Automobili Lamborghini is kicking off celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Miura with an art exhibit entitled, “Velocità e Colore” (Speed and Color), which will be on display from April 28 to June 30 at Lamborghini’s historic museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. Local artist Alfonso Borghi from Campegine (Reggio Emilia) was invited to interpret the Miura and the marque of the Raging Bull. Their spirit, essence and colors are expressed in his ten works on display.
Distinguished by an artistic language that is informal and abstract, Mr. Borghi’s painting is the product of an unconscious revision of the dynamic shapes, the stylistic elements of fine design, and the innovations in color that have traditionally characterized Lamborghini super sports cars. With their strong interplays of color and three-dimensional effects, ten canvasses in a large size (eight in a size of 200 x 150 cm, and two in a size of 180 x 180 cm) gradually reveal specific details of the Lamborghinis of today and yesteryear – from the iconic Miura to the Reventón, Sesto Elemento and Aventador.
Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali commented, “The encounter of art and automotive legend is a winning combination. From the first cars we produced to the vehicles of today, Lamborghinis have been masterworks of automotive art in which expert craftsmanship is fused with engineering genius and design. With this exhibit, we wish to pay tribute to the richness of our heritage and to the 50th Anniversary of the Miura. We also intended to try out new means of expressing our culture and new approaches to its enhancement.”
The exhibit has been incorporated sympathetically within the prestigious collection at the Lamborghini Museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese, which opened in 2001. This unique facility highlights Lamborghini’s important heritage, which combines the finest tradition of Italian craftsmanship and constant technological innovation. Exceptionally beautiful cars designed and built in Sant’Agata Bolognese – from 1963 to the present – are presented at the museum in a breathtaking sequence that extends over two floors, where historic vehicles can be admired such as the 350 GT, Miura, Countach, LM 002 and Diablo, but also concept cars and limited editions such as the Reventón, Sesto Elemento, and also the Urus: the concept car of Lamborghini’s future SUV.
The exhibit was co-produced by Lamborghini, Artioli 1899 (an historic publisher in Modena and company devoted to cultural events) and Prof. Paolo Fontanesi, and is accompanied by a book published by Artioli 1899. The chapters on the world of Lamborghini were produced by journalist Daniele Buzzonetti and include a section on the exhibit that features a piece by famous art critic Vittorio Sgarbi, who will also be the star of the grand opening that is set for April 27. The exhibit will run from April 28 to June 30 and be open to visitors Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Alfonso Borghi
Alfonso Borghi was born in Campegine near Reggio Emilia, Italy on December 3, 1944. A self-taught artist, he began painting at a very early age and had his first exhibit at 18. In his more than 50 years of non-stop work, Mr. Borghi has traced a path through expressionism, the figurative painting of Giorgio Morandi and surrealism, to arrive at futuristic abstraction. Today, Mr. Borghi has reached an amalgamation combining a highly skilled use of material with an extremely intuitive sense of color. Starting in the 1970s, his works have been hosted in major European and American cities (Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Vienna, Paris, New York and Los Angeles). In the 1980s, the master’s artistic activity began to be supplemented with a string of important exhibits and events, in Italy and abroad. However, Mr. Borghi has not limited himself to painting. He has also devoted considerable effort to the plastic arts, which endowed works that already existed on canvas with a sense of the three-dimensional. He works with glass and ceramic, but also devotes time to sculpture. His works are now included not only in public and private collections, but also in Italian and European museums.
The Lamborghini Miura – a Timeless Icon
The Miura, which was introduced 50 years ago this year, is a unique automobile that revolutionized the sports car world in the 1960s. Designed in 1965 by a Lamborghini engineering team headed by Gian Paolo Dallara and Paolo Stanzani, and with a body conceived by Marcello Gandini for Carrozzeria Bertone, it immediately became a highly coveted car for those who could afford it. It featured a look that was sleek and sensual. It was only 105 centimeters tall and had a minimum ground clearance of only 135 millimeters. The Miura was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966 and was an immediate international hit that transformed the sports car world. Its transverse rear 4-liter 60° V12 mid-engine, which was joined to a transaxle to form a single unit, churned out 350 HP at 7000 RPM and powered the Miura to a record maximum speed (at the time) of 280 km/h. Its refined, highly modern design was way ahead of its time and was undoubtedly inspired by the great racing prototypes of the time that vied for first place in long-distance races. The rear engine technology in these cars would be generally incorporated into elegant sports cars driven on the street only many years later.
With the Miura, which took its name from Edoardo Miura, who was a close friend of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini and a famous breeder of bulls, Lamborghini began the tradition of naming its cars after Spanish bullfighting.
Miura Mania spread to monarchs, singers, actors such as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Hallyday, the Shah of Iran, the Prince of Monaco, Little Tony, Rod Stewart, and Twiggy, the famous model, along with many other celebrities who wished to remain anonymous.
763 Miuras were delivered throughout the world, in three versions produced from 1966 to 1972, and in some 60 different colors.
Celebrations of the Miura’s 50th Anniversary
The exhibit entitled, “Velocità e Colore. Alfonso Borghi interpreta Automobili Lamborghini” (Speed and Color. Alfonso Borghi Interprets Automobili Lamborghini) is part of a series of events and initiatives associated with festivities that are honoring the Miura’s 50th Anniversary. The celebrations began with an unveiling in March of the original Miura SV in a competition at Amelia Island (USA). It was the same car that was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971, and it underwent a restoration by PoloStorico Lamborghini that took more than a year to complete.
And the festivities are continuing this week. From April 6 to 10, at the Techno Classica international exhibition for classic cars, the Lamborghini stand will display two brand-new restoration projects being handled by PoloStorico Lamborghini: the restored, original Miura SV that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971, a Miura chassis that shows its restoration in progress, and a completely restored Miura engine.
The celebrations will then conclude with a grand tour for Miura purchasers from around the world, who will meet in Italy from June 8 to June 12. On June 8, the Miura group will leave Bologna, travel to Lamborghini headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, and then head to Dallara Automobili in Varano de’ Melegari (near Parma) to greet Gian Paolo Dallara, who was responsible for designing the Miura in 1965. The trip of more than 500 kilometers will take four days and extend through the Emilia, Liguria and Tuscany regions of Italy, and finish up in Florence.