One of the most common discussions surrounding cars is Can cars be considered art?. The answer is obvious, you idiot, but that’s not the point. Perhaps the most compelling argument for cars being art is that Lamborghini Miurawidely considered a the most beautiful cars ever madeOne owner agreed so much that he kept his brown Miura in his living room for four decades, and now It will be auctioned through Gooding & Company..
This MiuraChassis number 4614, one of the more desirable P400 S versions, debuted in 1968 and featured a number of cosmetic and mechanical upgrades. Only 338 Miuras left the factory as P400 Ss, and 4614 was completed in July 1970, about a year before the S was replaced by the SV. It was painted Luci del Bosco (light of the forest) brown, with brighter bronze wheels and side skirts and Gobi (beige) vinyl upholstery and fabric piping, a striking combination rarely seen on a Miura.
Its first owner, Marina Pedrazzi, received the car through a Torino-based Lamborauto dealership. It was then sold to two other owners in Torino, first in 1972 and then in 1973. The Miura made its way to the United States in the early 1980s, where it was purchased by sports car enthusiast Paul D. Nadel. He took the Miura off the road in the mid-1980s, placing it in the living room of his “modest” home in Rockaway, New York, where it remained for 40 years.
That means Miura No. 4614 has never been restored, displayed, or offered for sale publicly—Gooding calls it the “lost Miura,” as its whereabouts were unknown until its discovery in Nadel’s home earlier this year. In order to remove the Miura so it could be sold to its current owner, “several” interior walls had to be demolished. Sadly, there are no photos of it sitting in the home or being removed.
Used as a living room centerpiece, the Miura is in pretty good condition. It has just over 26,000 miles on the odometer and retains its original Bertone engine and bodywork. The front and rear clamshells have been repainted and have some dents and other blemishes, but the paint on the doors and roof are original, as are the glass, lights, and other trim. The car’s brown and beige interior is even more impressive, with a broken passenger seat cushion being the only real flaw. Gooding says that even if the car is fully restored, which I hope it won’t be, much of the interior should remain original, as it’s “almost impossible to replicate.”
Chassis 4614 includes the original Italian license plate and Automobile Club d’Italia records, an original spare parts book, and copies of the owner’s and service manuals. Gooding’s listing makes sure to note that, due to its long period of static storage, the car “may not be running” and “will require mechanical care before being used on the road.” The auction house estimates the car’s value at $2,000,000 to $2,500,000, but when it comes to a “lost” car with this kind of history, who knows how much it might fetch. The car will be sold as part of a Gooding’s Pebble Beach Auction in just a few weeks.
