VIN: the Shah of Iran's Lamborghini Miura P400 chassis 3303
History of chassis 3303
Chassis 3303 was the 101st Miura built.
As it was destined for a VIP client, the car came with several special features.
The customer was Mohammad Pahlavi, Shah of Iran.
3303 was the first of four Miuras the Shah purchased. An S, SV and SV/J followed along with an Espada and two Countach LP400s.
As one of the richest men in the world (with access to much of Iran’s mineral wealth), Pahlavi was able to accumulate a fine collection of automobiles; in addition to the Lamborghinis there were Ferraris, Maseratis and Porsches plus vast numbers of Rolls-Royce, Bentleys and Mercedes-Benz.
The Shah chose a Rosso / Bianco colour scheme for his Miura. He requested the car be further personalised with a chrome front bumper lip, chrome window frames and body coloured side intake blades.
On 9th February 1968, chassis 3303 was delivered to the Shah at his winter residence, Villa Suvretta in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
The car remained in Switzerland as opposed to being flown to Tehran to join the royal fleet.
As the 1970s drew to a close, power in Iran began an inexorable shift towards the hardline Muslim scholar, Ruhollah Khomeini.
The Shah and his family fled Iran on January 16th 1979. During the course of the next 18 months, Pahlavi resided in Egypt, Morocco, the Bahamas and Mexico.
In late October 1979, US President, Jimmy Carter, was forced to allow the Shah into the US for medical treatment. In retaliation, a group of Khomeini-backed Muslim students seized the United States Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American hostages. They demanded the Shah be handed over to face trial for crimes against Iranian citizens and almost certain execution.
The siege lasted 444 days.
Mid-way through (on 27th July 1980), the Shah died in Egypt aged 60.
After two failed rescue attempts by the United States, the hostages were finally released in January 1981 as Iran descended into war with Iraq.
The majority of the Shah’s car collection was seized during the 1979 Islamic revolution. However, 3303 escaped this fate. It resurfaced in London a few years later in the ownership of the Shah’s son, Alireza Pahlavi.
Alireza Pahlavi retained chassis 3303 until 2010.
Notable History
Rosso / Bianco
0.9mm chassis
101st Miura built
Left-hand drive
09/02/1968 delivered to Mohammad Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Villa Suvretta, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Retained by Pahlavi’s son, Alireza Pahlavi after the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
