Lamborghini Miura Reunion 2000

MIURA REUNION August 17-19, 2000
Concorso Italiano

Reunion of the Fighting Bulls
by Joe Sackey

Named by Ferruccio Lamborghini after the ferocious fighting bulls of Seville, the Miura celebrated its 35th birthday at last year's Concorso Italiano with a largest ever International reunion of the World's first roadgoing mid-engined supercar.

Miuras journeyed from as far away as Hong Kong and Switzerland, and from Wisconsin, Ohio, Utah, Hawaii, Minnesota, Washington DC and California within the United States. Mechanical gremlins kept disappointed owners of Miuras from New York, New Jersey, Canada, and Japan from attending, but they vowed to be at the next reunion with their cars. The final tally was twenty-six cars, more Miuras than had previously ever been seen at one location in the history of the car, including at the Factory during production years, where no more than twelve cars or so would be seen at various stages of completion at any given time, according to ex-Factory Miura production-line workers.

This historic event was well reported in the automotive media. Thoroughbred & Classic Cars proclaimed "Miuras shine over Monterey weekend" in a news feature that earned more coverage space than the Pebble Beach 50th Anniversary report. Sports Car International declared it "was undoubtedly the largest ever gathering of the famed Lamborghini" and also reported that one of the Miura reunion participants was sold for "an impressive $233,500.00 the following night at the Brooks Auction". Autoweek produced one of the best ever Miura articles written by enthusiast and veteran journalist Pete Lyons. He described the Miura as a car "cherished by acolytes who seek out, restore, nurse, show, and, on special occasions, drive them as if ministering to priceless religious icons". He continued, "Fire up one of these V12 engines and its sound transports your imagination....Floor it. Thats the only way to live!" Before the reunion, Thoroughbred & Classic Cars produced a cover feature of the Miura, exploring examples of the P400, P400S, P400SV and SVJ together for the first time in the history of the Miura. "The sight of four Lamborghini Miuras... snarling and crackling along the snaking sun-bleached tarmac...would be enought to evoke sensory overload. The purposeful beauty, ferocious accleration... make any Miura encouter a heady experience."

The event at Concorso Italiano resulted in several very special Miuras. The only surviving P400 prototype (chassis number 0706) still in its original Miura giallo paint, was brought by its owner of 33 years, hotel magnate, John Willard Marriott Jr. The first US production/customer P400 (chassis number 0979) now owned by California enthusiast Steven Mandell, was also present, as was the last US production P400SV (chassis number 5064) brought by then-owners, Christies. Two very special Miuras built especially for, perhaps the most prominent Miura entusiast of all, His Imperial Highness the late Shah of Persian, were reunited again; the Miura SVJ (Chassis number 4934) of oscar-winning actor Nicholas Cage and the Miura SV (chassis number 4870) of Joe Sackey, the event's organizer.

Also present were Michael Kadoorie and his owned-from-new Miura S that he had especially flown in from Hong Kong for the event (the first time that this car has left Kong Kong since it was new), and Simon Kidston's Miura SV (chassis number 5110), the car with the very last production number, coming in from Switzerland. Of several ground-up restorations, Jim Dawson's simply mouth watering Miura S, authentically and correctly restored by marque-specialist and chief judge Gary Bobileff, was much admired and in fact, won the overall award at Concorso Italiano for 'Peoples Choice'.

The day after Concorso Italiano, a dozen flame-spitting Miuras blasted up Pacific Coast Highway in the all-too-brief Miura tour, during which the sight and crackling sounds of twelve fighting bulls screaming up the coastline had to be seen and heard to be believed! For some drivers, this was the best part of the weekend and more that a handfull expressed a desire to do it again real soon....perhaps in 2003 at the 40th Anniversary of Lamborghini?

	*Events*		Last updated April 23, 2001
			*MIURA REUNION August 17-19, 2000* *Concorso Italiano* Reunion of the Fighting Bulls by Joe Sackey Named by Ferruccio Lamborghini after the ferocious fighting bulls of Seville, the Miura celebrated its 35th birthday at last year's Concorso Italiano with a largest ever International reunion of the World's first roadgoing mid-engined supercar. Miuras journeyed from as far away as Hong Kong and Switzerland, and from Wisconsin, Ohio, Utah, Hawaii, Minnesota, Washington DC and California within the United States. Mechanical gremlins kept disappointed owners of Miuras from New York, New Jersey, Canada, and Japan from attending, but they vowed to be at the next reunion with their cars. The final tally was twenty-six cars, more Miuras than had previously ever been seen at one location in the history of the car, including at the Factory during production years, where no more than twelve cars or so would be seen at various stages of completion at any given time, according to ex-Factory Miura production-line workers. This historic event was well reported in the automotive media. Thoroughbred & Classic Cars proclaimed "Miuras shine over Monterey weekend" in a news feature that earned more coverage space than the Pebble Beach 50th Anniversary report. Sports Car International declared it "was undoubtedly the largest ever gathering of the famed Lamborghini" and also reported that one of the Miura reunion participants was sold for "an impressive $233,500.00 the following night at the Brooks Auction". Autoweek produced one of the best ever Miura articles written by enthusiast and veteran journalist Pete Lyons. He described the Miura as a car "cherished by acolytes who seek out, restore, nurse, show, and, on special occasions, drive them as if ministering to priceless religious icons". He continued, "Fire up one of these V12 engines and its sound transports your imagination....Floor it. Thats the only way to live!" Before the reunion, Thoroughbred & Classic Cars produced a cover feature of the Miura, exploring examples of the P400, P400S, P400SV and SVJ together for the first time in the history of the Miura. "The sight of four Lamborghini Miuras... snarling and crackling along the snaking sun-bleached tarmac...would be enought to evoke sensory overload. The purposeful beauty, ferocious accleration... make any Miura encouter a heady experience." The event at Concorso Italiano resulted in several very special Miuras. The only surviving P400 prototype (chassis number 0706) still in its original Miura giallo paint, was brought by its owner of 33 years, hotel magnate, John Willard Marriott Jr. The first US production/customer P400 (chassis number 0979) now owned by California enthusiast Steven Mandell, was also present, as was the last US production P400SV (chassis number 5064) brought by then-owners, Christies. Two very special Miuras built especially for, perhaps the most prominent Miura entusiast of all, His Imperial Highness the late Shah of Persian, were reunited again; the Miura SVJ (Chassis number 4934) of oscar-winning actor Nicholas Cage and the Miura SV (chassis number 4870) of Joe Sackey, the event's organizer. Also present were Michael Kadoorie and his owned-from-new Miura S that he had especially flown in from Hong Kong for the event (the first time that this car has left Kong Kong since it was new), and Simon Kidston's Miura SV (chassis number 5110), the car with the very last production number, coming in from Switzerland. Of several ground-up restorations, Jim Dawson's simply mouth watering Miura S, authentically and correctly restored by marque-specialist and chief judge Gary Bobileff, was much admired and in fact, won the overall award at Concorso Italiano for 'Peoples Choice'. The day after Concorso Italiano, a dozen flame-spitting Miuras blasted up Pacific Coast Highway in the all-too-brief Miura tour, during which the sight and crackling sounds of twelve fighting bulls screaming up the coastline had to be seen and heard to be believed! For some drivers, this was the best part of the weekend and more that a handfull expressed a desire to do it again real soon....perhaps in 2003 at the 40th Anniversary of Lamborghini?