Countach, the ultimate supercar

This makes a lot of sense.

I would guess, the typical buyer just wants a nice 'regular' Countach. Most likely, the exterior color, is more important than the carbs, FI system or flares. Years ago, when I started looking for a car, I did not know one series from another. Will the buyer be willing to hand over the significant difference in money, for a clean body or the car with the magical Bravo wheels ?

 

15 years ago I asked a very well known Ferrari dealer if they would do some simple work on a QV I owned at the time. They said they would prefer not to so as not to "offend" their Ferrari clientele.

 

Here is a US Version (?) 5000S DV DD for sale at $225,000 in CA today.
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/lamborghini/countach_lp5000s_qv/1319720.html

Yes, the price is going up by the month.

 

I agree Peter... I value them much more than the market demands right now. I do believe
that one day, sooner rather than later, the market/supply will be much different than now. John H. put it well when he said that soon many more people who grew up wanting these cars will be at the age where they might be able to afford them. Please don't take my last post as suggesting any of these cars should be sold for 80grand.

 

lol

...and the true value of the basket currencies is going down.

 

I agree with your comments here..with the exception of a "month" does not make a difference in price of a car..OH HECK yea it does..just depends on the car, HOW it was bought and WHO is buying it now..I myslef have had cars "flip" in less then a month a few times for as much as TWICE the price in the previous 30 days... a lot of it is based on being in the right place at the right tinme..NOT to mention having cash to wire that day and the ability to make a 5 minute YES decision is key as well..

 

The market supply? There are barely any cars available today as it is. And forget it if you're looking for a white non-anniversary (like myself)

 

Amazing how times have changed. When I was looking for a Quattrovalve at the end of 2009, all I could find were White on White cars!!! LOL! Two of them went to Switzerland and one is still with the owner here in Bellevue.

Mike

 

Think you could make an introduction

 

A bit late, I am already in negotiations with him on his 88 1/2 Withe FI car..in currently for a PPI..

 

It looks like I am out of luck finding a nice carb - version Countach for less than $90,000. Is it still possible to find a "Driver" for that? If you know one, PM and let me know.

 

Makes a lot of sense to me. The early cars are rare and also probably as mechanically challenged as an early Ferrari if kept fully original. Lets face it. And if refurbished, given the price, few will drive them very regularily.
Someone who is price sensitive, not fixated on a model, and wants a good driver will end up looking at an anniversary. They are plenty for sales, great choice of colors and the most reliable and many with low miles. I do not understand collectors keeping annivs. To me the anniv is the driver countach. Too many of them and before they appreciate, oil may be about to be replaced...
ANY carb countach will end up collector items, even the s3. May be i could be wrong but i do not see many carb cars for sale and when i do they go for more than the others and dont last. Frankly if i were on a budget for a carb car i would snap an S3 while i can because all other carbs have drastically appreciated. nowadays who cares about 50hp less on a countach.

 

agree on carbed cars and sure there are too many anniversary around
S3 in Italy are around the price of QVs DD while S2 cars are a bit more expensive

the difference btw S1 and S3 is quoted at 22 hp from factory (375 - 353)

 

I think the US versions of the S3 were severely impacted, down to 325. Hence the 50hp that were mentioned.

 

the 400 and 400S cars for US were modified by importer of the era and i can tell you first hand that many did not had big mods Vs the euro cars at all

 

What a refreshing breath of fresh air response to wake up to in the morning here on the West Coast. I for one can not claim that I have never been in the right place at the right time, nor have made a good chunk of change on a car that I bought and sold. I am sure we have ALL had the kiss of "Luck" or whatever at a time to have the chance to profit from a sale of a car, even a house, land, art, concert ticket what ever it is..that is the nature of the "Success and drive" in all Human's.

I know for a fact that both I AND JOE have had cars flow through us that have VASTLY increased from their "Buy" price to their "Sale" price in a very very short time, So JOE I dont think you need any lessons from me. I do think we are looking at this paticular situation from the wrong side. What if it was one of US that bought this car at 89K and had it, we would all be jumping up and down on the "Great Deal" we got, (if it is in fact that). But int urn we all popo the seller for his supposed "racking over the coals" sell of this car. We of course have very linmited informtaion of this car, it could be a Diamond, or it could be a turd!

I myself have had a recent experiance in purchasing a car that, by it's description from the "Broker", was the car to BUY today! Lot's of good colorful past history, one of a kind, extra HP cams and gear box...on and on and on..when in realaty, the car barely even could get out of it's own way on the road, had no special items afixed to it and is currently under going a $70K project to get it to where IMO it would be a very very presentable car to sell. Will I be profitable on the car, hope so, but no guarantee.

Which is the other major difference in vision and thought between a "Broker" and a Dealer like myself. A broker works with everyone else's money, not his/hers, there is NO RISK in their venture. They simply connect two people and obtain a fee for that service. There is no risk of their funds nor the "lash back" they "they" sold an inferior car. Their simple answer would be, "I passed on the information the seller provided me". There is NO publication of the prices, bought and or sold for, as it is claimed confidential between party's. There is no "Transparent window" of these types of transactions here, they are in fact by the pure meaning of a "Brokered Deal" insulated between the buyer and seller by the "Broker". As the General buying public, we have no history of sales and purchase to guage the profit margin of these sort of transactions.

As for a Dealer, they place all their OWN money into the transaction, risk it for a profit. Lucky for me, most of the time it is, or I could not keep my doors open...insurance, taxes, advertising, building fees' floating my money, holding the cars till they sale..on and on and on. I would like to think this is due to my years of transactions as an up-front person that not only "just sells" the car..BUT provides a written Guarantee on the transacton...working to secure the trust of all customers...after all I HAVE to, it is MY money involved here and MY WORD, not some one elses money or statements about a vehicle traded bewtween to people.

There will always be great Deals that come around from time to time. There will always be someone that belly aches that someone made a good chunk of coin on a transaction. There will always be the could have, should have, wished I had persons out there. But I dont think it is correct to blindly popo someone that risks their own bank and is just attempting to make his/her profit that they see fit int his world. Accesive pricing has a way of taking care of itself. In this case, IF IT is excessive pricing, the buying Public will speak with it's answer..SIMPLE the car WILL NOT sell for the price requested and the seller will either lower his price or hold out, BUT it is up to him as he HAS SKIN in the game, not just being the "Mouth piece" with some one elses money and no risk involved.

There is always multiple ways to purchase a car, from a Dealer, Broker, Auction, Private Party..they all have there plus and minus..and they all will still be part of the buying and selling fabric of this country as long as there are cosrs to be bought/sold/traded. It is up to the person parting with his/her money to choose the method that is best for them...and if it works for them, then no others can say it is wrong.

One thing JOE and I agree on 110%, "Be careful out there" DO NOT take WHAT I say or ANY other person attempting to sell you a car says for the SOLID no question about it fact. ALWAYS get a second opinion, ALWAYS get a PPI. I DONT CARE about claims of this and that and one off, special cams etc etc..if it "Aint in writing" it didnt happen! Sure you can tell someone it is "thought" this and that of a car, based on some past experiances...but all that is just "fluff" that may or may not be correct on the car, It would be up to the buyer to make that decision. If some one wants you to buy a car FAST, "better take it today or it will be gone I have three buyers waitng" HOGWASH..then it was not meant to be. If they won't let their vehicle leave their Showrrom floor, private garage or what ever for an independent inspection by a person of YOUR choosing..WALK AWAY! I encourage ALL buyers to PICK their OWN PPI person...but if a Dealer-Broker-Private Person DIRECTS you to a person of "their" choice..IMO again a red flag. Many times it ends up being the same person I would have used, but I let the buyer make the choice, NOT ME or any party involved that has a stake at the "Success" of the completed sale.

In short there is ALWAYS an exception to every rule..and when one of us is "Lucky" enough to be that exception from time to time, we should be happy for them and NOT PoPo them for their 15 minutes of fame.......maybe we should just burn at the stake every "Lotto" winner that has his/her lucky day in this very very short trip we call "our Life's"

Roy Cats