Lamborghini Countach LP400 S Series I by Bertone, 1978
Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini Countach•
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Chassis No.: 1121028
Registration: Bill of Sale Only
Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco
€504,000 EUR | Sold
- The 14th of 50 Countach LP400 S Series Is produced
- Believed to be the only Countach LP400 S Series I finished in Blu Notte Metallizato
- Retains its original engine
375 bhp, 3,929 cc DOHC V-12 engine with six Weber horizontal two-barrel carburettors, five-speed manual transmission, unequal length A-arm front suspension with coil springs and an anti-roll bar, upper lateral-link rear suspension with lower A-arms, coil springs, and an anti-roll bar, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,450 mm
Few cars have influenced the automotive industry as much as the Lamborghini Countach. At a time when sports cars were voluptuous, curvaceous, and feminine, the Countach burst onto the scene at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, turning the industry upside down. Brash, aggressive, and angular, Marcello Gandini and Lamborghini once again succeeded in shaking the supercar establishment to its core. Impressive enough under the lights at Geneva, to most motorists, getting passed by a Countach on the open road was an experience similar to being low-flyover by a U.F.O.
Like any new production car, an update would be needed to succeed the Countach LP 400 to address some minor quirks discovered by Lamborghini and its customers in the car’s teething years. Of course, to keep hold of the public’s infectious interest and enthusiasm, Lamborghini knew it was in their best interest to change very little about the car’s aesthetics in order to retain its overall personality.
This update was dubbed the Countach LP 400S and first debuted in 1978, four years after the first production Countach LP400 hit the road. The most notable change to this new Countach was its wider Pirelli tires, which helped in putting the car’s 375 horsepower to the ground. Wider, yet subtle, fender flares were fitted to house the tires, and the suspension geometry was completely revised to account for these changes. Overall, this helped the Countach to appear even more aggressive, and many LP400 customers returned to the factory to request that their cars be updated to LP400 S specification.
The 237 Countach LP400 S examples produced are divisible into three distinct series, with the most desirable being the first series, or Series I, examples, of which a mere 50 were built. These are identified by their wider Campagnolo Bravo wheels, lovingly nicknamed “telephone dials” for their distinctive styling and lower suspension setting.
The 14th example Series I LP400 S Countach produced, the example presented here was originally produced on 26 October 1978, finished in Blu Notte Metallizato over a Bianco interior, and delivered to its first owner the following month. While its early history is not known, the Countach was purchased by its current owner in Munich in 2001 and has remained in storage in Finland ever since. At some point prior to its current ownership, the car was refinished in red with a black interior. It is important to note that the car still retains its original, matching-numbers engine. More recently, it has seen some minor recommissioning since coming out of storage.
Offering slight updates inside and out and preparing the Countach for its steps further into the future, the LP400 S Series I is an important model in Lamborghini’s history and remains not only the most desirable iteration of the LP400 S series, but also one of the most desirable models of the vaunted Countach. Recently emerged from storage and retaining its original engine, this particular example would be an excellent candidate for a restoration to its original colour scheme of Blu Notte Metallizato over Bianco and will stand proud as one of Lamborghini’s most groundbreaking vehicles.
Cost
2,078,240 AED
