Lamborghini Miura Restoration

There seems to be a motoring anniversary for most every marque this year, and Lamborghini is no exception! The first model was launched 55 years ago, and there have been many models since. In today's post, we bring you all the details of a recent restoration project, as well as details of a new book ... 

Lamborghini Polo Storico has completed restoration of one of the most famous Miuras ever built: the Miura SVR. On the occasion of its delivery to Japan, the car was exhibited at the Nakayama Circuit.

As is well-documented, only 763 Lamborghini Miuras were produced, between 1966 and 1972, at the company's plant in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. The number of Miuras built outside of Sant'Agata, however, is much greater, as numerous car manufacturers have created scale versions of what is one of the most iconic vehicles in automobile history.

Among these was Japan's Kyosho, which produced 1:18 scale models of both the Miura SV and Miura SVR. The Kyosho SVR, in particular, has achieved legendary status among collectors, since it depicts one of the most astonishing Lamborghinis ever built: a race car evolution of the fabled Jota developed by Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace, which was even featured in the Japanese manga "Circuit Wolf."

After Wallace's Jota was lost in an accident, unrelenting customer demand in the years following led Automobile Lamborghini to build a few Miura SVJ models and – remarkably – a single Miura SVR. The latter was eventually sold in Japan, where it served as the 'model' for both the vehicle used in the comic book and the Kyosho toy version. The car is Miura SVR chassis number #3781, which has been returned to its former splendour by the Polo Storico specialist, and exhibited during an event organised in its honour at Nakayama Circuit in Japan.

This Miura, with engine number 2511 and body number 383, was born as an S version painted in trademark Verde Miura with black interior. It was originally delivered to the Lamborauto dealership in Turin, Italy, on 30 November 1968, following its display at the 50th Turin Motor Show.

After changing hands eight times in Italy, the vehicle was bought in 1974 by German Heinz Straber, who took it back to Sant'Agata in order to have it transformed into an SVR – a job that required 18 months of work. In 1976 the car was sold to Hiromitsu Ito and made its way to Japan, where it caused quite a sensation, not least as the inspiration for the 'Circuit Wolf' comic book series.

The vehicle's legend was further cemented when it was chosen by Kyosho as the base for its renowned scale model, whose lines and colours made this SVR an indelible part of model car lore.

Paolo Gabrielli, Lamborghini Head of After Sales and Director of the Polo Storico, said:

"The full restoration took 19 months and required a different approach to the way we normally work. The original production sheet wasn't of much help, as we relied mostly on the specifications from the 1974 modifications. The challenge for the Polo Storico team was even more daunting as the car arrived in Sant'Agata in pieces, although the parts were all here, and with considerable modifications. The only variations on the original specifications were the addition of 4-point safety belts, more supportive seats and a removable roll bar. These were expressly requested by the customer and are intended to improve safety during the car's racetrack exhibitions."

Later this year, we'll be publishing our new book on the Lamborghini Murciélago. This will be the first book solely on the model, and is a unique dedication to the marque's flagship. With it's V12 Bizzarrini-engine, space frame chassis, and scissor doors, this car is magnificent, and you won't want to miss a chance to get your copy! Sign up to be notified of it's release on our website. 

Goodwood Festival of Speed

This year's iconic festival takes place from the 12th to the 15th of July, and this year's event is extra special, as the festival is celebrating it's Silver Jubilee!

The first festival, held in June 1993, redefined what a car event could be, and, in the years since, it has firmly established itself as the world's greatest celebration of motorsport and car culture. To commemorate this milestone birthday, the Duke of Richmond, the event's founder, will be picking his 25 favourite moments from the first 25 years.

It's not just the festival's anniversary that will be celebrated, as two iconic marques will be commemorating their own significant Jubilee in West Sussex this weekend. The central focus of this year's event will be the Porsche 356, which is celebrating it's 70th anniversary. The 356 was the original rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car of the Stuttgart marque, staring a lineage that survives to this day with the 911. The Central Feature, designed by Gerry Judah, will be erected in front of Goodwood house, making the German marque the first manufacturer in history to be commemorated with the Central Feature for the third time.

Land Rover's Platinum anniversary will also be celebrated at Goodwood, with a parade of 70 vehicles heading up the famous hillclimb. Featuring in this parade will be an original Range Rover, and one of the last Defenders to roll of the production line. 

"It's a great occasion for us to be able to bring two iconic British institutions together in anniversary years. We're honoured to be able to host the Land Rover 70th parade up the hill for our Silver Jubilee." – Duke of Richmond. 

The festival is renowned for attracting the rarest and most exciting road and race cars and motorcycles ever created, with this year being no different. Here are some of the standouts that will be making an appearance this weekend.

Special Edition Ford Mustang GT and Ford Mustang Bullitt

A special edition Ford Mustang GT paying tribute to the US fighter pilots who served in the RAF during World War II will be making it's world debut. This one-of-a-kind Mustang GT takes inspiration from the RAF Eagle Squadrons that flew over the fields of Goodwood nearly 80 years ago, so it's fitting that it makes its first appearance here. This car will be piloted up the hill by world champion Formula Drift driver Vaughn Gittin Jr on Thursday 12 July, and will be on static display throughout the rest of the festival.

Ford Eagle Squadron GT Mustang

Accompanying this unique car is the all new Ford Mustang Bullitt, along with the iconic 1960s original Mustang GT Fastback, made famous by Steve McQueen in the film, Bullitt. Ford revived the Bullitt name with an all-new model launched at this year's Detroit Motor Show, to mark the film's 50th anniversary. Both cars will be taking on the hillclimb over the course of the four-day festival.

Mustang Bullitt '68 and '19

Goldeneye Aston Martin DB5

One of the most famous Bond cars is going to be going up for auction at Bonhams Festival of Speed sale at Goodwood on Friday 13 July. The Goldeneye Aston Martin DB5 is expected to sell for between £1.2 and £1.6 million. When bought by the current owner back in 2001, the car became the most valuable piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold. It has previously been on display at both The National Motor Museum and the Bond in Motion exhibition at Covent Garden.

"The DB5 is the Ultimate Bond car. Every fan remembers Pierce Brosnan tearing through the hills in this car, and it must be up there as one of the most thrilling Bond car chases in history." – Sholto Gilbetson, head of Bonham cars.

Roborace

Roborace will be attempting the first-ever fully driverless hillclimb when the firm's autonomous race car, Robocar, takes on the 1.16-mile track, guided only by automated systems. The vehicle will be tasked with navigating hay bales, flint walls and forests on the Goodwood estate, using a variety of sensors that give it 360-degree machine vision. In addition to this historic run, visitors will also be able to enjoy the hillclimb from the Robocar's point of view, in a custom, fully immersive VR experience in the Roborace booth, located inside Future Lab.

Tesla

The new Tesla Model 3 will make its European and UK debut, when it appears on the Telsa stand alongside the larger Model S Saloon, the Model X SUV and Tesla's home charging Powerwall. The Model 3 is proving to be popular in the States, with around 5000 cars rolling off the line a week – a milestone that was hit at the end June, just meeting Tesla's own quota target for the end of the 2nd quarter for 2018. According to tests carried out by the American Environmental Protection Agency, the Model 3 can cover 310 miles on a single charge. It's estimated that this car will cost around £30,000 when it hits the UK market in a year or so, and that's after the £4500 government grant for zero-emissions vehicles is applied.

All of this, and much more, will be on show at this weekend's festival. It's sure to be a great 25th anniversary for this iconic event!

New exhibition at the Louwman Museum

Here at Veloce, we are rather fond of Mercedes Benz, having published many titles on this iconic marque. This summer, the Louwman Museum, in the Netherlands, will host a special exhibition dedicated to a racing classic. 

Following the successful 'Silver Arrows 1934 - 1939' exhibition held in 2012, the Louwman Museum, in close cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Classic in Stuttgart, Germany, is proud to host an exhibition of the legendary Mercedes-Benz racing cars from the 1950s during the summer months (July 7 to September 2). The seven unique cars represent one of the most heroic periods in the history of motor racing. 

All the cars have earned their place in the motor racing history books. However for Dutch enthusiasts, the No. 8W 196R featured in the key visual of the exhibition is extra special. 

Then reigning Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1955 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in this car, finishing just 0.3 seconds ahead of his teammate Stirling Moss. This was just one month after Moss' and Fangio's legendary one-two victory with the 300SLR racing sports car in the gruelling Mille Miglia. Film footage will be shown to illustrate these epic races. 

Probably the most valuable car in the world, the 300SLR 'Uhlenhaut-Coupé', will be on display in Holland for the first time. 

This coupé version of the 300SLR (W196S) never actually took part in an official race, but it is regarded as the first supercar of the era: a two-seater thoroughbred racing car featuring a roof and gull-wing doors. Based on the extremely successful W196R Formula One car, it had a top speed of almost 300km/h (186mph): a sensational speed – not only at the time. 

Just as special is the 'Blue Wonder', the racing car transporter, which was built in 1955 to transport and service the Mercedes-Benz racing cars during long-distance races. This ultimate service vehicle was based on both the 300 S and 300 SL and had a top speed of 170km/h (105mph): the fastest racing car transporter ever. 

The 'Silver Arrows, Mercedes-Benz Racing cars of the 50s' exhibition includes Formula One cars and sports cars that won not only Grand Prix events, but also long-distance races, such as the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio within the sports car championship. The link between racing and series production is demonstrated by two 300SL 'Gullwing' exhibits: the W194 racing car from 1952 and the W198 production car which was derived from it. All of the cars have an extensive racing history, involving such famous racing drivers as Juan Manual Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann. 

The cars in this temporary exhibition are without exception first class exhibits from the permanent collection of Mercedes-Benz Classic in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Robert Ackerson's limited edition book Two Summers – The Mercedes-Benz W196R Racing Cars explores the Mercedes-Benz W196R's historic roots, development, and its place in Grand Prix racing, detailing its triumphs, struggles and disappointments, as well as the spirited challenges from Maserati, Ferrari, Gordon and Lancia. If you can't make it over to the Louwman Museum this summer – and you really should, as it is an excellent place, full of a huge array of fantastic cars! – then this book would be perfect for those who want to learn more about this historic icon.