Jan 27

Jan 27 Guide: Wolf x Lambo x Dallara - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Lamborghini Countach LP400 Speciale

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<<<COUNTACH LP400 SPECIALE PORTAL

Background

Not long after Countach production began, Lamborghini started planning an uprated variant. The as-yet unnamed machine was to come with wider wheels, a tuned engine and a host of aggressive body modifications. It would sell alongside the standard LP400, albeit at a considerably higher price.

There was just one problem. Money.

The period 1970 to 1974 had been a tumultuous time for Lamborghini.

The firm had made a major investment in tooling and factory space for the Urraco, which was late into production and proved a commercial flop.

Ferruccio Lamborghini was also suffering the affects of a worldwide financial crisis while political instability in some of his companies’ main markets was also taking its toll. His tractor firm was in big trouble and trade unionised staff could no longer be laid off.

With things beginning to bite, in 1972, he sold Lamborghini Trattori to SAME and 51% of Automobili Lamborghini to Swiss industrialist, Georges-Henri Rossetti.

Things worsened considerably when the energy crisis hit in late 1973. Arab OPEC members announced an embargo on oil sales to the USA, UK, Canada, Japan and the Netherlands in response to the USA's support for Israel in the Yom Kippur War.

Egypt and Syria, with the support of other Arab nations, had begun a military campaign to regain Arab territories lost during the 1967 Six Day War (when Egypt, Syria and Jordan had been the aggressors).

Oil prices rose exponentially and remained at elevated levels for the next two years. Demand for gas guzzlers evaporated practically overnight.

In 1974, Ferruccio Lamborghini sold the remaining 49% of his auto maker to Rossetti’s friend, Rene Leimer.

Thankfully, the Countach LP400 had finally made it into production that April. However, the company was in poor financial shape and prospects looked bleak.

Ironically, the oil crisis had not been bad for everyone. One beneficiary was Canadian businessman, Walter Wolf, who made a fortune trading oil cargoes and providing technical services to the oil industry.

Wolf was the first individual to receive a Countach LP400 (chassis 1120006). Over the next few years, he became Lamborghini’s most valued customer.

1975 was a major year for Wolf. He had become something of a personality in the F1 paddock and agreed to purchase Cosworth DFV engines for the cash-strapped Williams team. Following further investment, Wolf assumed the role of majority stakeholder in Williams towards the end of the season.

Up until the end of 1974, Williams had campaigned Marlboro-backed Isos designed by Dallara Automobili in Parma. Gian Paoloa Dallara had worked for Lamborghini as the firm’s chief designer between 1963 and 1969, at which point he departed and soon established his own company.

With Dallara’s undeniable expertise, Wolf considered him the ideal candidate to design and build a prototype of the new Countach Speciale.

Dallara was chosen instead of Automobili Lamborghini as Wolf felt a small engineering firm would be better positioned to execute the programme on time and on budget. Under the leadership of Rossetti and Leimer, Automobili Lamborghini were in disarray as later demonstrated with their handling of the BMW M1 contract.

Chassis 1120148

Wolf’s first Countach Speciale was built on chassis 1120148 (depicted above). It started life as a standard red LP400 that was sent to Dallara Automobili in spring 1975.

The car was re-engineered to accommodate much wider Teledial wheels inspired by the type fitted to the Lamborghini Bravo concept unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in October 1974. These sand-cast magnesium rims were produced by Campagnolo and shod with ultra low profile Pirelli P7 tyres that Wolf also specially commissioned.

To accommodate the Teledial wheels, Dallara modified the existing suspension with bigger hubs.

Lamborghini made available to Wolf a special five-litre engine broadly similar to the type used in the original Countach prototype of 1971.

This power unit had a bore and stroke of 85mm and 73mm respectively. At 4971cc, it was 1042cc larger than any other Lamborghini V12 of the time. Compression was originally 10.5:1 and it breathed through six Weber 45 DCOE sidedraught carburettors. Lamborghini quoted a peak output of 440bhp at 7000rpm and 367lb-ft at 5000rpm.

Dallara Automobili also made a number of visual enhancements to 1120148. Matt black wheelarch extensions were tacked on, a matching deep front spoiler was fitted and an enormous adjustable spoiler mounted on matt black pylons was installed at the rear.

Wolf had the car further customised with four-point harnesses, an F1 steering wheel and fire extinguisher. He took delivery in August 1975.

Chassis 1120112

1120148 was much admired upon its return to the factory and Lamborghini quickly set about building a mule to further refine the Dallara upgrades.

They took a standard red LP400 (chassis 1120112) and focused primarily on the suspension.

Two parallel suspension links wire fitted to replace the lower wishbones, the entire aluminium hub carrier was redesigned, the suspension pick-up points were altered and thicker anti-roll bars were added.

1120112 was also fitted with an experimental five-litre engine, plus all the body mods seen on Wolf’s car apart from the rear wing.

The newly configured 1120112 (depicted above) rolled out of the factory in late summer of 1975. It thereafter served as research and redevelopment machine for the next three years.

Subsequent Copies

It did not take long for a couple of other wealthy customers to request their own Countach Speciales.

In 1976, Lamborghini produced three further examples.

One was built for Ermanno Spazzapan (chassis 1120188) and another for Albert Silvera (1120222).

Walter Wolf also took delivery of a second Countach Speciale (1120202) which received the special five-litre engine originally fitted to his red car.

Each of these vehicles was highly customised.

Walter Wolf’s example (images one and two) was painted blue with the wheelarches and front spoiler finished in matt black. He had a body coloured electrically adjustable rear spoiler fitted along with a public address system. The upper surface of each retractable headlight was emblazoned with a Canadian flag and the wheels were painted gold.

Ermanno Spazzapan’s Countach Speciale was painted red with matt black wheelarch extensions and a matching front spoiler. It came with a unique twin plane adjustable rear spoiler and silver wheels.

Albert Silvera went a couple of steps further with his blue example (depicted above). In addition to the wheelarch extensions and front spoiler, the front bumper, wiper, window frames, wing mirrors, wheels, ducts, vents, grilles, tail fascia and exhaust shroud were all painted gold. A gold pinstripe was also added along each flank.

A handful of other LP400s were also sent back to the factory to be uprated to Speciale trim by their owners.