[5] The Miura was originally conceived by Lamborghini's engineering team, which designed the car in its spare time against the wishes of company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini, who preferred powerful yet sedate grand touring cars over the race car-derived machines produced by local rival Ferrari.

It received stellar receptions from showgoers and the motoring press alike, each impressed by Marcello Gandini's sleek styling and the car's revolutionary mid-engine design.

During 1965, Lamborghini's three top engineers, Giampaolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani and Bob Wallace put their own time into developing a prototype car known as the P400.

When finally brought aboard, Lamborghini gave his engineers a free hand in the belief the P400 was a potentially valuable marketing tool, if nothing more.

Sales head Ubaldo Sgarzi was forced to turn away members of the motoring press who wanted to see the P400's power plant.

The name "Miura", after the famous Spanish fighting bull[9] breeder (pronounced [ˈmjuɾa]), was chosen and featured in the company's newly created badge.

The car gained the worldwide attention of automotive enthusiasts when it was chosen for the opening sequence of the original 1969 version of The Italian Job.

It was slightly revised from the P400, with the addition of power windows, bright chrome trim around external windows and headlights, new overhead inline console with new rocker switches, engine intake manifolds made 2 mm larger, different camshaft profiles, and notched trunk end panels (allowing for slightly more luggage space).

Other revisions were limited to creature comforts, such as a locking glovebox lid, a reversed position of the cigarette lighter and windshield wiper switch, and single release handles for front and rear body sections.

Miles Davis also owned a Miura; in October 1972, he crashed it while attempting to turn off of the West Side Highway at 100 km/h (60 mph) while under the influence of cocaine, breaking both of his ankles and totaling the car.

This also alleviated concerns that metal shavings from the gearbox could travel into the engine with disastrous and expensive results, and made the application of an optional limited-slip differential far easier.

[citation needed] In 1970, Lamborghini development driver Bob Wallace created a test mule that would conform to the FIA's Appendix J racing regulations.

The engine was modified to produce 418–440 bhp (312–328 kW) at 8800 rpm, with an increased compression ratio (from 10.4:1 to 11.5:1), altered cams, electronic ignition, dry-sump lubrication and a less restrictive exhaust system.

After the Miura Jota had been destroyed, its original owner Walter Ronchi commissioned two former Lamborghini employees to build a P400S-based tribute car.

[20] Another recreation of the Jota was later undertaken by Chris Lawrence of Wymondham Engineering for Lamborghini owner Piet Pulford from the United Kingdom on chassis #3033.

Further Miuras were subsequently upgraded to SVJ specifications (trying to imitate the real factory SVJs) by various garages in Switzerland, the USA and Japan.

Another one-off, the Miura Roadster (actually more of a targa-model, but without a removable roof) was built by Bertone as a show car.

Gordon had Bobileff Motorcars in San Diego, California return the car to its original Bertone Roadster form.

Finished in pearl white, the SVJ Spider was the formerly yellow Miura S presented at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, and uses chassis #4808[29] Equipped with wide wheels and a rear wing reflecting the marque's revival, it was wrongly considered by some as a prototype for a possible limited series of Miura Spiders whereas in fact it was simply a one-off show car constructed on behalf of the Swiss Lamborghini importer Lambo-Motor AG (and as such is not an official factory modification or indeed has any link to the factory bar its original 1970 build).

Lamborghini specialist Autodrome (France) purchased the car from Wicki and restored its bodywork and upholstery in partnership with Carrosserie Lecoq (Paris).

Instead, the Miura concept car officially debuted at the North American International Auto Show two weeks later.

Although the film's events see the car destroyed by a bulldozer, the actual vehicle used in most of the shots still exists and was restored by Lamborghini's Polo Storico division in 2019.