Auto & Bike Blog: Little Tony’s Lamborghini Miura P400 Sings Again

Thursday, 30 May 2019

Little Tony’s Lamborghini Miura P400 Sings Again

Lamborghini Polo Storico continues their restoration work with an Azzurro Mexico color Miura.
This particular car was once owned by Italian musician and actor Antonio “Little Tony” Ciacci.
The restored Miura was part of the Concorso d’Eleganza of Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como.

Lamborghini is really digging into its history these days. Their in-house restoration shop, Lamborghini Polo Storico, is fresh off restoring the Miura seen getting crushed by a bulldozer in the movie The Italian Job. Now the firm from Sant’Agata Bolognese has just finished up another Miura rebuild, this time for a car that used to belong to a guy named Little Tony.

What’s In A Name

No, Little Tony is not a guy from the Mafia. The nickname fooled me too. No, in this case we are talking about one Antonio Ciacci, pop singer and actor, who rose to stardom in England somehow in the 1950s and ’60s. Ciacci was the lead singer of Little Tony & His Brothers (no, really), later returning to Italy where he kept singing; but went full Elvis by also becoming a successful film actor. (He was described as the Italian Elvis). Although he bears a certain resemblance to Jack Lord, he actually patterned is early career after Little Richard, hence the name.

Little Tony’s first #1 hit in Italy was Il ragazzo col ciuffo in 1962. He would later appear in over 20 movies in Italy, and become a central figure in the musicarelli film genre.

The Miura P400, once owned by entertainer Antonio “Little Tony” Ciacci, has been restored by Lamborghini Polo Storico. Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

License & Registration

On March 2nd 1971, in the Republic of San Marino (his home “town” – the country within the country of Italy), Little Tony took delivery of a shiny, new Lamborghini P400 S, chassis number #4797. Even though he was born in Tivoli (which is a province of Rome), Ciacci had always been officially a citizen of San Marino, so of course the Miura was registered with Roman license plates. In May 1973.

Yeah, I know. That’s two years after he bought it. This is Italy, and I’m sure it makes sense to someone.

Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

The Real Deal

Ciacci was a lover of cars in general and sports cars in particular, and chassis number #4797 was his third Miura. I know, such problems he mutsa had! This one was painted a lovely blue Azzurro Mexico with a black interior. Both classy and different than the usual red, chassis #4797 had the honor of being a participant at this year’s major Concorso d’Eleganza of Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como. This year there was a special class at Villa d’Este called Baby You Can Drive My Car: Cars of the Music Stars, where Little Tony’s Miura fit right in.

Currently, it’s owned by an unnamed “Italian collector,” but we know the car isn’t a fugazi, since Lamborghini Polo Storico certified it as genuine.

Little Tony’s Lamborghini Miura P400, interior layout. Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

Careful & Detailed Process

The Miura was completely restored by Lamborghini Polo Storico, first by digging into factory archives for complete information on the original build and obtaining the car’s production specifications. Lamborghini Polo Storico also offered its expertise on the correct working methods, ensuring all phases of the restoration work respected the way things were done back in the day. And that the final appearance was perfecto.

Polo Storico also worked through the original Lamborghini dealer to supply authentic spare parts, keeping things as genuine as possible. Lamborghini’s restoration outfit eventually certified the car, since it is historically significant not only for being owned by Little Tony Ciacci, but also for being one of just six Miuras painted in Azzurro Mexico.

Described in his obituary as a rock and roll pioneer, Little Tony died on May 27th 2013 in Rome. He his survived by a daughter from his 1972 marriage to Giuliana Brugnoli.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.