Need proof that the Geneva motor show was always about the high end of the market? Look no further than our coverage of the 1966 event. No, there was no Bugatti Chiron, but in its place was something arguably more important: the world’s first supercar.

We’re talking about the Lamborghini Miura P400, a car so stunning it forced us to use “coruscating” in the article headline. This wasn’t the first time we’d seen the car, technically — the chassis was revealed to much acclaim the year prior at the Turin auto salon. Bertone’s gorgeous coachwork was a fitting match for the underpinnings, however, creating a V12-powered work of art that has only grown better with time.

There was more, of course. Pininfarina’s Ferrari California Spider, which — while probably several times more valuable than a Miura — looked positively old-fashioned compared to the Raging Bull’s offering. The new Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider promised to put Italian style within the reach of those not in the Ferrari set, as did the clean Ghia-bodied Isuzu 117 Sport.

Read our full coverage of the show in the April 2, 1966 issue of Competition Press & Autoweek below.

Graham Kozak – Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they’re doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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