NSX and Lamborghini Countach LP400S

[Jetpilot3]

Thought I'd share some photos of my mate John's 1980 Lamborghini Countach LP400S as its a very rare car. Sat in a museum for 18 years and only has 4,000 original miles. John decided to take her out for a spin this weekend so I followed along listening to the wonderful sound of V12 power.

 

[Blue Batmobile]

Sweet! I wanted to get a Countach not long ago, but prices have skyrocketed to anywhere from 99k-140k! About 5 years ago, you could get a decent one for around 60k.

Bat™

 

[ffffanman]

Wow, beautiful, enjoy!
Trev

 

[tougebear]

Wow, it's been years since I've seen one of those on the streets.

Crazy styling, hard clutch, no side or rear visibility... that's a real Lambroghini.

 

[scorp965]

Awesome Countach; my friend's father, back in High School, had a white one - it's a car I intend to own some day.

More of an 'occasion', rather than an 'automobile', if that makes any sense.

 

[tjobeid]

Looks like this

 

[mackash]

Sweet! I wanted to get a Countach not long ago, but prices have skyrocketed to anywhere from 99k-140k! About 5 years ago, you could get a decent one for around 60k.

Bat™

Why the increase?

 

[blodi]

Great photos....two different ways of creating a supercar. One reliable, easy to drive and relatively sensible and the other ....not so much. :biggrin:
I must have had 20 posters of the countach in my room as a kid. I would still love to have one someday. Still just a great, cool looking car to this day.

 

[steveny]

Sweet looks brand new!

 

[95gsrturbo]

That car used to put a smile on my face- but now i look at the body lines and shudder-

Compared to the newer Gallardo, and Murcielago it PALES. It looks too boxy too many sharp edges and corners, now everything is soo sleek and smooth--
Imagine in 10 years ill be saying that the Gallardo is so ugly and I cant believe i liked it in 2007..lol

Im so fickle!

 

[DubaiRich]

I'll be adding mine to the picture soon since its being cleared from customs this week!!

 

[Jetpilot3]

Yeah Rich...can't wait. Whhooooooho!

John's Lamborghini is very rare and the values of these cars have sky rocketed because so little of them were made. This particular car isn't even broken in by Lamborghini standards yet its 26 years old!!!

One 1980 model in the lowered stance from factory just sold for rediculous money...something like $476,000 U.S. yet it had 28,000 miles on it!

 

[Knox]

Wow, nice car! To hear one of those run is amazing. The sound is far from what we know Lamborghini today but awesome none the less.

 

[Timpo]

very nice!

I heard that you have pay a lot of $$$$$ just to keep the Countach running though.

 

[Jetpilot3]

Yes...all Lamborghini's are service nightmares and redicuously expensive...

 

[NSX-Appeal]

Sweet! I wanted to get a Countach not long ago, but prices have skyrocketed to anywhere from 99k-140k! About 5 years ago, you could get a decent one for around 60k.

The purchase price of a Countach usually isn't the issue. It's the maintenance that kills you. New clutch every 6,000 ~ 10,000 miles alone will run you upwards of $10K with labor. And a valve job? Forget about it.

That's why so many Countach fans (like me) took a more reasonable approach:

 

[NSX-Appeal]

very nice!

I heard that you have pay a lot of $$$$$ just to keep the Countach running though.

That's why you see so many of them for sale right around the 8,000 mile mark. First clutch replacement.

 

[s14_tat]

The purchase price of a Countach usually isn't the issue. It's the maintenance that kills you. New clutch every 6,000 ~ 10,000 miles alone will run you upwards of $10K with labor. And a valve job? Forget about it.

That's why so many Countach fans (like me) took a more reasonable approach:

a v8 in a coutach? thats blasphemy!! a non split plane v8 will never sound a exotic or high pitch as a v12.

 

[Jetpilot3]

NSX - Appeal,

I know of another 1980 Countach for sale here in Dubai for $19,000 U.S. but of course its not running. Might be worth purchasing, shipping back to the U.S. and then transplanting another V8 in?

Jetpilot

 

[NSX-Appeal]

a v8 in a coutach? thats blasphemy!! a non split plane v8 will never sound a exotic or high pitch as a v12.

It's a tradeoff. I don't get to listen to a V12, but in return I'm rewarded with infinitely greater reliability and infinitely lower maintenance costs. Some people believe the exhaust note and 7500rpm redline is worth $5 a mile. I don't happen to be one of them.

(btw, it's not a "real" Countach) :smile:

 

[NSX-Appeal]

NSX - Appeal,

I know of another 1980 Countach for sale here in Dubai for $19,000 U.S. but of course its not running. Might be worth purchasing, shipping back to the U.S. and then transplanting another V8 in?

$19K seems very cheap even for a shell, but I didn't transplant anything. The 350 Chevy is one of the standard engine options for a Prova Countach.

I've never heard of anyone transplanting a V8 into a Countach, but it may have happened at some point. I know several people ripped the V12's out of the Jag XJ-S and swapped in small block Chevy's.

 

[Meeyatch1]

Thought I'd share some photos of my mate John's 1980 Lamborghini Countach LP400S as its a very rare car. Sat in a museum for 18 years and only has 4,000 original miles. John decided to take her out for a spin this weekend so I followed along listening to the wonderful sound of V12 power....

Wow!! 18 years in a museum is crazy!! Where was it, and how did he find it? It is great that someone is finally driving it. I always feel sorry for those poor cars that sit for so long with no use when they are capable of so much. How many miles did it have when he bought it?

 

[Jetpilot3]

Let me get the full story on the car from John and report back. All I know is that this car is supremo rare (Lowered body direct from Lamborghini and something like only 14 ever made).

 

[blodi]

This reminded me of this clip from youtube....possibly the meanest sounding street car I have ever heard.....like the scream of satan himself...
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/foDcLUhUKqI&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/foDcLUhUKqI&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

 

[NSX-Files]

As for the Countach S, the very early LP400S (Series 1 low-body with Bravo wheels) as we call them are the rarest, and include only the 1st 50 made. I had car number 27 until I sold it a few years ago. What a bummer that was!

They had "Bravo" style wheels from the Lambo prototype with the same name. The magnesium wheels had a unique telephone dial look to them with raised edges around the 5 holes. If you can find a set of the wheels (you can't) they are probably worth about $25k now. That car in Dubai does not have the Bravo wheels, but is a low body car, probably worth $80k to 110K if it's mint. I've seen Bravo wheel cars sell for close to $200k USD. The price has skyrocketed in the last few years for the Countach, as it did for the Miura years before.

Here's some Bravo wheeled cars: