Tag Archives: countach

Countach 5000 QV

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1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Coral Gables, Florida | March 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Here’s another Countach. This one is the followup to the LP500 S, and it’s called the 5000 QV, for quattrovalvole. Produced from 1985 until 1988, it was the last Countach variant to really stick mostly to the original styling before Horacio Pagani updated it for 25th Anniversary Edition duty. 610 were built.

Yes, the 5000 QV was boxier than the original LP 400. It had big wheel arch flares, impact bumpers for the U.S. market, and the big V-shaped rear wing, which was optional. There was also an optional front wing… which is one of the most insane ’80s automotive touches there was.

Power is from a 5.2-liter V12 with four valves per cylinder (hence the “QV”) that made 414 horsepower in U.S.-market trim with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. This car has been converted to European-spec, with six downdraft Weber carburetors. When new, cars equipped like this made 449 horsepower. This car was first titled in 2018 and has less than 1,000 miles. It also has an estimate of $850,000-$950,000. More info can be found here.

Countach LP400 S

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1981 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Coral Gables, Florida | March 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The first Lamborghini Countach was the LP400, which was produced from 1974 through 1978. These were the cleanest of all of the models – the sleekest. Beginning in 1978, the LP400 S was the only Countach you could buy, and it had fiberglass wheel arch extensions and an optional V-shaped rear wing.

The 3.9-liter V12 carried over but lost some oomph, producing 350 horsepower, which was down 20 from the earlier model. The LP400 S was produced in three series until 1982, with this car here being a Series II model. That means it had a lower ride height and smooth-face concave wheels. 105 Series II cars were built, making it the most common LP400 variant.

Just 237 LP400 S cars were built in total. This one has had five owners and was refreshed in 2022. It now has an estimate of $700,000-$800,000. Click here for more info.

Countach LP500 S

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1984 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 13, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This is the middle child of the Countach family. The Countach launched in 1974 in LP400 configuration. That was the cleanest, sleekest Countach: no fender flares, no boxy bumpers, no horrendous wing.

1978’s LP400 S started to get boxy. And 1982’s LP500 S (sometimes referred to as the 5000 S) continued that trend. The LP500 S was produced until 1985, and in total, 321 examples were built. It’s not the rarest variant, but not the most common either. Things would get even boxier by the time the 25th Anniversary model rolled out in 1988.

This car is powered by a 4.8-liter V12 rated at 370 horsepower. Top speed was 182 mph, a big jump from the LP400 S, and 60 arrived in 5.2 seconds. I’m sure owning one of these in the early 80s was a nightmare from a servicing standpoint, but the knowledge exists now, and this should make a fun, occasional ride for someone. You can read more about this one here, and see more from RM here.

Update: Not sold.

Countach 25th Anniversary

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1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Stoneleigh Park, U.K. | February 22-23, 2020

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

It’s amazing that the car shown above and this Diablo were sold by the same company in the same year (yeah, that Diablo is a ’91, but they made the same car in ’90 too). What is perhaps even crazier is that this is the final iteration of this Countach. Sure, you can see the similarities, but they are vastly different cars, styling-wise.

The original Countach was a streamlined Italian masterpiece. By the late 1970s, things started to get a little boxy. And by the 1980s, things were certainly box-ified, with side strakes, rear wings, and other add-ons that really made them hot in their day.

In 1988, Lambo debuted the 25th Anniversary Countach, which would be produced until the end of Countach production in 1990 (27th Anniversary?). The styling was updated by Horacio Pagani. It was popular – the most popular Countach, in fact, with 657 examples produced. This one doesn’t have a rear wing and is finished in a Miura Orange, which was specially-ordered for this car.

Power is from a 5.2-liter V12 capable of 449 horsepower. It made for the quickest Countach: able to hit 60 in 4.5 seconds on the way to a 185-mph top end. This one-owner example would be a great addition to any supercar collection. And it’s the only one in this color. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Countach Periscopio

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1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 7, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

The Countach was the second, what we’ll call, “Mega-Lamborghini.” Originally there was the Miura, the first mid-engined supercar. There were other V-8 and V-12-powered cars in between but they weren’t outrageous. And if there’s one thing that Lamborghini does well, it’s being outrageous.

Originally penned by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, the Countach went on sale in 1974. The LP400 (LP, for the longitudinal mounting of the engine) was powered by a 375 horsepower, 3.9-liter V-12. Top speed was 167 mph. The LP400 was the first model and there would be a few others, as production rambled on through 1990. Lamborghini as a corporate entity changed hands a few times during the Countach’s production run so it was a car made with many “cooks in the kitchen,” if you will.

The other thing that changed between 1974 and 1990 was the preferred styling by customers. The Countach was sort of the torch-bearer for this as they got boxier and boxier with time. But this cool, sleek, original design is really the best-looking of the bunch.

This example was purchased new by a Saudi Prince and by the 1990s it made its way to Italy. An extensive restoration by the third owner followed, with a repaint in the original Giallo Fly. It’s traveled less than 6,000 km since the end of the restoration. Lambo only built 158 examples of the LP400, making it the second rarest variant of the Countach (after the LP400 S). It should sell for between $1,050,000-$1,160,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artucurial.

Update: Sold $1,141,049.