This was in the major media a year or two years ago? The owner complained of the clutch issues etc., no? At least the drivetrain is located with the chassis. What he did is no worse than what "trailer queen" owners do.
He is just an eccentric millionaire. What he did is fine with me, at least his guests will see the car and itll leave an impression. Joe
here you go, (somewhere) another black countach ON THE ROAD, in my opinion the best looking car on the picture!! YES or NO??? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Seller's market: This is an expression that seems it was coined especially for the LP400 Periscopa. Having owned two LP400 and being involved with helping special Miuras and LP400 Periscopas fiind new custodians when neccesary, I feel compelled to throw in my slightly knowlegable 2 cents since there is a disbeleiving set of doom-and-gloomers that predict that the end of the world is nigh and we'd better get rid of everything including the kitchen sink before this market crashes. Id like to suggest that those who proclaim that the market has been going up in a straight line for the last few years are in fact not as in tune with the market as their proclamations suggest they are. There have been periods even in the recent past where the market has cooled momentarily or flattened periodically. Additionally, the cars today are mostly owned by rabid ENTHUSIASTS who happen to also keep an eye on inreasing values of other makes (Thanks, Internet. LOL). Theyve paid cash for their cars, and can AFFORD to keep them....and a few others besides. Altogether a different picture from 1990. I suggest that this is the reason that in spite of increasing values, excellent examples of rare cars that have a cult following will continue to steadily appreciate. Ask yourself why has there been literally just one or two LP400 for sale in the entire world this past year? Two owners have written to me and told me that they have turned down $300,000. A third Florida based owner has said that he will in fact entertain offers...of $400,00 and above (I can put anyone in contact with him). A fourth had a deal to sell to my client but changed his mind during the proceedings, turning down my dissapointed client's potential total budget of $400,000. Whats significant here is not the numbers, but the fact that owners routinely TURN DOWN substatial offers. This speaks to the state of the market for this car. I personally know of a well-preserved LP400 having sold for $375,000. Why is the LP400 so revered? It was the last car that Ferruccio Lamborghini sanctioned (in the spring of '72) before departing Sant Agata. It is the pure and rare iteration of the stunning Countach concept, a supercar for the ages. Just look at it. Oh. My. God. Where is the LP400 market going? Together with the Miura SV, it is considered the iconic variant of its model. Thus, I see LP400 values headed for SV territory. After all they are just as rare (150-odd each). As they become more valuable we see more total restorations, which in turn pushes their values up still further. If you ask me, theyre well on their way. Chances of sucessfully waiting out a market crash to pick up a $100,000 LP400 soon? Slim to none. Joe Image Unavailable, Please Login
I can confirm I AM at least one of the "no Thankyou" to 300K in the last 60 days. I can also confirm that a recent customer said "yes" to 225K on his, only to change his mind at the last mind when several frineds including his wife said he was nuts.... FYI
I completely agree! Although I like the LP400 very much, the LP400S is the one for me. Although not quite the same car, the flares and wide tires just add to the "coolness". I think that these cars will also follow the LP400 in value someday. For some reason guys in my age range prefer the S, this is the Countach they grew up with. The cars have been and continue to trickle into the hands of true enthusiasts that will not sell and therefore the prices are increasing.
i think the LP400 will always be more expensive than any other countach and will always be the 1st countach to have for collectors. this said, to me there is a difference btw countach and miura series while the SV is reverted as the very best of the model variants by almost all colectors or model fans, as the best handling, best looking, well developed, ecc...and is of course the rarest. countach fans won't all agree on the very best version of the car and fact is there are variants with better grip, more powerfull engines, different look ecc...(and low bodies cars or S1 or...whatever they are, are pretty rare to, even if quite controversial i admit....) so i see the LP's value firmly on the top in the next 2-3 years, but not near 3 times more expensive of a -same condition- DD CT (just an example of a Countach model that have a lot of appealing imo) as the SV is almost 3 times a -same condition- P400
Emilio, the LP 400 is far better to handle than the Miura! Anybody who tells different is talking b*****t or never drove a Miura! Yes, the LP 400 is the real collectors-Countach while the others with fat wings & tyres etc. are for those who love fat wings & tyres! The LP 400 is a "molto difficile"-car and a design-icon. Ciao! Walter
...and talking about "coolness": I strongly believe that an LP 400 is much more Steve McQueen than the "fat-cars"! And he was veeeeeery cool! Ciao! Walter (call me Delaney!)
It came from the feeling I get after having 4 Countach and none of them having "that wing"..... I get... "Moody" It refers to the old big slung back adjustable wing with no side plates. All kidding aside, Joe should explain the Moody term. Image Unavailable, Please Login
PS: Here is the rest of the car... The first one I laid eyes on... a 79' LP400S with Bravos and Moody Motor Trend, May 1980 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Walter, what i wanted to say is the SV is the unquestionable best (handling to) of all MIURA variants while there is not an unquestionable best Countach , i admit the LP400 is the collector item, but mostly because of its pure design (i agree: it is a design icon) and low production numbers BTW: I LOVE the LP400
Sorry, the lp400 is a great car, but styling wise the s2- '88MY got it right. Am I the only one that thinks the lp400 is "wagon wheeled"? And from some angles too saucer-ish. The flares and bigger wheels properly balance out the car. The lowered stance of the S1 with Bravos is perfect, but the lower section of the front fender extensions are too large. So styling wise, a lowered pre-88.5 QV with bravos nails the look, while still being the mechanical wonder as Ferruccio intended.
i add the fat cars are more Stallone than Mc Queen isn't Sly cool? (....well could be not now, but the 80's Sly )
Only thing you have wrong there is that the lower section your talking about in that picture above was a custom one off lower section made for that car. The lower section on the Countach did not change from the factory from 78-88.5....so the "perfect car you describe is a 78-79 LP400S. The belly to roof size is different on a S2 so if you lower it the look is not the same as a S1 Image Unavailable, Please Login
That about sums it up. But mark my words, the gap between values of the LP400 and other cars will be significant for reasons I listed in my post entitled "The LP400 Market..." as noted above. Joe
Correct. You could have stopped right there Emilio You know, the market is not governed by logic....but by emotion. Ive learned the hard way to accept that, and it will never change. Also, as Ive said before, the 'cloud' over the LP400S' provenance/variants etc, will not help its values long-term. Joe
I was told that in late 1975 Walter Wolf and Dallara were insisting on putting wings on the Countachs and clashed with Bob Wallace over this. The wing issue made Bob Wallace moody and someone mentioned this to Doug Blain in England (who spent a lot of time at the factory in those days) and he wrote about it in an article. There may be some truth in the story that the "Moody" wings were the last straw for Wallace because by 1975's end he had resigned from the factory - I think he just couldnt take these interlopers messing with his pure original Countach. Joe
The appeal for the LP400 is UNIVERSAL. Most serious collectors want one - if they can find one! The appeal for the later cars with fat tires and spats is narrower and split. Some people adore them, but others loathe them. We like them all on this thread, but the market dictates values and there isnt much any of us can do about that... Joe
Emilio, Youre missing the vital link: Logic doesnt make the marketplace. Handling has nothing to do with perceived values! In cases where it the best handling variant is the most valuable, let me assure you it is purely coincedential. Joe
All good stuff and validated opinion, but the debate here is Countach market values. In that regard, and for reasons already posted here, the LP400 was, is, and will always be signficantly more valuable. Joe
OH NO! Let me assure, Sly is the antethesis of cool! LOL. Cool would be: Miles Davis, Sean Connery as James Bond, James Dean, Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando in the 50s, Frank Sinatra in the 60s, Steve Mc Queen in the 70s ....the possibilities are endless! Cool is suave, sophisticated, and restrained, and that would be the LP400. Joe
You are correct that the LP400 will continue to be more sought after than the LP400S and therefore more valueable. They are they one to have for most people. This may sound wrong BUT if a LP400S and an LP400 were side by side...I would take the LP400S (wingless of course w/bravos).
