FIA president and former Scuderia Ferrari CEO Jean Todt has just taken delivery of his new car, a Rosso Corsa Lamborghini Miura SV that’s just undergone a 13-month restoration by the marque’s Polo Storico division, to the exact specification and condition in which it left the factory in 1972. Interestingly, the car’s chassis number, 3673, was originally stamped onto a 1968 Miura S. But when that car was destroyed in an accident, its identity was recycled – a not unusual move in that days, as it eliminated much of the red tape surrounding registration and import duties.
If you’re not familiar with the philosophy of Polo Storico, you can read our crash course here. Essentially, its focus is on repairing and restoring as opposed to replacing bits altogether. Hence the longer timeframe on this car’s restoration – it had to be fastidiously disassembled and every part recorded and verified.
Before Lamborghini’s CEO Stefano Domenicali very publicly handed the car over to its esteemed new owner at Rétromobile on Tuesday evening, Classic Driver photographer Rémi Dargegen was charged with shooting the car in Paris’s most photogenic locations. Suffice to say, the task was far easier said than done…
“Shooting such a jewel-like car in the centre of Paris on a Sunday afternoon was crazy and a real challenge, but I was thrilled and honoured to do it,” he told us when we caught up with him during Rétromobile. “Especially when busloads of tourists were turning up to see the Eifel Tower, but each of whom decided they wanted a photo with the Miura instead!” After that, the car was, appropriately, brought to Place de la Concorde and the home of the FIA, where so-called ‘spotters’ seemed to multiply with every passing minute. “They ran in from every direction, all to see and shoot the queen – incredible!”
Then it was onto the Sacré Cœur, this time under the cover of darkness and, mercifully for Rémi, in complete peace and quiet. We’ll be the first to say the effort was absolutely worth it. Rémi’s bold and high-contrast style perfectly suits this Miura’s colour combination, particularly in the low evening sunlight at Place de la Concorde. As a treat, here are a further batch of photos from the shoot, which Lamborghini has allowed us to exclusively publish. They’re also a testament to the absolutely extraordinary attention to detail paid by Polo Storico’s craftsmen. There’s nothing left for us to say, but enjoy…
Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Lamborghini Polo Storico © 2019
