2003 Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary

The Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary gives the V12 model a named celebratory identity. Its Verde Artemis theme and matched edition photograph distinguish it from a generic Murciélago in a similar colour.

Origins and the correct historical identity

Lamborghini’s own pre-owned model history identifies the 2003 fortieth-anniversary series and a 50-car reference. The complete Murciélago family is independently described as low volume. This profile preserves the anniversary scope while leaving a completed, independently audited edition tally unassigned.

Design: what makes Murciélago 40th Anniversary distinctive

The photographed example has a vivid green-blue body and contrasting wheels. Its broad, simple nose and dark side openings make the colour a major part of the composition. The source explicitly names the 40th Anniversary edition at a 2024 event. The model’s special identity is supported by that record and the original programme evidence, rather than by assuming every green-blue car belongs to it.

Engineering and the concept brief

An anniversary edition needs both the base-model mechanical record and the documents establishing the special programme. For one car, its delivery specification and edition identifiers should be connected to chassis evidence. Colour and trim are informative but can change. The archive therefore records the named edition and its supplied appearance without declaring an unseen engine, upholstery or paint finish original to that particular chassis.

Why this Lamborghini belongs in the design archive

The edition offers a useful comparison with the later LP 650-4 and SV, as well as the company’s later fiftieth-anniversary designs. Each has a different purpose and body scope. Keeping the anniversary name explicit avoids a duplicate profile created from a generic Murciélago heading. The edition remains within its model family rather than being added to the family total again.

Recognising and documenting the physical subject

Source-identified 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary at SCD Secret Meet 2024, photographed by MrWalkr; programme introduced in 2003. 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

Which anniversary does this edition mark?

The company’s fortieth anniversary.

Does the source identify the named edition?

The original photo description explicitly names it.

Is the photographed year the programme year?

The supplied source identifies a later 2004 example.

Is colour alone an edition certificate?

Individual delivery and chassis evidence are separate.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Verified 2003 40th Anniversary identity and factory 50-car reference within the documented 4,099-car Murciélago family. Exact independently audited edition tally unassigned.

Who took the supplied photograph?

MrWalkr 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

• 2009 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster
• 2009 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

Sources and photo credits

• Lamborghini anniversary-series history
• Lamborghini complete Murciélago retrospective

Photograph: MrWalkr 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. Source-identified 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary at SCD Secret Meet 2024, photographed by MrWalkr; programme introduced in 2003.