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Owner of Lamborghini Miura that Burned in London Suing H.R. Owen Garage over Bad Servicing

Remember the Lamborghini Miura SV that burned to a crisp last year in London? Many of you probably do, since it’s not exactly easy to forget the death of such an example - the Miura was the car that defined Lamborghini in the crazy 60s, while many go as far as naming it the first supercar. The Miura in question had just been serviced, so the owner sued the garage and we’re here to talk about the legal battle.
Lamborghini Miura SV burning in London 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
The Miura SV is owned by billionaire founder of real estate agent Foxtons, but the car was driven by his son when it caught fire, as the Daily Mail writes. It seems that the the tycoon’s son had only driven the V12 machine less than a mile from the garage that had just serviced it. Interestingly enough, we are talking about H.R. Owen, a well-known handler of premium brands in London.

The company sells Astons, Bentleys, Bugattis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Paganis and Rolls-Royce cars, also offering service for most of these. H.R. Owen had changed the engine oil, filter and spark plugs on the Raging Bull (it received the car on December 19th 2012) and when the tycoon’s son came to collect it (5 April 2013), the whole story literally went up in flames.

Hunt’s son explained that the V12 was running roughly and, as the car went along the A40, the driver noticed white smoke coming from the engine compartment. The Miura was accompanied by an H.R. Owen employee in another car, who advised the driver to return to the shop.

As the Lamborghini turned and started its trip back to the service, more smoke started to emerge from the rear of the car, a “deep percussion noise” was heard and then flames started coming out of the engine compartment. The flames swallowed the supercar altogether- you can see a clip of the burning Lambo below.

The legal battle

As a spokeswoman for H.R. Owen told the Evening Standard, “this is a case between two insurance companies, but H.R. Owen continue to do business with Jon Hunt.”

Hunt’s lawyer, Daniel Scarrott, made a claim at the London High Court, stating his client expects compensation for the loss of the GBP900,000 (EUR1,136,000 or USD1,413,000) car and yet agrees on including the GBP200,000 salvage value the Miura has as a burned shell - yes, we know, this figure is perhaps the most amazing one of the entire story.

Moreover, the Scarrott demanded compensation for the storage costs, as well as for the loss of use.

The lawyer alleged that the mechanics had installed the wrong type of spark plugs, also taking into consideration the possibility of a fuel system issue that had not been noticed by the garage - "The spark plugs fitted worked at too high a temperature and created the risk of fire.The fire was caused by the ignition of fuel. Such ignition could not have taken place unless the fuel system was not intact or the spark plugs were not properly adjusted or fitted. Both of these matters could have been avoided by a competent service of the vehicle."

The story has generated quite a stir among enthusiasts and many ask themselves why Hunt chose H.R. Owen, who primarily handles new vehicles, instead of turning to a specialist who specifically handles classic cars.

Truth be told, Miuras are know to turn to spontaneous combustion over gasoline being spit out through the carburetors when heavy loads are used at low speed. Regardless, such matters are usually handled with the help of experts who asses the burned shell and we expect one to join the case soon.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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