The Miura was conceived during 1965 by three of Lamborghini's top engineers — Giampaolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani, and Bob Wallace — who developed the prototype car, designated P400, in their spare time and often at night. Company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini preferred powerful grand touring cars over race-derived machines and initially resisted the project, but eventually gave his approval when convinced the P400 could serve as a valuable marketing tool. The rolling chassis was displayed at the Turin Salon in 1965, where interested showgoers placed orders despite the absence of a body over the chassis.
Bertone was commissioned to style the car. The completed prototype debuted at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, where even the engineers had not found time to verify that the engine fitted inside its compartment; they filled the bay with ballast and kept the hood locked throughout the event. Despite this, the car was the highlight of the show and immediately boosted Gandini's reputation. The name "Miura" was chosen after a famous Spanish fighting bull breeder, in keeping with Lamborghini's naming tradition. The car gained further worldwide attention when it was chosen for the opening sequence of The Italian Job (1969), in which a Miura is driven through the Alps.
The original P400 used a 3,929 cc V12 engine mounted transversely and producing 350 PS (345 hp). In a solution borrowed from the Morris Mini, Lamborghini combined the engine and gearbox into a single casting with shared lubrication. The shared-sump arrangement persisted until the final 96 SV examples. Exactly 275 P400s were produced between 1966 and 1969 at a price of US$20,000.
The P400S, also known as the Miura S, was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in November 1968. Revised intake manifolds, different camshaft profiles, and larger engine intakes increased output by approximately 20 PS. Creature comforts were enhanced with power windows, optional air conditioning, and a locking glovebox. Around 338 P400S examples were produced between December 1968 and March 1971. Notable owners included Frank Sinatra. Miles Davis crashed his Miura on the West Side Highway in October 1972.
The P400SV — or Miura SV — was presented in 1971 and is considered the most refined and desirable of the series. Revised cam timing and altered Weber carburettors raised output to 385 PS (380 hp) at 7,850 rpm, with 400 Nm of torque. The final 96 SV engines received a split sump, separating the lubrication systems of the engine and gearbox and enabling the use of appropriate oils for each, as well as making an optional limited-slip differential easier to fit. The SV is visually distinguished from earlier models by its wider rear fenders to accommodate 9-inch rear wheels, the absence of "eyelashes" around the headlamps, and different taillights. A total of 150 SVs were produced.
In 1970 development driver Bob Wallace built a single test mule to comply with the FIA's Appendix J racing regulations, naming it the Miura Jota — the Spanish pronunciation of the letter J. Wallace stripped the car of around 360 kg through aluminium bodywork and chassis components, replaced the side windows with plastic, and modified the engine to produce 418–440 bhp at 8,800 rpm. The car was sold to a private buyer but burned to the ground in April 1971 following a crash near Brescia. Several tribute recreations were subsequently built by independent workshops.
Six factory-produced SV/J cars are documented: one built new and five converted from existing SVs. One, chassis 4934, was constructed for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran and was later sold to Nicolas Cage at auction in 1997 for US$490,000, which was at the time the model's highest-ever auction result. Prices have since risen substantially, with SVJ chassis 4892 later selling for over US$1.9 million.
A one-off Bertone Miura Roadster — technically a targa rather than a full convertible — was first shown at the 1968 Brussels Auto Show. Based on a P400, it was eventually sold to the International Lead Zinc Research Organization, which converted it into a display vehicle called the ZN75. The car was restored to its original form after purchase by a New York collector in 2006 and shown at Pebble Beach in August 2008. In 2006, Lamborghini unveiled a Miura concept car at the North American International Auto Show to mark the fortieth anniversary of the original Geneva debut, penned by design chief Walter de'Silva. Lamborghini CEO Stefan Winkelmann confirmed the concept would not lead to a production revival.
The Miura established the mid-engine layout as the defining architecture for performance sports cars and remains one of the most influential automotive designs of the twentieth century. It set a template that competitors were compelled to follow and demonstrated that a road car could combine genuine high-performance engineering with striking coachbuilt styling. The prototype P400 won the Gran Turismo Trophy at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the car has been recreated in the Gran Turismo 5 simulation title. The Miura was succeeded by the Countach in 1974 as Lamborghini's flagship model.
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