In this case, it is not about the 2003 remake of the film starring Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, and a line-up of new Minis, among others, but about the original from 1969 with Michael Caine, Noel Coward, and an orange Lamborghini Miura which was named the coolest car of all time by Top Gear Magazine in 2004. [inset id=”9470″]
It was always assumed that this Miura had not survived its role in the film after it was allegedly pushed off a cliff by the Italian Mafia. 46 years later, this story turns out to be untrue, and two British businessmen have found the orange Italian thoroughbred.
In the film, the Lambo races through the Alps and you see it disappear into a tunnel. Then, in a spectacular shot, the Lamborghini Miura crashes into a ball of fire. The wrecked car is dragged out of the tunnel by the mafia and pushed into a ravine by a bulldozer, followed by a wreath for the driver. People who had seen the film assumed the Lambo was written off. Mind you, it was 1969, so high-quality special effects did not yet exist.
But now the car turns out to be in impeccable condition, valued at over a million British Pounds. The car's new co-owner, Iain Tyrrell, received a tip at Christmas that the Miura had surfaced. He was skeptical at first because no one had seen the car in 46 years. But his source was credible enough to investigate further, and he was invited to come and view the Lamborghini.
In 1969, The Italian Job was filmed with two cars, both supplied by Lamborghini, but one of them was already a total loss. The second intact Lamborghini is the holy grail of supercars, especially because no one knew what happened to it after the film. Using stills from the film, Tyrell was able to compare the car to its original features. There were certain peculiarities to the car's interior, such as the trim and stitching. They are like a fingerprint or a mole. They cannot be replaced. He also checked whether the car's history matched the Lamborghini archives. After inspecting the car, there was no doubt that it was the Miura from The Italian Job. Further research has shown that Paramount leased the car from Lamborghini and that it was sold to a dealer after filming.
This dealer subsequently sold the Miura to an unknown buyer. In 2005, the car came into the possession of Norbetto Ferretti, a manufacturer of luxury yachts. This sale has a bizarre coincidence, as Mr. Ferretti was the son of the dealer who originally bought the Lamborghini from Paramount after filming The Italian Job. At the time, no one was aware of the role the car had played in the film.
Mr. Tyrrell and his friend and co-owner, Keith Ashworth, are now planning to show the Lamborghini all over the world, but it is just as possible that it will be resold again. The car's value has likely risen sharply due to the unique story associated with it. What remains a mystery, however, is what happened to the other, heavily damaged Lamborghini Miura from the film. It disappeared without a trace from the mountainside where it had ended up. Perhaps we will read about that somewhere in 46 years.
