1972 Lamborghini Miura SV #5008

1972 MIURA SV
Chassis #5008
Engine #30684
Prod. #704
28 Mar 1972

Originally in Red/Mustard to J. Shultz.

Purchased circa 1974 by Jon Rand of Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

Caught in the 1991 Santa Barbara, 'Painted Cave' fire which swept through an entire community, and COMPLETELY DESTROYED Miura SV "5008". The entire car was engulfed in flames within a single-car garage and 'incinerated', after the owner (upon returning home) was forcibly prevented by fire marshalls from entering his property in an attempt to save the car. The fire was so intense, he could only watch helplessly and see both his property and car go up in flames.

Following the fire which effectivey wrote off this SV, the car was abandoned in the owner's back yard for two years, consequently, the remains of whatever was not completely destroyed by the fire proceeded to corrode and rust beyond the point of salvage. What was left of 5008 was later acquired by a Miura enthusiast/specialist in Southern California. The specialist discovered that the engine block was useless as it was partially melted and heat-warped... there was simply no way it could be saved. The structural integrity of the chassis was also forever compromised because the heat from the fire was so high and the subsequent corrosion was so bad that the tensile strength of the metal could never be redeemed. The body suffered the most as the melted aluminum was so brittle and fragile, portions of it just turned into powder! (see front end photo). The custodian of 5008 at the time recalls "I could literally push my fingers through any part of what was left of the bodywork!". After determining that the life of 5008 in its original form had come to an end, the remains of 5008 were passed on to a well-known Ferrari broker who subsequently sold it as "scrap" to a Scandinavian client.

An SV carrying chassis 5008 is reported as being restored in Europe as of 10/2004, and it will be interesting to inspect that finished car.... it will have to be a 'remanufactured' car constructed entirely from spare parts, including a new engine. Hopefully it will be truthfully represented for what it is (here's to wishful thinking...), noting that the original unsalvageable 5008 was sold simply for it's chassis number.

Of note: the Californian enthusiast who owned it breifly still retains the original chassis plate on his office desk, thus the claim of a car being 'recreated' around its original chassis number plate could not even apply here. Interestingly, the fire is reported elsewhere by a perpetually-erroneous source as being "confined to dashboard and front bonnet. Engine untouched".....'imaginative' reporting at best, as the accompanying pictures prove.

4/12/05 - 5008's USA owner recounts (via phone) the harrowing ordeal that led to the demise of that car. The ex-owner confirms the car's USA history as detailed above is 100% accurate. Reports elsewhere suggesting that the damage had been overstated are baseless, as proven by the photographs of the car post-fire that accompany the car's history.

The USA owner also revealed that Miura SV 5008 was featured in ROAD & TRACK magazine in a major centerfold feature on the Miura circa 1986. Also recalled were the driving experiences in California from 1974 on when the roads would allow high speeds.

In short, 5008 was totally destroyed, firstly by fire, then by corrosion due to sitting outside for 2 years. It was sold as scrap, and the original chassis plate remains in California. Any SV that re-appears with this chassis number will be a recreated car. It is unknown who presently owns a European car now claiming chassis 5008, or where it is based.

	*Miura P400 SV*		Last updated Nov 20, 2004
			1972 MIURA SV Chassis #5008 Engine #30684 Prod. #704 28 Mar 1972 Originally in Red/Mustard to J. Shultz. Purchased circa 1974 by Jon Rand of Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Caught in the 1991 Santa Barbara, 'Painted Cave' fire which swept through an entire community, and COMPLETELY DESTROYED Miura SV "5008". The entire car was engulfed in flames within a single-car garage and 'incinerated', after the owner (upon returning home) was forcibly prevented by fire marshalls from entering his property in an attempt to save the car. The fire was so intense, he could only watch helplessly and see both his property and car go up in flames. Following the fire which effectivey wrote off this SV, the car was abandoned in the owner's back yard for two years, consequently, the remains of whatever was not completely destroyed by the fire proceeded to corrode and rust beyond the point of salvage. What was left of 5008 was later acquired by a Miura enthusiast/specialist in Southern California. The specialist discovered that the engine block was useless as it was partially melted and heat-warped... there was simply no way it could be saved. The structural integrity of the chassis was also forever compromised because the heat from the fire was so high and the subsequent corrosion was so bad that the tensile strength of the metal could never be redeemed. The body suffered the most as the melted aluminum was so brittle and fragile, portions of it just turned into powder! (see front end photo). The custodian of 5008 at the time recalls "I could literally push my fingers through any part of what was left of the bodywork!". After determining that the life of 5008 in its original form had come to an end, the remains of 5008 were passed on to a well-known Ferrari broker who subsequently sold it as "scrap" to a Scandinavian client. An SV carrying chassis 5008 is reported as being restored in Europe as of 10/2004, and it will be interesting to inspect that finished car.... it will have to be a 'remanufactured' car constructed entirely from spare parts, including a new engine. Hopefully it will be truthfully represented for what it is (here's to wishful thinking...), noting that the original unsalvageable 5008 was sold simply for it's chassis number. Of note: the Californian enthusiast who owned it breifly still retains the original chassis plate on his office desk, thus the claim of a car being 'recreated' around its original chassis number plate could not even apply here. Interestingly, the fire is reported elsewhere by a perpetually-erroneous source as being "confined to dashboard and front bonnet. Engine untouched".....'imaginative' reporting at best, as the accompanying pictures prove. 4/12/05 - 5008's USA owner recounts (via phone) the harrowing ordeal that led to the demise of that car. The ex-owner confirms the car's USA history as detailed above is 100% accurate. Reports elsewhere suggesting that the damage had been overstated are baseless, as proven by the photographs of the car post-fire that accompany the car's history. The USA owner also revealed that Miura SV 5008 was featured in ROAD & TRACK magazine in a major centerfold feature on the Miura circa 1986. Also recalled were the driving experiences in California from 1974 on when the roads would allow high speeds. In short, 5008 was totally destroyed, firstly by fire, then by corrosion due to sitting outside for 2 years. It was sold as scrap, and the original chassis plate remains in California. Any SV that re-appears with this chassis number will be a recreated car. It is unknown who presently owns a European car now claiming chassis 5008, or where it is based.