When manufacturers threw their hats into the top-speed ring in the ’50s and early ’60s, they often inflated figures to ensure they would be the fastest, if nowhere else than on paper. Just claiming the crown was important, for in the immediate postwar era these machines were much more than sophisticated products for the elite. They represented the country in which they were made, and became a source of nationalist pride and public relations.

In May 1949, Jaguar garnered much publicity when a slightly modified XK120 hit 132 mph in Belgium. Two years later, Road & Track’s test declared the production version was “by far the fastest car yet tested.” Though no one knew it at the time, those two disparate acts began a top speed war that lasted the better part of three decades. In 1953, Pegaso’s supercharged Bisiluro went 151 mph, establishing what England’s Autocar called “the highest speed of any production sports car so far officially observed.”

Soon other manufacturers were lining up to enter the contest. Mercedes’ 300SL Gullwing’s competition heritage, Space Age doors and advertised 160mph capabilities had many believing it was indeed the fastest thing going. Others were convinced Ferrari’s 375MM and 410 SA were faster. The Jaguar camp countered with the XKSS, while later in the decade Maserati pointed to its exclusive 5000 GT.

So how could one determine who really was the champ? Very few magazines tested the cars, and those that did were rarely read outside their home countries. Worse, publications came and went as frequently as GT constructors during the 1950s and early ‘60s, giving the battle little impartial refereeing and even less consistent global reach.

But in the mid-1960s a confluence of events occurred that brought the top-speed showdown to center stage. Certain periodicals had proven their staying power and demonstrated credibility through proper testing techniques. Intercontinental travel and improved telecommunications meant the world was becoming smaller, more instantaneous. Now that speed devotees finally had reliable, impartial sources, all that was needed to galvanize the ongoing battle was a contender so radical in looks, so audacious in engineering, so brazen in its claimed top speed that the world at large couldn’t help but take notice.

That car was the Lamborghini Miura.

Read more about the Mustang in
Volume 45 Number 3