Countach 25th Anniversario | Page 13 | FerrariChat

Countach 25th Anniversario

Discussion in 'LamborghiniChat.com' started by joe sackey, Jan 1, 2013.

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  1. EMILIO

    EMILIO F1 Veteran

    Feb 23, 2006
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    #301 EMILIO, Jan 10, 2013
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  2. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    Awesome period pic, Emilio.

    By the way, I'm looking for pics of the UK-delivered (one of the last 3) Lilac/red liveried car, that would be chassis number 12022.
     
  3. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #303 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    Indeed the UK has always been a place from which a lot of enthusiasm evolved.

    During the 25th's production period Peter Leonard-Morgan was a great ambassador for the cars. My wife & I visited him in Italy when he became Lamborghini SpA's European Sales Director and he gave my son his first taste of high-speed Lamborghini driving. I believe Peter went back to HR Owen after his tenure at Sant Agata.

    Good times.
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  4. AIR4C 1

    AIR4C 1 Formula Junior

    May 3, 2005
    684
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    The marketing used to sell the last customer car, used that photo and another of factory workers gathered around the silver car as I recall. The red car was present in that photo.
     
  5. AIR4C 1

    AIR4C 1 Formula Junior

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    Frankly, I wish I could have bought that car at the time, however, the world is a wonderful place and having 002 worked out pretty well in the end!
     
  6. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #306 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    The chassis number of the red car does not suggest that it is the last customer car, but, I have learned not to deduce anything without irrefutable documentation or independent corroboration. I accept, anything's possible with Lamborghini history, especially the illogical!

    If the owner of this yellow 25th ever came to sell, I bet they could use this pic to make their case that their car is a last customer car...
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  7. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #307 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    I think you made out super!

    Here is that yellow 25th again looming behind the silver 25th (which I can only assume is 12085).

    I am aware of 3 silver 25ths with grey interior that I think are original (2 LHD), and that's besides the Iaccocca 12648 which has a 'silver' interior, thats why I say I assume this is the Museo 25th.
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  8. vaholtorf

    vaholtorf Formula 3
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    We have a late '88.5 here in the shop that has an Alpine 7284L, so apparently they changed to newer models later in the run. That is the unit that the Countach in post #244 was upgraded to also.
     
  9. AIR4C 1

    AIR4C 1 Formula Junior

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    Joe, what is the significance of the yellow car? It is after the Silver car which I assume you are suggesting was/is the Museo car? That car was the last car no?
     
  10. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #310 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    Jeff, I wish I knew!

    Chris Bennett who took all these images in 1990 unfortunately did not write down chassis numbers, but, its possible he recorded the dates of the images which would help, but still not be definitive. I will contact him & see.

    That I can't be certain that the silver car is in fact the Museo car is in light of the fact that I've discovered that there clearly were more silver cars than we originally thought.

    Hopefully we can get a definitive production list showing chassis numbers & liveries and put all the speculation to rest. That would help with your 12002 which perhaps is the first customer car.

    Yes, the factory tell us and have recorded 12085 the silver Museo 25th as the very last Countach built on the production line. Caveat: that doesn't mean there cannot be one or two POST-production cars.

    The yellow car may in fact have been significant, because shortly after Chris Bennett took this image below, its was paraded outside and posed in front of the factory for a photo-shoot.

    The image of the yellow car moments before final completion could have some interesting captions, but I can easily imagine Ubaldo Sgarzi on the phone with an impatient & expectant owner:

    "Si, I have 3 of my best guys on it right now!" :)
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  11. P300V8

    P300V8 Formula 3

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    Emilio's picture shows shows two incomplete cars

    - which has the higher chassis number?
    - which was completed first?

    This begs two questions...

    - were cars always assembled in chassis number order?
    - were cars always completed in chassis number order?
     
  12. gday

    gday Formula 3

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    It is an original USA destined car?

    -mick
     
  13. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    Great questions, the answer for both is, No!
     
  14. P300V8

    P300V8 Formula 3

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    Excellent - that is the answer I expected.

    However, if this is so, and (without knowing anything about Countach production myself) how do you/they determine/prove which is the last car?

    As far as the V8s were concerned "significant" cars were always the ones pictured outside the factory.....
     
  15. AIR4C 1

    AIR4C 1 Formula Junior

    May 3, 2005
    684
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    This is wonderful Joe. Frankly, being a child born in the 70's, the Anniversario was the car for me. I would sure own one in yellow too, Wow, that is spectacular!!!
     
  16. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #316 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    Without a production register (yet - working on it), we take the factory's word.

    The factory itself made a big production of 12085's succession as the "last" Countach as you can see in the staged photograph published in their own Automobili Lamborghini News (1990). The car is indisputably the last production Countach, but the emphasis is on the word "production". The understanding here is that after this car, the production line was shut down, and it was Diablo production in full force all the way.

    But as we know with Italian car factories such as Ferrari & Lamborghini, they can, and will, build a few extra cars for those who missed the boat and are willing to pay a special price. I do believe it happened with a couple of 25ths, but I've no proof I am willing to proffer here. Those cars are referred to in our own parlance as "post-production" cars. To the Italians they were simply unofficial cars, borne of a nod & a wink, backed by cash.

    So to answer your question in brief, we know 12085 is the Last because they tell us so.
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  17. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #317 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    I am aware of this silver 25th (of course its not 12085) that was available just a few years ago for purchase.

    If you look closely it still has the opaque wheel center-cap plastic seals I have seen some cars delivered with.

    If anyone has ideas of its chassis number, please help.
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  18. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #318 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    This story was published a few years ago and is worth repeating. The author is a UK-based enthusiast:

    "A few years back - during one of the 'not with JC' years at the BBC and Top Gear - a researcher thought that a feature with some kids at her old primary schools to determine the best car (for the under 9's...) should include a Countach which I drove up from West Sussex the night before.
    This car has a very different reg. plate these days but I can report that on that day, it was neither too heavy or at all slow in operation or ever lacking in the usual wide-eyed and jaw-dropping effects that a Countach has on children of all ages!
    At least eight under-nines can be made to fit inside a Countach ...."
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  19. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #319 joe sackey, Jan 10, 2013
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    Well, this famous guy was born in the 70s (1970) too but I think you have a better hairstyle! Meanwhile the car is aging well, some will say.
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  20. CK7684

    CK7684 Formula 3

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    Would this be the ad he was going to do with his Vector, but used this instead?
     
  21. geno berns

    geno berns F1 Rookie

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    Beautiful images Joe. So two more years and one can export 25th cars with that large bump on the bonnet? I would like one in a unique color please! They are starting to grow on me, especially wingless ones. Wonder how many 25th DD cars will make it here?

    Geno

     
  22. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    There is speculation about that, but as fate would have it, the 25th was a much more reliable choice!
     
  23. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #323 joe sackey, Jan 11, 2013
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    I think you could import one now, given that they are all over 21 years.

    Of course you'd want to check with http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/, and Dick Merritt [email protected] can confirm a specific car's import-ability. A good importer like www.cosdel.com can advise also.

    But, I am aware that a lot of USA spec 25ths have gone the other way - out of the USA and now live in Europe, the Middle East, Asia etc.

    Even in 1991, in the UK this red USA-spec 25th was spotted outside the London authorized dealer's service center, already UK-registered G 718 VYX.
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  24. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #324 joe sackey, Jan 11, 2013
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  25. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #325 joe sackey, Jan 11, 2013
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