It takes something truly special to draw attention
at a classic car show as dazzling as the Salon Retromobile in Paris. But a
brand no less storied and impressive than Lamborghini proved itself up to the
task at this year’s show.
The Italian automaker’s Polo Storico division
arrived at the French vintage-auto expo this month with this prize-winning
Miura – a 1970 P400 in a rather stunning shade of green called Verde Scandal.
Chassis #3264 was fully restored by the company’s
classics department over the course of 10 months – addressing not only its
timeless bodywork, but its interior and chassis, electrical, braking, and
cooling systems as well. The comprehensive restoration process was completed
this past August, after which the Miura won the top prize in its class at the
dedicated Lamborghini & Design Concorso d’Eleganza in Neuchâtel,
Switzerland, in September.
The Miura wasn’t the only vehicle the
Italian supercar manufacturer displayed at Retromobile this year. Alongside it
sat the body of chassis #1120204 – a 1976 Lamborghini Countach LP400
painstakingly repainted in its original shade of yellow. The supercar is
part-way through its restoration process, getting right down to its tobacco
leather interior and matching-numbers twelve-cylinder engine.
Lamborghini Polo Storico also announced the
availability of new engine heads for its old 4.0-liter V12, painstakingly
reproduced from the original designs from 1965. The division currently has
several more projects underway, including vintage examples of the LM002,
Espada, Jarama, Islero and Diablo – the latter currently standing as the
“newest” model eligible for the factory’s extensive restoration and
certification program.
