Countach, the ultimate supercar

I just love those clean unadulterated lines.
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1120106 I think..

 

This is the LP400S prototype I mentioned earlier. It's a modified LP400 - anyone know the chassis or where it is now??
View attachment lp400s proto.3.doc

 

2 plates.....

 

This look like the 1st Wolf car 1120148: http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/Countach/CountachLP400/Wolf1.html
It's definitely not the LP400s Prototype, Wolf had another one 1120202 later on. http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/Countach/CountachLP400/Wolf2.html

 

Nope, postdates both the Wolf cars - this is the factory development car - I would say almost as important as the Wolf cars..

 

From where do you know that's the factory development car but do not know the Vin?

There were also some more LP400 converted with the Wolf fender flares like this, but none had the later LP400s flares like the prototype should have had...

 

This was the car subject of Mel Nichols test in late 77 which was published in Car Jan 78 - definitely not a Wolf car..

 

A couple more photos to help.. I would really like to know about this car - it was the one that grabbed my attention when I was younger and I can't let go..
View attachment lp400.2.doc

 

First production LP400s in the build at the same time as the test..
View attachment lp400s.3.doc

 

I know this car (from pictures), it was registred on a guy who has now a SV and took part with the same plates at the Miura 40th Reunion.
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Islerodreaming:

The car featured in the 1977 CAR article is NOT the "first production LP400S" as you state.

It is also NOT the "LP400S Prototype" as you state earlier.

Of course you already know (correctly) that it was NOT a Wolf car...

We have to be careful as to how we throw around these terms because uninitiated people read them and unchecked over time erroneous data starts to become fact. This has been a problem, especially for Lamborghini.

The car you love was simply a "make me one like Wolf's" car, for a Swiss gentleman connected with the factory, based on an LP400 that was used by the works as a pre-production development car. It had a 'tuned' engine which was why it was being tested, but apparently this was not made clear to poor old Mel Nichols who came off thinking all Countach could go that fast. My notes say that this car was sold to another Swiss gentleman and subsequently involved in some very shady business that included scrutiny by INTERPOL so I will defer on the chassis number at the moment till I know more. I assure you it is simply an LP400 chassis number of little significance. Is it special? Sure, all Countach are, especially one use by CAR for a test. Is it a car of official Lamborghini historical significance? No.

Note that Wolf's 1120148, 1120202, and the Silveira and Spazzapan cars (plus the car you love) are viewed as modified LP400, upon which the LP400S was based. 1120202 and the car you love spent some time at the works being tested & studied by the engineers.

However... for the record, the LP400S prototype AND the first production LP400S is indisputably 1121002 built for Wally Wolf (pictured).

JS
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i to think that car was one of development mule for the S, sort of S proto

 

All wolf cars are then LP400s Protos...

 

Pre-production prototypes...

 

Thanks Joe for clearing that up - I wasn't trying to say that the red car was the first production S - just that the first S was being built while Nichols was there (in the small photo - if that is in fact correct??). I erred using the word prototype when I meant development car, as i corrected later. I just felt that this car has been missed. My apologies..

 

Thanks Raymond

John

 

No worries..

The word "prototype" is often misused. Walter Wolf's 1121002 is singularly the actual production prototype, and all those other cars we have discussed were really unofficial pre-production development cars. Strictly speaking, a prototype is a car that has official factory sanctioning, and was usually created specifically with the intent of starting a production series. Bearing this in mind, you'll see that none of the other 'privateer-ordered' modified LP400 meet that standard.

Agreed though that any of those cars are very interesting.

JS

 

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World Champion Sandro Munari behind the wheel again...
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They really did make one in violet with red leather...
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Here it is. Chassis number 12022...
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Paging Tony
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1120012...
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LP500S prototype Im told (I personally have not checked...) now in the USA.
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