Lot 261: Lamborghini Countach LP 500 S

Few would deny that Lamborghini's Countach is the quintessential supercar. It was built by a talented and passionate team of designers and engineers with the purpose of being the most extrovert and outrageous of cars available for the road. As a replacement for the fabulous Miura this was a tall order, but there can be no doubt that it succeeded and even today, though there are more modern cars and faster cars, the Countach which will draw people's attention like no other car. The stunning styling was by Bertone's Marcello Gandini and when the first prototype was revealed as Project 112, one of the factory workers exclaimed "Countach!", a local Piemontese expletive, roughly translated as "Wow!" The name stuck. Incorporating much race car technology, it was an automotive tour de force. With its back-to-front, longitudinally-mounted, V12 engine and gearbox, independent double wishbone suspension all round and rigid space frame, it was easily the fastest production car around, reaching a claimed 190mph. Like its predecessor, the car quickly found favour with enthusiastic drivers and wealthy playboys alike. One of Lamborghini's most loyal customers was Formula One race team owner, Walter Wolf, who owned several examples, one of which was modified for him by the factory to be quicker still. Suspension revisions allowed the fitting of much wider wheels mounted with Pirelli's brand new P7 tyre, designed especially for this car. Flared wheel arches sprouted from the flanks to cover these enormous new wheels, the like of which had never before been seen on the road, and at the front an air dam was fitted, while a huge delta wing sprouted from the rear boot lid. With engine modifications, Wolf reckoned his car was fast enough to be competitive at Le Mans. Lessons learned from Wolf's car were put into practice with the introduction of the S variant, essentially a cosmetic replica. 667 units came off the production line at Sant Agata before the Diablo was scheduled to replace it in 1990. The car on sale here today is a very good unmolested example of the Countach, manufactured in December 1982, with only 24,000 Km on the clock. It should be noted that this car is fitted with the most sought after carburettor (six double Weber), along with the highly desirable rear wing option. Only 321 LP 500S examples were manufactured, making this car a serious investment for the collector. After its initial sale, the car was exported to the USA, where it remained for a number of years, before returning to Europe after being purchased by a Dutchman. Included with the car are receipts and details of works completed to maintain the car and service records dating back to 1992. The car still has its Dutch plates and registration and retains its full European engine and body characteristics. The current owner has spent the last year performing a very careful restoration, whilst being careful not to compromise the car's original condition. Paint was painstakingly touched up where required and black details revived, while the interior benefited from a very careful cleaning and reconditioning of the original leather upholstery. The car was entrusted to an official Lamborghini technical service agent in Italy for a number of projects in order to preserve its safety and performance, including changing of ball-joints, steering links, brake disks, brake pads, brake lines and fuel lines, and a tune up of carburettors. During the restoration process, each component part was dismantled, cleaned and painted new if needed). Moreover, a full electrical check was also carried out. In total, the works carried out on the car during this period were in excess of 25,000 Euro. Example of the Countach, manufactured in December 1982, with only 24,000 Km on the clock. It should be noted that this car is fitted with the most sought after carburettor (six double Weber), along with the highly desirable rear wing option. Only 321 LP 500S examples were manufactured, making this car a serious investment for the collector. After its initial sale, the car was exported to the USA, where it remained for a number of years, before returning to Europe after being purchased by a Dutchman. Included with the car are receipts and details of works completed to maintain the car and service records dating back to 1992. The car still has its Dutch plates and registration and retains its full European engine and body characteristics. The current owner has spent the last year performing a very careful restoration, whilst being careful not to compromise the car's original condition. Paint was painstakingly touched up where required and black details revived, while the interior benefited from a very careful cleaning and reconditioning of the original leather upholstery. The car was entrusted to an official Lamborghini technical service agent in Italy for a number of projects in order to preserve its safety and performance, including changing of ball-joints, steering links, brake disks, brake pads, brake lines and fuel lines, and a tune up of carburettors. During the restoration process, each component part was dismantled, cleaned and painted new if needed). Moreover, a full electrical check was also carried out. In total, the works carried out on the car during this period were in excess of 25,000 Euro. What makes this car particularly interesting to enthusiasts is its original condition, yet the car has remained in continuous light usage for the entirety of its life, and therefore is now in a condition where it is ready for everyday use. Although Countaches occasionally appear on the market, for the most part they are static sculpture or art that, even if beautifully preserved, need a fortune to be put back into driveable condition, or lack the originality craved by true enthusiasts. After its restoration in March 2009, the car was driven by the present owner as Lamborghini team to the Trophee de la Vallee. This event was an excellent test of the recent work completed, and the car performed admirably, navigating the mountain roads with ease and winning loving applause from the crowds wherever it went, and eventually finishing third in its class. As a result of this, it was featured in several Italian motoring magazines. The trophy from this exclusive event will be included with the car. Should the future owner wish to apply to enter the car with the same team at the Sestriere Hystorique event, they would be in with a very real chance of winning the Trofeo delle Alpi (Trophy of Alps), given upon the results taken from both competitions. Presented in its original white with white interiors and red dash cover, this Countach comes complete with a certificate of originality from Lamborghini, officially stating its matching numbers and confirming that the car was manufactured as a European version. Having covered only 900 km since its recent sympathetic restoration, this is an excellent opportunity to acquire an original example of this classic Lamborghini design icon, which is ready to be driven and enjoyed.