Entertainment of Thursday, 9 September 2010

Source: Ameyaw Debrah

A relook at Joe Sackey’s ‘The Lamborghini Muira Bible’ and his passion for supercars

Ghanaian Lamborghini collector and car broker, Joe Sackey certainly chose a bold title for his 268-page book crammed with information and illustrations on a classic automotive brand that ignites such intense passions for him. The Lamborghini Muira Bible has received rave reviews since it was published in November 2008 to date because of its in-depth coverage on the Miura’s gestation, model development, the Spiders and super-rare Jotas, chassis numbers, maintenance, restoration and driving appeal.

There’s a spotlight on engineer Paolo Stanzani which, surprisingly, offers more insight into the Countach than the Miura but key figures such as stylist Marcello Gandini and New Zealand-born development engineer Bob Wallace get only token coverage in the text. There are plenty of color images of restored cars, including stylish studio work and action shots, but much of the content is thinly spread. Also, there’s no list of specialists, index or bibliography. Buy ‘The Lamborghini Muira Bible’ on Amzon!

Over the past 22 years, both in Europe and in the USA, Joe has personally owned many classic cars including multiple Lamborghini Miura SV, Diablo, Countach, Ferrari F40, a Ferrari 288 GTO and several classic Porsche. His commitment and research in several time consuming nut-and-bolt restorations has brought him the knowledge and experience that are invaluable to those seeking his expertise. His standards are high, and his straightforward, no-nonsense approach to life is reflected in his business savvy and style.

In 2000, Joe organized the first-ever Miura Reunion in celebration of the car’s 35th anniversary, celebrated during the famed Monterey weekend at The Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, California. 27 Miura attended, which is the largest gathering of Miura to date. This special event is considered to have been an eye opener and sparked a renewed interest in what many consider the original supercar.

In 2006, he facilitated the sale of the famed one-off Lamborghini Miura ZN75 Spyder. In 2007, he facilitated the sale of yet another million-dollar Miura, with the sale of a Miura SVJ for $1.5 million USD.

In 2008, he facilitated the acquisition of the Dallara-designed first Miura chassis & engine, which had been stored for 30 years. In 2009, Joe Sackey organized the Ferrari 288 GTO 25th Anniversary Reunion that was held in August in Monterey, California. The 15 participants set a world-record for the most 288 GTO’s gathered worldwide to date.

Joe’s next book, entitled ‘The Book of the Ferrari 288 GTO’, would be published in 2010 by Veloce Publishers. He maintains private registries of the models that he specializes in. This is an unmatched hallmark and benefit that further separates Joe from other brokers. He lives in southern California with his wife, Margaret and their three children; Sterling, Vincent and Isabella.