Lamborghini Polo Storico Restores Yet Another Super Rare Classic

Just over a month after showcasing the iconic concept car, Marzal, at Monte Carlo, Lamborghini Polo Storico, the company’s restoration arm, has completed yet another car. And it’s no regular Lamborghini at that. The latest car to get the full restoration is the probably the most famous Miura ever built, the SVR. It was recently showcased at the Nakayama Circuit in Japan before Lambo handed the keys to its owner. But before we take a look at it, let’s check out the Miura’s history.

Lamborghini produced just 732 units of the Miura between 1966 and 1972. It is one of the most iconic car from the Italian manufacturer and also regarded as the world’s first production vehicle to feature a mid-engine layout.The Miura's timeless design, vivid paint schemes and propensity to catch fire made it alluring. All those who cried after the opening sequence of the original ‘Italian Job’ raise your hands.

Anyway, the Miura received two major updates before Lambo replaced it with the Countach. Sadly, the most aggressive version of the car, the Miura Jota, was destroyed before it made it into the production line. The Miura Jota was built by legendary Lambo test driver Bob Wallace and some of the staff during their spare time. As soon as the test mules of the Jota hit the road, word about a more hardcore version of the Muira spread all over the world. Soon, customers began asking for these upgrades. Lamborghini obliged by producing a limited number of Miura SVJ and a one-off Miura SVR.

Based on chassis no. 3781, the SVR was born as a bog standard Miura S and delivered to a dealership in Turin, Italy in 1968. The supercar changed hands many times until 1974 when German enthusiast Heinz Straber sent it back to Lambo to turn his car into an SVR. Lamborghini took about 18 months to complete the process, by which time the owner decided to sell his prized possession to Hiromitsu Ito, who took it to Japan. The car laid low for the last forty years and many enthusiasts had completely forgot that such a thing even existed.

Then it suddenly made a comeback, albeit in pieces. The current owner of the car sent the only Miura SVR ever produced to the chaps at Lamborghini Polo Storico for a full restoration. While all the parts were present, some were extensively modified. 19 months later, the supercar was built back to its original specs, with the only modification being the addition of four-point safety belts, improved race seats and a roll bar. These were added as the owner insisted that the SVR will see some track action in its renewed life rather than sitting in a garage or a museum. He has even said that the SVR will be showcased at various events on race tracks around the world. What a guy!