A few weeks ago, we told you about The Lamborghini Murciélago with the highest mileage in the world, known by its license plate SG54 LAM. A car that has become famous for having traveled nearly 500,000 kilometers, its two engines, its many rebuilds, and its incredible history.
But a new video released today by Collecting Cars reveals another fascinating figure: its current owner. Because behind the Lamborghini Behind the UK’s most famous landmark lives a man who still resides in a modest home he bought for 50,000 pounds thirty years ago—equivalent to about 60,000 euros today—even though his car collection is now worth over a million euros.
A small house, very large cars
In Rotherham, in northern England, James doesn't live in a mansion with an air-conditioned garage. He still lives in the same two-bedroom townhouse he bought in the mid-1990s.
Rather than move, he made a radical decision: to spend his money on his cars. Behind the doors of his garages, however, lie models that would be the envy of any collector. A Ferrari 512 TR a nearly new blue one, several Lotus Carltons, a Noble M600, several Alpine A610s, a modified Range Rover Classic, not to mention a Lamborghini Diablo SV and, of course, the famous Murciélago SG54 LAM. The total value of the collection now far exceeds one million euros, while the house in which he lives is worth barely a fraction of that amount.
«I spent everything on cars»
What's most surprising is that James doesn't consider himself an investor. In the video, he explains that he has never bought a car to make money. His philosophy is simple: buy with your heart.
This philosophy is evident throughout his collection. His Ferrari 430 Scuderia is used on long road trips. His Ferrari 512 TR takes part in events and road trips. His Lotus Carltons are driven regularly. He repairs most of his cars himself and even stocks thousands of spare parts so he can keep them running for decades to come. He goes so far as to say that he drives his Diablo «as if he’d stolen it,» convinced that a car is meant to be driven rather than left to gather dust under a cover.
The man who bought the Murciélago with 500,000 km on it
James is also the current owner of the SG54 LAM. The story behind it is almost as improbable as the car itself. While filming with Simon George, the Murciélago’s original owner, James had simply said to him, «If you ever want to sell it, give me a call.»
A few years later, the phone rang. The problem was that he didn’t have the money. He even jokes that no bank would agree to finance a Lamborghini with more than 300,000 miles on the odometer. He eventually borrowed money from friends and family to raise the necessary funds. When he bought it, the Murciélago already had about 308,000 miles on the odometer—nearly 500,000 kilometers. By then, it had its second engine, its second transmission, its tenth clutch, its ninth paint job, and had gone through more than 110 sets of tires.
A Lamborghini that he could already resell
Paradoxically, the most famous Lamborghini in his collection isn’t his favorite. After driving the Murciélago, his Diablo SV, and his Ferrari 512 TR, James admits he doesn’t really feel attached to the Murciélago. His partners would now like to sell their shares, and the car could soon change hands.
On the other hand, his Diablo SV will likely stay with him. This yellow Lamborghini—a former British press car and one of the very first models produced—is the car he dreamed of owning as a child. Ultimately, James’s story is very similar to that of SG54 LAM. It’s a story where numbers don’t really matter. A modest home, a collection worth over a million euros, and a Lamborghini with nearly 500,000 kilometers on the odometer: a passion for cars sometimes yields stories far more fascinating than the garages of billionaires.
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