The Lamborghini Miura, introduced in 1966, became the first production vehicle to use a transverse-mounted V12 engine.
Lamborghini revealed the production Miura at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. Engineers Gian Paolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani, and test driver Bob Wallace developed a mid-engined layout that placed the powerful V12 behind the occupants. The engine and gearbox were arranged transversely to keep the chassis compact.
The Miura’s dramatic proportions were designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Its technical layout and styling helped establish the modern high-performance mid-engined supercar formula. The engine was related to the V12 used in Lamborghini’s earlier front-engined 400GT and 400GT 2+2.
The later Countach also used a mid-mounted V12, but it was longitudinal rather than transverse. The Miura was therefore not simply the first Lamborghini mid-engined car; its unusual transverse V12 arrangement is the specific historical distinction.