The Car That Invented the Supercar Just Turned 60

The world's first supercar just turned 60. Wild to think but March 10 marked the anniversary of a car that's been dripping cool since it showed up on stage in Geneva. The Miura, built by Lamborghini with a V12 behind the driver and design from Bertone. Company was selling farm equipment just four years before this.

Supercar Didn't Exist Before the Miura

When Lamborghini revealed the Miura in 1966 it wasn't the world's first mid-engined car. Might as well have been though. Everything before it looked dull next to the timeless design penned by styling legend Marcello Gandini and built by Bertone.

A 3.9-liter V12 (yeah you'll see 4.0 everywhere but Lambo now claims 3.9) mounted sideways behind the cabin making 350 horses. Or would have if there'd actually been an engine in the car. When the prototype hit the stage Lamborghini's engineers who'd been building the chassis partly on their own time hadn't figured out how to make the V12 fit yet.

"The Miura did more than introduce a new car, it changed automotive history," said Lamborghini president Stephan Winkelmann. "Revolutionary architecture, breathtaking design, uncompromising performance. It defined the supercar and set Lamborghini on a path of fearless innovation."

No wonder that concept had issues. Gandini and Bertone weren't even thinking about it till November 3, 1965. Ferruccio Lamborghini had the chassis on display in Turin. Nuccio Bertone walked up at the end of the show and said he'd create "the perfect shoe for this wonderful foot." That's the legend anyway. Lamborghini's using some creative license here.

Get Ready for a Miura Party

Design got finished in weeks, work on the steel started in January. For the March reveal they painted it orange and it rocked the automotive world. Picture the Miura sitting next to other new models that year. Mk 2 Ford Cortina, Toyota's original Corolla, a 1966 Chevy Impala that somehow ended up in Switzerland.

Later versions bumped power from 350 to 370 horses then 385. Top speed climbed past 180 mph. Got pushed off a cliff in The Italian Job, beaten by a Beetle in Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo. No matter where it showed up though it stood out. Story goes Enzo Ferrari called the Jaguar E-Type the most beautiful car in the world but if he did it was only because this thing didn't exist yet.

Lamborghini doing anything to celebrate? Not really or at least nothing announced. No modern one-off or low-volume car like the 2022 Countach LPI 800-4.

Should be some stuff once weather warms up. When the 60th anniversary of the chassis hit last year Lamborghini announced "a full year of celebrations." Included an official factory drive tour celebrating the car that invented the term supercar.

Anyway happy birthday Miura. We should all look this good at 60.