Editor’s Note: Are we at “peak supercar?” Leading industry voices think so. If the current Holy Trinity — Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 — are indeed the peak, it’s time to look back down at base camp, and see how far we’ve come. This limited series will take a brief look at the supercars that defined each era, one decade at a time, beginning with the birth of the supercar in the ’50s.
For most car makers in the ’60s, new production supercars were still the direct result of racing regulations that demanded road-legal versions of race cars. Not a bad way to get high-performance cars on the road. Horsepower ratings swelled, top speeds climbed, and the ’60s quickly became the era of what are now the most famous (and now most expensive) exotica of all time.
1966 Lamborghini Miura
5 photos
Ferruccio Lamborghini’s legendary discourse with Enzo Ferrari was the spark that led to the marques’ famous rivalry. Ferrari was a race car builder first and road car manufacturer second; Lamborghini set out to become the maker of the ultimate road cars — and road cars only. The Miura was Lambo’s first foray into mid-engined cars, and made use of the manufacturer’s tried-and-true 3.9–liter V12. The now iconic design penned by the venerable Bertone company pioneered mid-engine two-seat architecture, which is now undeniably the supercar standard.
Engine: 3.9–liter V12
Horsepower: 345
Top Speed: 174 mph
Original MSRP: $20,000
Current Estimated Value: $1,039,000
Notable Owners: Jay Kay, Nicolas Cage, Elton John, Frank Sinatra
