Wanderlust

Tag: Countach

  • Lamborghini Celebrates Polo Storico’s Tenth Anniversary at The I.C.E. St. Moritz

    Lamborghini Celebrates Polo Storico’s Tenth Anniversary at The I.C.E. St. Moritz

    [source: Lamborghini]

    Sant’Agata Bolognese – The Lamborghini Polo Storico tenth anniversary celebrations began in St. Moritz on 21 and 22 February with two days dedicated to the company’s classic cars and heritage center. On the evening of 21 February the Balthazar Downtown restaurant hosted an exclusive dinner for a select group of Polo Storico customers and collectors. The following day, international journalists and customers were welcomed to the Lamborghini Polo Storico Lounge. An extraordinary Diablo SE 30 (viola30; metallic uni; 210113; Lamborghini) captured the guests’ attention throughout the weekend. The car, painted in “Lambo Thirty”—a brilliant purple created especially for this version—was spectacularly positioned, “flying,” on the panoramic terrace of Balthazar Downtown. The terrace looks out over the frozen water of Lake St. Moritz, where two more historic Lamborghini vehicles were in the spotlight: the Countach “pace car”, which took part as support at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1981 and 1982, and a Miura SV were brought to St. Moritz by their owners to participate in the “The I.C.E. St. Moritz” concours d’elegance.

    “In St. Moritz, we kicked off a year of celebrations that will take us to some of the world’s most exclusive locations, engaging our international community.” stated Alessandro Farmeschi, After Sales Director at Automobili Lamborghini. “It was really meaningful to meet up in the Alps with our customers. Together, in the last ten years we’ve worked on unique projects, certified exceptional cars and promoted the history of our brand around the world.”

    Among the vehicles that drew the biggest crowds was the eye-catching, legendary Countach LP 400S, also known as the “Countach Pace Car” because it was used as the safety car at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix in 1981 and was the official car of the Race Director the following year. One of the most iconic Lamborghinis ever employed in a sporting environment, the Countach in question is currently being analyzed as part of the Polo Storico certification process. It was accompanied on the parade around a frozen St. Moritz by a red Miura SV that was certified by Lamborghini Polo Storico in 2018. It was the last and most powerful version of the model, which was launched by Lamborghini in 1966 and was the world’s first super car.

    The value and prestige of Lamborghini’s historic cars have also been confirmed by the public at the Concours d’Elegance. In fact, the Miura SV won the Hero Below Zero award, given based on public preferences.

    The Lamborghini Polo Storico tenth anniversary celebrations will continue in Rome from 24 to 27 April at the Anantara Concours d’Elegance: a new international event exclusively for Italian classic cars. Some of the most iconic masterpieces from motoring history will parade through the heart of the Italian capital, watched by crowds of admiring fans from all over the world. Lamborghini Polo Storico will be present with its own stand.

  • EU Market Find: Last Customer Delivered Countach in Mystery Purple

    EU Market Find: Last Customer Delivered Countach in Mystery Purple

    What: 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary
    Color: Unknown Purple (unknown, repaint)
    Chassis: KLA12081
    Mileage: 26,318 km / 16,354 mi
    Price: €499,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Rock ‘n Roll Classics, Brugge, Belgium
    Sales listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Okay, we may be bending our own rules with so many repainted cars lately. The reality though, in the rare air of classics priced at these levels, is that previous owners can and do end up restoring and sometimes refinishing these cars. At this level, we expect most resprays to be as good or better than the factory, and when it’s a shift to an interesting color we’re more likely to give it a pass. Take for example this Countach 25th Anniversary.

    For starters, it’s a very significant car within the Countach breed. Though its original color Rosso Siviglia is one of the more common Countach 25th Anniversary colors, this car itself is the last known customer-delivered Countach to come out of the Lamborghini factory. It was delivered new in Belgium and has remained there all its life. It also features the sought-after downdraft Weber carburetors, which provided an extra 30 horsepower compared to U.S. models 

    At some point, the color was also changed to this metallic purple hue. Researching the chassis, we’re only finding references to the original red color with beige leather interior featuring red piping. Based on the photos, we suspect the interior was also redone. It is possible that the yellow hue of the leather might be described as “beige”, but we’re also not seeing piping so that’s a guess.

    Whatever the case, it’s a very interesting specimen and so we’re including it. Check out more photos and car history via the dealer’s website linked above.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • Market Find: 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV in Giallo Fly set for Broad Arrow at The Amelia

    Market Find: 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV in Giallo Fly set for Broad Arrow at The Amelia

    What: 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV
    Color: Giallo Fly (giallofly; non-metallic UNI; 215201 / 83671; Lamborghini)
    VIN: ZA9CA05A9HLA12162
    Mileage: 24,500 kilometers (15,225 miles)
    Estimate: $550,000 – $650,000
    CarFax: Inquire with Broad Arrow
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Broad Arrow The Amelia Auction 2025
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    In Italian “countach” is an expression like “goodness” or “oh my God.” Sounds about right. Car-aware kids of the 1980s likely exclaimed it when they first encountered one, maybe in the pages of Road & Track or maybe in that opening scene of Cannonball Run. No doubt they headed on down to the local mall and picked up a Choices poster at Spencer Gifts, hung it on their bedroom wall and stared longingly at it for years to come. Now, they’re adults and they all dream of the same Countach fantasy. And, if they’re appropriately funded, they add one to the garage. If you’re that kid, you should check out this ’87 Countach 5000 QV set to cross the Broad Arrow block at The Amelia in a few weeks.

    And while monochromatic “cocaine white” on white will get you Wolf of Wall Street cred, or black on gold will get you reliving the Cannonball Run, we’d argue a Giallo Fly (Fly Yellow) on brown leather brings back 80s vibes with just as much authenticity.

    This one’s a desirable setup, a later Quattrovalvole 48-valve version of the V12 with “round belly” design, yet predating all the plastic cheese gratery of the final 50th anniversary models. This car is one of just 66 fuel-injected U.S. market cars ever produced. It is well preserved and unmodified, and has spent much of its life in California and Florida. It’s also had mechanical refurbishment done recently in 2024.