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Lamborghini finds and restores the Miura used in 'The Italian Job' movie

Today is a historic day for fans of the film "The Italian Job." Lamborghini just announced it has found and completely restored the original Lamborghini Miura P400 used in the film's opening scene. And no, this one was never ceremoniously dumped off the side of a mountain and into a ravine. That was a second, different Miura that Lamborghini provided Paramount Pictures with — it had already been crashed, so was considered a perfect donor car for the scene. Of course, even a crashed Miura is worth some serious cash these days. The orange Miura in question here is #3586, and is verified as the one driven by actor Rossano Brazzi (playing Roger Beckermann in the film) and stunt driver Enzo Moruzzi on the Great St Bernard Pass. We'll put the video right here for you, since those who haven't seen it need to, and those who have most certainly want to watch it again now. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lamborghini's in-house restoration unit, Polo Storico, did all the work to certify and restore the Miura. It's been a long-time coming, too — this Miura has been off the map since the filming ended and Lamborghini sold the film car to someone in Italy. The car was found in The Kaiser Collection of Vaduz, which happens to be in Liechtenstein. Lamborghini is certain this is the right one after looking at the documentation, company archives and a full examination of the car itself. Testimonials from enthusiasts and former Lamborghini employees further solidified the belief that this was the movie car. The only difference you'll notice between this fully restored Miura and the movie scene is the color of the seats. Lamborghini swapped out the white seats for black ones, as they were worried the white seats wouldn't make it back to the factory in perfect condition. However, there was no time to swap the headrests (mounted to the dividing glass) for black ones to match the seats, which you'll notice in the movie scene. We know we'll have "On Days Like These" running through our heads for the rest of the day on account of this incredible find. Thankfully, Lamborghini provided a bunch of photos to look at the car post-restoration, so go check them all out above as you race to your VCRs to watch the film once more.

Why Italians are no longer buying supercars

Italy is the wound that continues to drain blood from the body financial of Italian supercar and sports car makers. The wound was opened by the country's various financial police who decided to get serious about superyacht-owning and supercar-driving tax cheats a few years ago, by noting their registrations and checking their incomes. When it was found that a rather high percentage of exotic toy owners had claimed a rather low annual income - certain business owners were found to be declaring less income than their employees - the owners began dumping their cars and prospective buyers declined to buy.
Car and Driver has a piece on how the initiative is hitting the home market the hardest. Lamborghini sold 1,302 cars worldwide in 2010, 1,602 cars in 2011 and 2,083 cars in 2012 - an excellent surge in just two years. In Italy, however, it's all about the ebb: in 2010, the year that Italian police began scouring harbors, Lamborghini sold 96 cars in Italy, the next year it sold 72, last year it sold just 60. The declines for Maserati and Ferrari are even more pronounced.
Head over to CD for the full story and the numbers. What might be most incredible isn't the cause and effect, but where the blame is being placed. A year ago the chairman of Italy's Federauto accused the government of "terrorizing potential clients," this year Luca di Montezemolo says what's happening has created "a hostile environment for ­luxury goods." Life at the top, it ain't easy.

Road & Track goes inside Lamborghini's Sant'Agata engine factory

While it's fair to think that the Lamborghini factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese is a place where mustachioed Italian sorcerers weave spells into hypercars, the truth is sadly far less magical (although the results are just as impressive). Road & Track took a peek behind the curtain and toured the home of Lamborghini's engine works, where the 691-horsepower thumper from the Aventador is bolted together. Not only is it an interesting look inside the facility, R&T's host provides a great contrast with the current facility and its low-tech past.