VIN: the ex-Twiggy Lamborghini Miura P400 S chassis 3961
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HISTORY OF CHASSIS 3961
Chassis 3961 was dispatched on July 19th 1969 as a right-hand drive Miura S uniquely configured in Verde with dual two-tone Arancia / Bianco stripes and Nero upholstery. The car was ordered through Lamborghini’s British distributor, Mitchel & Brittain (also known as Lamborghini Concessionaires) based at the Alie Street Service Station in Tower Hamlets, London.
The striking car was commissioned by British fashion model, Leslie Hornby, better known as Twiggy.
Just 19 years old when her Miura was delivered, Twiggy had taken the fashion world by storm since becoming an overnight sensation in 1966. As one of the first international supermodels and a massively in-demand icon of sixties pop culture, Twiggy was able to charge more than five times the average British weekly wage for just one hours work.
Chassis 3961 was actually the second Miura to join Twiggy’s household as one year earlier her manager and boyfriend, Justin de Villeneuve (real name Nigel Davies), had taken delivery of a Bianco P400 (chassis 3676) which in 1970 the couple had rebuilt to S trim back at the factory when the exterior colour was changed to Verde.
Other interesting cars owned by Twiggy at the time included a 1968 Mini Cooper S (registration VUU 325G) and a one-off gold Toyota 2000 GT (chassis 10130). The 2000 GT had been gifted to Twiggy after Toyota hired her to stand on stage alongside it at the 1967 Tokyo Motor Show. In November 1969, Twiggy took delivery of an Aston Martin DB6 (SLR 464F) by which time there was also a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce in the garage.
Twiggy retained chassis 3961 (which was registered MBM III) until the spring of 1974. By this time the car had covered around 17,000 miles. It was purchased by garage proprietor, Michael Hipperson, who ran Old School Garage in Blackmore End, Braintree, Essex.
Hipperson had found out about chassis 3961’s availability by his brother, David, who worked for Paul Michaels at Hexagon of Highgate in London. Given the world was in the midst of an Oil Crisis caused by war in the Middle East, Michaels had elected to pass on the gas guzzling Lamborghini which was being offered for £4000.
By contrast, Hipperson agreed to buy the Miura and, the next weekend, departed for a large house in Oxshott, Surrey. Having knocked on the door, the keys were dropped out of the letterbox and a bankers draft sent the other way.
Michael Hipperson retained chassis 3961 until 1976, at which point he sold it to a collector from Australia for £8000 with around 21,000 miles on the odometer. The Miura has remained in Australia ever since.
Editor’s note:
We would would like to thank Michael Hipperson for providing these superb photos which, along with many more, appear in his book, Let Them Stare, the proceeds from which are donated to Little Havens Children’s Hospice. Buy a copy here at: https://www.letthemstare.co.uk/
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Michael Hipperson - https://www.letthemstare.co.uk/
