With the exalted values they command these days, you’re more likely to see a Lamborghini Miura being paraded at a concours or coming under the hammer at a world class auction, writes Simon Kidston. But to remind ourselves what ownership of these landmark V12 supercars should really be about, we took the initiative to host a rally commemorating the model’s 45th birthday in its natural habitat: Italy.
Organised for us by historic Mille Miglia founder Costantino Franchi’s 2fast4you team, and based in Tuscany’s unspoiled Maremma region, the three-day event took in some of the best roads Europe has to offer – including the hills of Chianti wine country, Elba’s dramatic coastline and the picturesque Val d’Orcia near Siena. Far from the beaten track we were guests in centuries-old homes, rustic restaurants and famous vineyards, getting between them in one of the most beautiful motor cars ever designed.
Better still, we were honoured to have one of those designers with us: Ingegnere Paolo Stanzani, who later went on to create the Countach and steer the Lamborghini factory through troubled waters, all while still in his 20s. He was joined on the Miura Tour by the ebullient Tonino Lamborghini, whose storytelling kept everyone entertained, recalling with a smile: “I was just the owner’s son, Stanzani and his team were the ones who really counted”.
Highlights? The walls of Monteriggioni, a hilltop village dating back a thousand years and closed to motor cars for decades, reverberating to the music of V12s before we tucked into lunch at Il Pozzo. The mediaeval town of Siena, home to the famous Piazza del Campo and the motor racing Nannini family’s pasticceria, welcoming us with soaring architecture, hidden artisanal shops and the best gelato we’ve tasted all summer. A short ferry-ride away, the island of Elba, best-known as the place of Napoleon’s exile, revealing roads every bit as exciting and dramatic as Sicily’s Targa Florio. And flicking a Miura through a series of bends criss-crossing a rocky landscape in quick succession towards Marciana Marina, giving the same satisfaction a slalom skier feels when it all comes together... but with an added soundtrack that few sports can match.
Some 700km later and all the owners agreed they knew – and respected – their cars far better than when they arrived on Italian soil. Only one Miura ‘failed to proceed’ for a minor glitch, and another participant was allowed to bring his angular Countach ‘periscopica’ at the last minute as his SV wasn’t ready, proving that the more they’re driven, the better these cars get.
If the 45th anniversary was this much fun, imagine what the 50th will be like...
Special thanks to Costantino Franchi, Franco Majno and Valentina Croce (www.2fast4you.it) and their highly professional team, who catered to our every need, Ing. Paolo Stanzani and Dott. Tonino Lamborghini for their entertaining company, photographers Francesco, Pietro and Filippo, writer Massimo Delbo’ and Hotel L’Andana, a truly magical place.
Text: Simon Kidston