Eddie Van Halen Used His Lamborghini Miura On 'Panama,' Here's What It Looks Like Today

There is no such thing as an ordinary Lamborghini, and certainly nothing that could be considered an ordinary Lamborghini Miura. However, while all the Miuras are equal, some Miuras are more equal than others. Take, for example, the relatively recently rediscovered "Italian Job" Miura, which has since been restored.

Another Miura with a similarly evocative story is Eddie Van Halen's personal example, which was apparently given to him by his wife, Valerie Bertinelli, as a wedding gift in 1981. Eddie, being no regular guy, would be gifted no regular Miura, and so a number of unique touches could be found around the car. Notably was the license plate 'APR 11' which signified their wedding date, but other details including a bright red paint job, unique split-rim alloy wheels, and aggressive body modifications which were more Countach than Miura in style.

It was John Temerian, founder of Curated Motors, who uncovered the Miura – but this was far from a fairy-tale barn-find moment. The story goes that Temerian, while in Switzerland, received a call from a friend informing him that Eddie Van Halen wished to sell his car collection.

An avid Miura enthusiast, Temerian had long been intrigued by the full story behind Eddie's custom car, and now he had not only the chance to uncover it, but to write a check and claim the Lamborghini for himself. Needless to say, a deal was struck, and he wasted no time beginning his research.

An avid Miura enthusiast, Temerian had long been intrigued by the full story behind Eddie's custom car, and now he had not only the chance to uncover it, but to write a check and claim the Lamborghini for himself. Needless to say, a deal was struck, and he wasted no time beginning his research.

Temerian doesn't detail the car's exact condition beforehand, but given it had been out of the public eye for some time, it's reasonable to assume it required a thorough going-over before it could be used in anger again. Initially, he intended to return the car to full factory specification, however, the decision soon shifted. Instead, it would be restored to the form in which Eddie owned and daily drove it. The pop culture significance was simply too great for Temerian and Lamborghini to ignore; the roaring exhaust heard on "Panama" owes itself to this very car. In the end, the goal was no longer to restore just any Miura, but to restore Eddie's Miura.

So, rather than replace the custom wheels and bodywork with standard items, the restoration team at Lamborghini and John Temerian opted to instead restore the Miura in full Eddie style.

Those striking air intakes behind the bull's horn doors remained, as did the cool wheels, and of course, the wedding-date-inspired registration had to stick around too. There was a discussion as to whether the Miura should be restored back to its original green hue or not, but as the pictures here show, Eddie's bold and bright red won that argument too.

The decision process was prolonged somewhat thanks to the effects of COVID, which turned this two-year restoration into a four-year ordeal, but perhaps the extra time to reflect on choices made was all for the better, as to erase all traces of Eddie from this '72 Miura would have surely been a grave mistake.

Unrestored Lambos do keep turning up – including one Miura that spent 40 years as furniture in somebody's living room — but there surely can't be too many still out there, and none will be quite like this one. Eddie Van Halen was father to many a brilliant driving sound track, and restoring his beloved Lambo back to how he first received it is a fitting tribute from both Lamborghini and Temerian. Anything that adds a little more rock 'n' roll to the concours lawn is always a win in our books, too.