VIN: Ernie Marshall's Lamborghini Countach Quattrovalvole chassis FLA12848
History of chassis FLA12848
Chassis FLA12848 left the factory on May 24th 1985.
It was delivered to the UK distributor, Portman Lamborghini, but not registered until August 1st (the first day it could be issued with a new ‘C’ prefix plate).
Portman consecutively registered another nine new Lamborghinis that day (a mixture of Jalpas and Countach Quattrovalvoles). FLA12848 was issued the plate C705 BYX.
The car was ordered by Ernie Marshall, a Cornish builder and director of the DownDerry Construction Group.
FLA12848 was the only right-hand drive Countach Quattrovalvole painted Giallo, it also came with a Naturale interior and the optional rear wing.
Two years later, Portman supplied FLA12848 to Autocar for a track test at Bruntingthorpe (May 27th 1987 edition). As the fastest car they had driven, the magazine wanted a Countach Quattrovalvole for a head-to-head comparison against the quickest superbike available (a 125bhp Yamaha FZR 1000).
The yellow Countach posted a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds and a 179mph top speed. By contrast, the Yamaha did 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and hit 160mph flat out.
In late 1988, Ernie Marshall acquired a Countach 25th Anniversary (KLA12464). The yellow Quattrovalvole was sold to a new owner and switched over to the personalised number plate, 666 RU.
It later went to the plate 25 ASM, before reverting back to 666 RU.
FLA12858 also appeared in the 1993 Chris Bennett book Lamborghini Countach.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia & Haymarket: https://www.autocar.co.uk/ / https://www.haymarket.com/
