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Lamborghini Miura from 'The Italian Job' is for sale

Just one month ago we posted on "The Ultimate Lamborghini Miura" going up for sale, a 1968 Miura that had been turned into a built-to-race Miura Jota. This one might be even better, and it is certainly more famous: the 1968 Miura P400 from the opening scene of the movie The Italian Job. Two Miuras were used in that opening scene and some aren't sure that this is one of the actual movie cars, but most sleuths believe it is – and the story of its history since filming is so wild, it could have come from the movie. Iain Tyrell, the owner of Cheshire Classic Cars in England, said he received a tip last Christmas that the Miura was in Paris. The coupe's owner led him to a secret, underground parking garage and gave him three hours to verify that it was indeed from The Italian Job, a challenging task since no one knew what happened to the car since Paramount Pictures returned it to Lamborghini at the end of filming in 1968. It seems that Lamborghini sold the Arancia-colored coupe to an Italian dealer, and it had four owners up to 2005 when Norbetto Ferretti bought it. Ferretti is not only one of the founders of the Ferretti shipbuilding group, he is the son of the dealer who bought the Miura from Paramount after the movie - and neither Ferretti nor any of the car's previous owners realized it. Octane magazine ran a 15-page feature in its March issue with all the forensic details matching this car to the movie car, however, even the magazine says it can't be sure. A different classic car broker recently put it up for sale, but that broker still doesn't believe it's the movie car. Top Gear called the film car "the coolest car in the world" in 2004, and if it is the real deal it's said to be worth more than one million pounds, or $1.5M US. Tyrell and his partner Keith Ashworth have listed the car for sale, the price "POA," which means "price on application" in UK-speak. In layman's terms that means, "Bring money." In the video below you can see the star of the show in the movie's opening scene. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Bologna airport puts 631-hp Lamborghini follow-me car into service

Enthusiasts visiting Italy's Motor Valley could get a taste of the region's car-building tradition as soon as they land in Bologna. Airport officials renewed their partnership with Lamborghini to let a Huracan Evo loose on the tarmac. Lamborghini has provided the Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport with follow-me cars for several years. The latest raging bull to join the fleet is an all-wheel-drive Huracan Evo powered by a naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 that delivers 631 horsepower. It's painted in a shade of green named Verde Turbine Matte and it wears specific orange decals, a livery reminiscent of the one seen on the latest Evo-based Super Trofeo race car unveiled earlier in 2021. Pilots need more than a head-turning design to know where they're going, so the Huracan also gains a light bar. What is a "follow-me car" you may ask? The Huracan's main task is to meet an incoming plane at the end of the runway and guide it to the gate where its passengers will disembark. The driver is constantly in contact with the control tower, changes are not unheard of, so Lamborghini installed a radio in the cabin. How officials will decide who gets to drive the Huracan and who ends up in a 55-horsepower econobox hasn't been revealed; we predict an intense, winner-takes-all round of drawing straws (or tagliatelle, considering we're talking about a city globally known for its pasta-based dishes). Lamborghini's latest follow-me car will be in service until January 2022, so you might catch a glimpse of it after landing in Bologna. It's not always out, but it's easy to spot if it's on the clock because most of the other cars on the tarmac are small Fiat models, like the 500 and the Panda. And, if you're into airport car-spotting, keep your eyes peeled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport: KLM still uses older Mercedes-Benz G-Class 4x4s as service vehicles. Featured Gallery Lamborghini Huracan Evo follow-me car at the Bologna airport View 13 Photos Marketing/Advertising Weird Car News Lamborghini Coupe Luxury

Volkswagen posts quarterly profit despite drop in sales

Volkswagen returned to profit in the third quarter as surging Chinese demand for luxury cars helped offset a 1.1% drop in vehicle deliveries due to the pandemic, sending its shares as much as 3% higher on Thursday. The German automaker's return to the black comes amid spiking coronavirus cases in Europe that led governments in France and Germany to order their countries back into strict national lockdowns on Wednesday. "The coronavirus remains a central problem," Volkswagen Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said in a conference call with reporters. "This situation now is anything but relaxed." But Witter said the group expected the economic recovery to continue and did "not anticipate any nationwide lockdowns in larger markets." Witter said the takeover of U.S. truck maker Navistar International by Volkswagen's trucking unit Traton was an important acquisition, but the "current economic climate will not make this easy." Volkswagen reiterated it expects to post a profit for the full year, saying its business "recovered noticeably" in the third quarter as sales in China of premium vehicles, including Audi and Porsche sports cars, rose 3%. The quarterly performance was also aided by a series of cost-cutting measures launched earlier this year. Volkswagen said its net liquidity rose to 24.8 billion euros from 18.7 billion at the end of the second quarter. Excluding one-time items, third-quarter operating profit was 3.2 billion euros ($3.8 billion), down from 4.8 billion euros a year earlier, but up from a second quarter loss of 1.7 billion. In a note to clients, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois described the results as a "solid performance with strong cash, but relatively muted in the context of the (auto) sector recovery." Last week, German rival Daimler reported a record 24% jump in Chinese demand for its Mercedes-Benz cars, boosting its margins in the third quarter. Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot manufacturer PSA Group both also posted solid results this week. Witter said Volkswagen could not say for sure whether it would meet EU CO2 emissions targets this year, adding "it will be a tough race." At 1030 GMT, Volkswagen shares were up 2.9% at 129.20 euros. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Porsche Volkswagen