VIN: Lamborghini Countach chassis 1120228: LP400 to S Factory Rebuild
History of chassis 1120228
In October 1976, Mel Nichols of Car magazine flew to Italy to cover a Lamborghini story like no other.
Roger Philips of UK Lamborghini concessionaires, Berlinetta Italia in Sutton, Surrey, had ordered a trio of new cars for display at the Earls Court Motor Show in London. All three needed to be driven back to England.
Mid October saw Nichols, Phillips, David Joliffe (of Portman Garages) and Steve Brazier (of Steven Victor) fly to Italy where they would collect a Countach, Silhouette and Urraco before returning in time for the show.
The Countach, chassis 1120228, was signed off at the factory on 15th October.
All three cars were finished in matching Oro Metalizzato (gold metallic), but before Nichols seminal piece had been published in the February 1977 edition of Car magazine, this famous right-hand drive Countach LP400 had already been involved in a serious crash.
While travelling along the A40 in west London, the Countach span out of control after an errant driver had cut across its path. Both Lamborghini occupants were uninjured, however, the same could not be said of the car. It sustained heavy damage to both sides, the nose was pounded back to the windscreen and the tail back to the engine (which cracked the alloy crankcase and transmission).
Despite having been severely damaged, chassis 1120228 was resurrected by the factory and returned to the UK in 1980 after a rebuild to S trim.
Whether the original damaged chassis was repaired remains a mystery. Perhaps more likely given the extent of the accident damage was that Lamborghini simply built a new car and stamped it using the old number to avoid UK import tax.
Either way, the original Oro Metalizzato / Senape livery was changed to a more conventional Rosso / Nero colour scheme. As a Series 2 LP400 S, chassis 1120228 was equipped with dished Campagnolo Teledial wheels and original low body suspension settings. A rear spoiler was also fitted.
Having run the UK plate 624 LC in its original LP400 guise, the freshly rebuilt Countach S was re-registered MGU 445W. It is pictured here in the late summer of 1980 at West Kent Car Sales Ltd. of Biggin Hill, Kent, who were Lamborghini agents for a short time.
Advertised as “The only RHD example produced in this model” and with delivery mileage, the price was £65,000.
Chassis 1120228 was re-registered NUR 777 later in the 1980s and then went onto the plate AGF 59 in the early 1990s. By this time the rear spoiler had been removed.
The car was reputedly later destroyed in a road accident.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
