A trend has been going on when it comes to Lamborghini cars over the last years, prices have been going up steadily, sometimes owners could double or triple their money in a matter of months on some of the more special models made in Sant’Agata.
At a recent Arizona auction put together by renowned RM Auctions in mid January 2015 prices for Raging Bulls reflected this trend once again with a 1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ going under the hammer for a final bid of $ 1,897,500 and a beautiful, early Lamborghini Countach LP400S from 1979 changing hands for a cool $750,000.
Now that 1971 Miura was one of only a very few to have been built by the factory between 1971 and 1975 after several owners requested a ‘Jota’ replica of their own when the original Miura Jota was lost in an accident (but a near exact replica was later built in the UK). So in the Seventies several ‘normal’ Miura would be converted into SVJ or SVR models by using parts derived from the actual Jota … like fixed headlights, riveted air vents and most importantly dry sump lubrication and increased power output … some sources state 7 official Miura SVJ were built, but a number of only 5 is deemed more accurate.
This Miura SVJ chassis number 4892 with engine #30640 was originally Bertone body 636 destined for a Miura SV on the assembly line in June 1971, originally finished in white over a blue interior and delivered to an owner in Rome … but an official 1974 document from the Lamborghini Factory confirms this P400 Miura as being an SV Mod. Jota … subsequently she was repainted in red and exported to Japan where it would receive a frame-off, two-year restoration in the late Eighties.
By 2007 this very special Lamborghini Miura SVJ came to the United States where Claudio Zampolli confirmed 4892 as being one of the original, factory converted cars with all the correct features of the SV-Jota model … a total ground-up restoration was performed by Gary Bobileff in a time span of over two years and at a cost of $225,000 to finish the car in Rosso Granada.
On October 27, 2010 this rare, 385hp Lamborghini Miura SVJ was sold at auction for £728,000 (about $1,100,000) in London, UK … little over four years later the same car was again offered at auction with an estimate between $2,000,000 and $2,600,000 … this beauty nearly reached her estimate while almost doubling in value at a final bid of $1,897,500 in Arizona on January 15, 2015.
The second most expensive Lamborghini at the RM Auctions Arizona venue was again a Miura, this time a very nice black 1970 P400S was listed as lot 212 with estimate between $1,000,000 and $1,400,000 … this 370hp black Bull featured a beautiful Champagne interior complete with bright leather steering wheel, factory air conditioning, vented disc brakes and uprated SV specs chassis.
Chassis number 4707 was delivered in October 1970 when it left the factory in white over a black interior, by 1984 the Miura was imported into the United States of America in the current black over Champagne color combination and resided in a private collection where she was driven until 1996 before being put on display next to several other classic exotics … making this today a very original Miura ready to be enjoyed as-is or the perfect basis for a restoration.
On Friday, January 16, 2015 this black Lamborghini Miura P400S received a high bid of $975,000 … just $25,000 below the estimate.
Third place at the Arizona auction in the list of Lamborghini was a very nice, blue 1979 Countach LP400S … one of the Series I models with the highly sought after Campagnolo Bravo style wheels and small dials … only 50 of these were ever made, and this one having chassis number 1121096 was in fact the second to last US-federalized car and the third to last ever made at the factory … making it a serious milestone in the Countach history.
This Countach came in an amazing looking Tahiti Blue paint over gold finished wheels, a blue interior and the larger Weber 45 DCOE carburetors before it was delivered to her first owner in the US that would keep her for over 20 years … during which time the interior was replaced with a black leather upholstery.
For the Arizona auction this specific Lamborghini Countach LP400S was estimated between $800,000 and $1,000,000 … on Friday it was sold for $725,000 … not really reaching the estimate however.
Now the fourth one on the list of most expensive Lamborghini at this RM Auctions venue did reach her estimate, a very nice looking black over black 1988 Lamborghini Countach Quattrovalvole … complete with gold painted wheels and the massive rear wing this iconic V12 Bull showed less than 600km on the counter after only two owners in nearly 30 years.
Being an original US specs Quattrovalvole this black Countach comes with the special front bumper and rear pads required to make her street legal in the United States, the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection replaced the Weber carburetors used in Europe for the US market and being a late 1988 model this one also received the special side sills that would be used on the Countach 25th Anniversary edition later on.
This black beauty rarely left her garage space, she was only started on a regular basis and driven around the block to make sure the engine and drivetrain would remain in perfect working order, warming up the fluids inside the massive 420hp V12 engine … put up for auction with an estimate between $400,000 and $600,000 chassis number JLA12322 reached a very respectable $467,500 sale price.
Three more Lamborghini switched owners at the RM Auctions Arizona venue, but for prices well below the $200,000 mark.
The massive 1989 Lamborghini LM002 came to auction with an estimate between $175,000 and $225,000 … with only 301 ever built and very few still in existance today, this LM002 (KLA12156) was finished in red over a black leather interior rolling on the factory original steel wheels with Pirelli Scorpion tires.
The LM002 wasn’t known for her feul economy, and despite being owned by the same owner for the past 23 years, this mammoth only covered 18,000 miles in total and apart from the wood trim on the interior remains completely original … just like the day she left the factory in Sant’Agata to be shipped to the United States … unlike anything else you might encounter on the open road, this LM002 managed to reach a winning bid of $170,500.
We all know the amazing Lamborghini Gallardo and the current Huracan … but remember Lamborghini tried their hand at an ‘entry level’ bull before. Back in the Seventies the first step into this market segment was made with the Lamborghini Urraco P250, later succeeded by the Urraco P300, the Silhouette and the Jalpa.
A very nice 1975 Urraco P111 was listed at this auction, estimated between $100,000 and $120,000 this 180hp US version of the Urraco P250 was one of only 21 US-specs models, chassis number 15878 originally left the factory in black over black before covering a total of about 39,000 miles during which a total restoration was performed by well-known Bobileff Motorcar Company complete with a color change to bright red on the outside and a tan leather upholstery on the inside. Add the black suede dashboard and black carpets and this Urraco looks brand new … and drives like a brand new car too as the engine was rebuilt together with a complete suspension overhaul.
It didn’t come as much of a surprise this near perfect unit of the Lamborghini Urraco P111 exceeded her estimate with a final bid of $126,500 … a very impressive amount for a Lamborghini that has almost been forgotten by some car enthusiasts only a few years ago.
The classic 1973 Lamborghini Espada Series III was offered with no reserve estimated between $125,000 and $175,000. With only 483 built in the Seventies this 350hp Raging Bull could easily seat four people and still reach speeds you wouldn’t believe on the open road … often called the Italian Rolls Royce, the Lamborghini Espada remains a milestone in the history of Automobili Lamborghini SpA … that right up to today hasn’t been replicated.
Despite the beautiful Lamborghini Estoque concept shown in Paris several years ago, and the Lamborghini Urus SUV unveiled more recently there is no four seat Lamborghini available right now, making this classic Lamborghini Espada even more interesting … still she didn’t manage to reach her estimate at the auction, changing hands for $110,000 in the end.
Prices for Lamborghini, and more specifically the more classic V12 exotics like the Miura and Countach have been rising steadily … but we’ve still not reached the levels of the counterparts from Maranello … at this very auction the most expensive car was again a Ferrari, more specifically a rare 1964 Ferrari 250 LM that sold for $9,625,000, followed by a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 at $3,657,500 and a 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS at $3,450,000 … and one I actually do like … the 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider, despite being a silver one and not a black one like the Miami Vice car (I know, that one was only a replica) this convertible Daytona went for $3,300,000 … just ahead of a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Sport Cabriolet A at $3,100,000 and another Ferrari, the special 288 GTO from 1984 sold for $2,750,000 … the 1971 Miura SVJ was in fact only ninth on the list of most expensive cars sold.
