Hotel Peninsula on Fifth Avenue, and even a storm brewing over New York couldn’t dampen the mood. 

The NYPD closed the street and laid on a police escort out of the city, creating a truly surreal moment for both participants and the lucky onlookers who stumbled upon it while walking the busy streets. Seeing cars you’d normally find at a concours or an auction being warmed up in the drizzle, ready for adventure made for an incredible photo opportunity, and the tour had barely made it out of the first block. It’s worth noting, too, that the first to arrive in Manhattan was Valentino Balboni, the ex-factory test driver who has driven more Lamborghinis than just about anyone in history. Also present was the Bruno Metallizzato SV, rescued from a crumbling Italian palazzo in 2020 and still unrestored, making its first public appearance in years.

Over the next five days, the group covered more than 1,100 kilometres, or 685 miles, through New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut before crossing the Hudson River into the Catskills and their spectacular fall colours. Stops included the Audrain Automobile Museum and Magazzino Italian Art. While the participants enjoyed the pitstops, behind the scenes was a team of 17 staff, technical specialists, a tow truck and two photographers, though Kidston says the aim is the feel of a road trip with friends, not a corporate event.

So how did the cars cope? The SV and the S are closely matched on a straight, but the SV’s wider rear wheels and improved suspension give it the edge on twisty roads and at high speed. By Simon’s own admission, the Miura isn’t perfect. The brakes lack ABS and need a firm push, and the gearbox and pedals are heavy, but its raw V12 pulls cleanly from 1,000rpm to almost 8,000, and there were no complaints over bumpy, winding roads and mixed weather. 

Kidston also believes this is why Miura values have risen, strengthen the fact it’s the automotive supermodel of its era, and unlike younger “investment” supercars, it rewards you even at legal speeds. As he puts it, “If it was easy, it would be boring, and that’s exactly where the real fun starts.”