The Lamborghini Miura is often considered the world’s first supercar, marrying an exotic V12 with an equally exotic mid-engine layout, wrapped in Bertone’s finest bodywork. It’s no wonder that prices on the beautiful Italian exotic usually outdo expectations when one comes up for sale. If the $4+ million price tag on a Miura is too rich for your tastes, consider one of these three unrestored examples that are coming up in an RM Sotheby’s auction — prices on one of these Lamborghini Miura are expected to start from $350,000. This makes them on the more affordable side of things relatively, but still not the most affordable Lamborghini for most people.
There is a catch — all three of these Miuras are part of the infamous Rudi Klein junkyard collection and in dire need of restoration. Part of a collection of around 208 cars that will be sold live in auction or online, these three Lamborghini Miuras aren’t currently running and are missing bodywork or critical components in some cases. Of the three Miuras, one is complete, one is missing bodywork, and another is missing an engine and transmission.
The most significant is a 1968 Miura P400 in aqua green, believed to have been owned by Lamborghini engineer and test driver Claudio Zampolli, acquired by Rudi Klein in 1978, where it has sat since. It’s estimated to fetch between $500,000-700,000 in auction. The second Miura, a 1969 Miura P400 S in original blue paint, was damaged in a traffic accident and found its way to the high-end junkyard in 1978.
The rarest example on the lot is a 1967 Miura P400, one of just 120 units built with a thinner gauge steel. This car was put into the junkyard with mechanical issues and is missing an engine and gearbox. This explains the low estimate of $350,000-450,000.
That said, these are all examples of arguably the most beautiful car in the world and deserve a collector who can give them the restoration they deserve. As they say, one man’s junkyard collection is another’s treasure.
(All images by Patrick Ernzen / RM Sotheby’s)
