Only one original Lamborghini Bertone Miura Roadster was ever created, and now that special car is headed for sale in Switzerland. The Kidston auction house is offering the car, which was originally designed as a pure exercise in aesthetics to preserve interest in the Miura Coupe.

A special feature at the 1968 Brussels Salon, the car never made production due to stress-tolerance difficulties in its windshield design. Nevertheless, the car's lines captured the imaginations of fans the world over, and the auction provides a singular opportunity to acquire the one-off creation.

The history of the Miura itself is almost as interesting as the design, having spent time as a showpiece for the International Lead and Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO), followed by a 'lengthy retirement' in museums and private collections around the world.

Now the car has been restored - at a monumental cost of $330 according to the auction house - to full original condition. The car even took second in show at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, losing out only to the magnificent 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta of Jon Shirley.

What price the unique Miura may claim at auction is anybody's guess, but it's sure to be a suitably stratospheric figure, regardless of the tough economy. Kidston has several other classic Lamborghinis for auction, including a coachbuilt 1972 Bertone Miura SV coupe and a Bertone Miura Berlinetta from the same year.