One to Buy: 1800km 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S
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Five years after Lamborghini had displayed the original production-spec. Countach (the LP400), an even more dramatic variant was revealed under lights at the Geneva Motor Show in 1978.
Dubbed Countach S, this latest, wide-arched and heavily spoilered creation had been inspired by a quintet of similarly equipped Countach Speciales built for VIP customers between 1975 and ‘76. Two of these five cars went to oil magnate and racing team patron, Walter Wolf, who had personally funded the Speciale development programme at considerable expense.
Much of the Speciale’s development work had been handled by ex-Lamborghini designer, Gian Paolo Dallara, as Automobili Lamborghini was going through something of a management crisis at the time. As a consequence of the turmoil that surrounded Lamborghini during this period, buyers were thin on the ground; there was an understandable reluctance to buy a car from a company that may not have been around to supply spare parts much longer.
Accordingly, the Series 1 Countach S is one of the rarest Lamborghinis ever built and now much sought after by collectors. Like the subsequent but more voluminous Series 2, the Series 1 retained the original low body configuration. However, it uniquely came with handsome Bravo-style Teledial wheels and, if specified, a more aggressively profiled rear spoiler without any endplates.
The remarkable car depicted here, chassis 1121086 - which is currently showing a little over 1800km, is heading to auction at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale on August 15th.
Configured in Rosso with Nero upholstery and dispatched in July 1979 to Lamborghini main dealer, SEA Auto in Rome, the following month chassis 1121086 was exported to Ameritech to be Federalised for the United States market. This simply involved extension of the front and rear side reflector markers, which did not require any alteration to the car’s metalwork. US-style bumpers were not added.
Having been granted Environmental Protection Agency certification in March 1980, the Countach was delivered to its first owner, a Michigan-based collector, who kept the car for nearly 20 years but accrued very little mileage. This pattern continued with the two subsequent custodians.
Never before publicly displayed or advertised, this Countach is being offered in preserved condition with original factory paint, interior and even the original Pirelli P7 tyres!
