One to Buy: 1 of 1 ex-Heinz Steber 1968 / 76 Lamborghini Miura P400 SVR
Although from a technical perspective the Miura still had plenty of potential for further development, once Lamborghini unveiled the Countach prototype at Geneva in March 1971, attention turned to the major task of getting this radical new model ready for production.
Simultaneously, the long overdue Urraco (a less expensive V8-engine offering created to sell in much larger volumes) was also swallowing up a vast amount of resources.
Despite having been preoccupied with these other projects, between late 1971 and mid 1973, Lamborghini did find time to produce a tiny number of Miuras inspired by the experimental and widely admired Jota from 1970. This special batch of VIP cars, dubbed SV/J, came with an array of cosmetic and mechanical enhancements, but were hardly a true evolution of the Miura theme.
Against the odds, such a car did eventually emerge in 1976 to give a tantalising glimpse of how the Miura may have evolved in line with the latest tyre and aerodynamic technology. The commission came from German Miura S owner, Heinz Steber, who in 1975 convinced Lamborghini to transform his car into the ultimate Miura.
The resultant Miura SVR was enhanced in practically every department but ultimately proved too radical for the German authorities to homologate for road use. As a result, Steber sold his unique Miura to a Japanese collector soon after completion in 1976.
Today, this one-off Miura built on chassis 3781 is being represented by Bingo Sports in Tokyo. Having recently undergone an 18 month restoration by Lamborghini Polo Storico, it is offered in superb condition and would make an incredible centrepiece to practically any high end collection.
Reprinted below is Bingo Sports’ description for this most significant one-off Lamborghini:
After the original Miura Jota was destroyed in an accident, several Miura owners inquired about rebuilding the car. This led to a handful of standard Miura’s being rebuilt to certain levels of Jota specifications. These converted Miuras make up a small fraction of the 763 Lamborghini Miuras produced between 1966 and 1972.
This particular model, the Miura SVR Jota, was originally a Miura S (chassis #3781, engine number #2511, body number #383), shown at the 50th Turin Motor Show in 1968. In 1974, then owner Mr Heinz Straber of Germany sent the Miura to the factory to be converted to a more race-focussed Jota spec in 1974 by the factory. It is a 1 of 1 recreation and the only SVR in the world, with the “R” of SVR standing for racing. The whole transformation work took 18 months and the car has been in Japan since it was completed in 1976, where it has maintained a famous presence since. The headlights are larger and features a wider body kit to accommodate the large BBS Wheels on Pirelli P7R tyres, with an eye-catching Countach inspired spoiler added on the roof.
The exterior is finished in Verde Miura over a black interior. At one time, the interior was gold but restored back to black by Polo Storico in 2018. The restoration took 19 months and required the team to take a different approach to usual due to the one of one nature of the car. The results speak for themselves.
