1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 S

The Lamborghini Miura P400 S continues the low, flowing coupe idea with a distinct updated-series identity. Its photograph and register evidence belong with the S record, alongside separately documented P400 and SV programmes.

Origins and the correct historical identity

Registro Italiano Miura records the first S delivery in December 1968 and 338 cars built; Lamborghini’s retrospective also gives 338, describing its later sales period. The profile uses 1968 as the early-series reference year. The 338 figure is retained as a published programme reference, without an independently audited exact manufacturing tally.

Design: what makes Miura P400 S distinctive

The orange S is photographed indoors at Geneva. Dark window areas contrast with the vivid paint, while the rounded lamps and their surrounds preserve a strongly recognisable family face. The low bonnet and rising rear volume keep the body visually compact around the occupants. This clean exterior view is useful beside the early P400’s open-rear photograph because it allows the complete silhouette to be studied without a raised panel interrupting the shape.

Engineering and the concept brief

An updated series can retain a basic engine arrangement while changing the details that matter to an individual car. For the S, the model record establishes its transverse V12 family context. A proper component dossier would distinguish original delivery equipment from later work, including any conversion toward SV appearance or specification. The current exterior photograph supports the named subject; it does not by itself establish every internal update.

Why this Lamborghini belongs in the design archive

The S makes a strong middle point in a three-series Miura comparison. That position is informative without turning the car into merely an intermediate step. Its own body, reference year and supplied image are the focus. A collection can add individual histories as they become documented, keeping the series identity attached to each chassis rather than relying on a generic Miura caption.

Recognising and documenting the physical subject

Lamborghini Miura P400 S at the 2024 Geneva International Motor Show, photographed by Alexander Migl; orange physical S-series subject. The original file record identifies the named subject, and the visible configuration supports the match. The photograph is a record of this appearance rather than a certification of every concealed component. Preserve its creator and individual licence when uploading the image. Further views of the cabin, rear, identification plates and mechanical areas would extend the dossier, provided they are connected to the same model or documented object. A chassis number should enter the individual record only when a clear source establishes it.

Reading the road-car record

A historic model specification and an individual vehicle dossier answer different questions. The model record describes the engine arrangement, body form and equipment offered for a defined series. The individual dossier establishes what one chassis left the factory with and what has happened to it since. Keeping those records connected is particularly useful when cars have been restored, repainted or updated. A published model output remains a period reference; it does not measure the present condition of the photographed engine. Likewise, a period optional feature should not be described as installed on every surviving example without configuration evidence.

For a collector, a useful sequence begins with the chassis identity, continues through the original delivery configuration, and follows the dated history of repairs and changes. That approach gives the attractive exterior photograph a documentary foundation. Engine and gearbox identifiers, build sheets and restoration invoices can add precision where the broad model record ends. The production reference describes a finite original programme; a current survivor register is a separate record that may grow as previously unrecorded cars emerge.

Collector significance and future research

The value of a concept archive lies in preserving the relationship between an idea, the people who developed it and the object that made it visible. A strong collection record keeps the original name, reference year, credited photographs and source links attached to that relationship. If new photographs or factory documents emerge, they can add a show appearance, a construction detail or a later change without replacing the original identity. This is particularly useful for a car whose published pictures may span several exhibitions and whose name may have acquired different spellings.

A finite model family and one of its named variants must not be added together as if they were separate manufacturing programmes. Where this profile uses a parent-family reference, it establishes the low-volume context without assigning that total to the named derivative. Published estimates and conflicting series counts retain their qualifications. A future exact tally should identify the chassis and definitions it covers, including whether prototypes, conversions or later rebuilds are included. Survivor counts require a separate dated register. This keeps the car’s rarity connected to a clear historical scope while allowing better evidence to refine the record.

Reading the evidence for this profile

The original source links below identify the programme and the historical statements used in this article. The photograph has its own creator and licence record, separate from the manufacturer’s vehicle history. Keep both when transferring this profile into a collection catalogue. A manufacturing tally describes how many cars belong to a defined original programme; it does not measure how many survive, how many are publicly visible, or how many retain all their original components. Those individual questions require dated chassis and restoration evidence. The reference year likewise describes the programme’s introduction or named historic configuration, while the supplied caption states the photographed setting and any established individual identity. This lets future research expand the car’s history without blurring the scope of the record already assembled here.

Specifications and verified rarity

Frequently asked questions

Why does the reference year begin in 1968?

The register dates the first S delivery to December 1968.

What production reference is supported?

338 appears in both manufacturer and register accounts.

Is the S merged with the SV?

The later SV remains a separate series record.

What does the supplied image identify?

The physical P400 S at Geneva in 2024.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Verified S-series identity; manufacturer and Registro Italiano Miura report 338 for the programme. Reference year reflects first delivery in December 1968. Exact independently audited manufacturing tally unassigned.

Who took the supplied photograph?

Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The original file and licence links accompany the image. Retain that credit when the photograph is uploaded, exported or reused.

Related Lamborghini profiles

• 1966 Lamborghini Miura P400
• 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

Sources and photo credits

• Lamborghini Miura retrospective
• Registro Italiano Miura first-delivery and series record

Photograph: Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. Lamborghini Miura P400 S at the 2024 Geneva International Motor Show, photographed by Alexander Migl; orange physical S-series subject.