In the autumn of 1965, the automotive world witnessed a moment that would redefine high-performance road cars forever. At the Turin Motor Show, Lamborghini didn’t unveil a finished automobile, but something far more radical: a bare, satin-black chassis with a transversely mounted 4-litre V12 perched behind the cabin. Light, skeletal, drilled with countless holes, and crowned by a forest of Weber carburetor trumpets, the P400 chassis looked like a racing prototype, yet it heralded the birth of a legend: the Lamborghini Miura.
Six decades later, Automobili Lamborghini is preparing to honor that groundbreaking debut with a full year of celebrations in 2026, culminating in an official Polo Storico tour dedicated to what many consider the world’s first true supercar.
A radical idea from three young visionaries
The concept that would eventually become the Miura emerged in the summer of 1964, conceived by three young talents at Sant’Agata Bolognese, engineer Giampaolo Dallara, technical prodigy Paolo Stanzani, and fearless test driver Bob Wallace. All in their early 20s, they dreamed of bringing Lamborghini into the realm of motorsport, even though Ferruccio Lamborghini had no intention of entering racing.
Their solution: if racing wasn’t allowed on track, then racing technology would come to the road. The trio began work on Project L105, crafting a compact, ultra-light chassis capable of supporting an unprecedented gran turismo. After initial skepticism, Ferruccio gave them his blessing, and the P400 architecture was born.
Turin 1965: a star without a body
When the chassis was unveiled on November 3, 1965, alongside the 350 GT and 350 GTS, it instantly stole the show. Built by Marchesi of Modena from 0.8-mm folded steel sheet, the structure weighed barely 120 kilograms, an astonishing feat for the time. Its central tub served as the structural heart of the car, with front and rear subframes carrying suspension and mechanical components. Racing-derived double-wishbones, Girling discs, and Borrani wire wheels completed the package, signaling a new level of road-car engineering.
But the most revolutionary innovation was the integrated engine-and-gearbox unit mounted transversely behind the cockpit, an ultra-compact powertrain layout that had never before appeared on a production road car. The press and public were captivated. Major Italian coachbuilders flocked to the stand. Touring, already responsible for Lamborghini’s earlier GTs, expressed interest but faced financial struggles. Pininfarina was unavailable. And then came Nuccio Bertone.
According to legend, Ferruccio greeted him with a joke: “You’re the last coachbuilder to show up.” Bertone simply studied the chassis and replied that he could craft “the perfect shoe for this wonderful foot.” Whether the exchange happened exactly this way hardly matters, the partnership was sealed. During the Christmas holidays, Bertone presented the first design sketches. They were so daring, so futuristic, that they were approved on the spot.
From chassis to icon: the birth of the Miura
By March 1966, at the Geneva Motor Show, the once-bare chassis had become the Lamborghini Miura, an immediate sensation whose low, flowing lines and mid-engine layout stunned the world. It didn’t just set new standards for performance and design; it created an entirely new category. An English journalist, searching for the right word, coined a term that had never been used before: supercar.
2026: Celebrating 60 years of the world’s first supercar
In 2026, Lamborghini will honor the Miura with a year of festivities and a dedicated Polo Storico tour, gathering owners and enthusiasts from around the globe to celebrate the car that transformed the brand—and the entire automotive landscape.
Born from courage, creativity, and a rebellious spirit, the Miura remains much more than a classic. It is the moment road-car history changed direction. And sixty years later, the world is still following its lead.
