Here is another ex-USA 25th spotted in Budapest and in Monte Carlo Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Another ex-USA car that used to live in the Pacific Northwest now lives in Moscow! Here its is pictured there in 2012. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The question is, which production line, since the production line at the factory was not one long line, but rather two, one where all the body was prepared (frame assembly line), there exists a picture in a book (which I Still try to refind) which shows 12085 and right behind the first diablo. And then there is the assembly line where everything was put onto the naked body and a final car was driving away. In the picture of the factory newspaper you can see that there was nothing behind the last 25th, logical since they must have changed the tools and parts for the beginning diablo production. Whenever 25th after 12085 would have been produced this was for sure not done on the regular production line but somewhere in a hidden department like the esperienza. In Stefano Pasini's Book famous car factories you can see 12085 on the assembly line and a red car is in front of here.
Thanks for the explanation. I speculate that if it was a matter of prior intent to retain the last car at the factory and that if the silver car is indeed 12085 the yellow car might have been delayed in the paint shop or elswhere and just happened to end up following..... BTW no mirrors on the car in the picture!
Ah yes, I remember this car well!! Very interesting story about this car. The owner (an attorney here in the Seattle area), brought it to our Italian Concours back in 2003. He was sitting behind his car, when a lady approached him from behind the fence. She asked him how long he was going to have the car at the show. Bob told her he'd be there most of the day. She told him her elderly father had always wanted to see a Countach "up close" and had never had the opportunity. She ran home and got her father and came back to the show. Bob had 2 extra tickets for the show and gave them to her through the fence so they could come inside the event site. Once inside, Bob showed her father the car inside and out. Let him sit inside it, etc. Mind you, all of this was unknown to me until about 3 weeks after the event when I got a letter in the mail from the woman. Here is an excerpt from her letter: “…We found out last week that Dad’s lung cancer had spread to spine… so there haven’t been any smiles here. Sunday was a BIG SMILE DAY, thanks to the kindness of the yellow Countach owner. Dad used to race automobiles and motorcycles when he was younger, and his face was lit up for the rest of day. I pray that God blesses that wonderful man always for his kindness. What he did on Sunday, giving Dad a day of joy, means more to us than we could ever express. Please, if you know who the owner of the yellow Countach is, please pass on my eternal gratitude. I can’t thank him enough. Sincerely, B.H." When I read that letter to the team at one of our meetings, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. And that folks, is why I love to show my car to anyone and everyone! I was so sad when Bob told me that he sold his car to another gentleman in Russia. It will be missed in the Northwest for sure!!!! Mike P.S. For those wondering... Yes, that is Greg's GORGEOUS Countach next to Bob's! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Wow Mike, what a great story, and thank you for sharing it here. This is the car again at a car show in your area. Image Unavailable, Please Login
That is the USA bumper with the tops on either side cut off. As with many USA owners, he shortly thereafter went to the Eu/ROW unit as you can see in this series of images. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
And no front badge either! Here is an interesting image I took about a dozen years ago at Quail Lodge in California. On the left is the first Lamborghini built, the 350 GTV, in the middle is the ex-Walter Wolf/Museo Miura SV 5092, and on the right is the much-discussed Countach 25th 12085. I remember the day well because Manfred from the factory was driving it leaving the show, and I was following behind in my Miura SV. He pressed on the brakes suddenly to avoid a child who had ran across the road. I almost ran into the back of 12085 (really, it was within an inch or so!) because as we all know, Miuras have brakes that are lacking. I got a really close up view of 12085's rear from the cockpit of the SV, thankful I wasn't the one to destroy it! Image Unavailable, Please Login
A 25th I owned, seen here at Quail Lodge in 2000. Somewhere, on some road, I found terminal velocity... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Raymond, In this image you can see Sandro Munari to the left in a suit, a 25th with red air-vent sitting on the roof, and at least 2, possibly 3 Diablos in the background. This is not the production-line. I will tell you who has a clue about the goings-on at the time: Sandro Munari. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I read somewhere: "Forstner had an encounter with a yellow Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary in 1992. That was the beginning of a great love affair. A passion for the car, several visits of the Italian manufacturer Automobili Lamborghini SpA..." Image Unavailable, Please Login
Forstner's yellow 25th appears to have few miles, 583? The black one on the other hand does not appear to be so pristine. Image Unavailable, Please Login
2000 was the year of the Miura Reunion we organized so all the images I see in the archives comprise Miuras (except our red 25th), although I'm sure there were some other Countachs. I will dig & see what I come up with. However in 2001 there was a gathering of Countachs, so perhaps you mean that year? This 25th (12670) was @ Quail Lodge in 2001. This is a nice print image given to me by Bill O who used to own it and it, but shows the car at a Concours in Palm Springs in 1996, 17 years ago. Image Unavailable, Please Login
What's wrong with Blu Acapulco? What happened with the very-low mileage red/tan DD 25th you told me about last year? Did it find a good home? Image Unavailable, Please Login
This yellow car which I've known from new is well-known & much-enjoyed in the UK, registered 123 FAB. I think the big wing looks good on it, although I like wingless as well. This is the same car which (in standard spec) beat a Ferrari TR in race trim on the track in a Ferrari Testarossa vs Lamborghini Countach test. The story as told by the driver: "A good friend Danny has a yellow anniversary Countach and was invited to take part in a kids program called "girls not allowed". They wanted to race a Countach against a Testarossa. Danny was up for it but not having any race track experience he asked me if I would drive the car. Don't get me wrong Danny drives the Anniversary hard but race track experience is another ball game. So I arrive at the Rockingham Race Circuit in the UK to find that the Testarossa is driven by a real nice guy that races it in the Ferrari Classic Championship. The cars trailered there, has a roll cage, Pirelli race cut slicks, big 6 pot AP brakes, modified suspension etc. etc. Danny's car is bog standard other than a straight through exhaust. Anyway to cut a long story short the guy in the Testarossa goes first, does eight practise laps neither of us have been to this circuit before and then does the standing start flying timed lap. Then its my go. I drove Danny's car once four years ago for about a mile on a dual carriageway. I only do four practice laps as by lap two I'm already having to pump the brakes to stop for the corners, on Danny's advice I dump the clutch at 4000 rpm and were off. I cross the start finish line lift off and still can't stop for the chicane but no problem just go straight through the cones and turn around. The time for the Testarossa was 1 minute 29.6 seconds, the Countach 1 minute 28.2 seconds. Danny had a grin from ear to ear and so did I. The biggest laugh was with the guy who was there with an Enzo. He'd done about forty laps that day as they did a lot of filming with the car. His best lap was only five seconds quicker than I managed in the Countach. Danny has often talked about upgrading the brakes on the Countach and if we had some good brakes and I could have done the eight warm up laps before the timed lap we'd have beaten the Enzo time. Ok when all said and done its all down to the nut behind the wheel. For those of you who are interested "girls not allowed" is shown 10.30am on a Saturday morning on channel 5. Our bit will be shown somewhere within the next four weeks. Hope they don't show my spin on lap two when I tried to slow the car down on the gearbox, it did not work and I ended up going backwards. Cheers Graeme." Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
some anniversary Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
My 25th was there for both 2000 and 2001 and many other years. Here is a pic from 2001 which I and my 25th are in the background... -mick Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sure and my father was emperor of china... I know this 25th as well and it's a fast cool car but 5 seconds is a world on the race track, this cannot be done by just upgrading the brakes (I have AP race calipers in my QV and made about 100 laps on the track, additionally I'm racing since 2004 with Porsche 944 Turbo and Mini Challenge). Furthermore it depends on the circuit http://www.rockingham.co.uk/about/rockingham-circuits.php and especially with Gentlemen drivers on the driver's skills.
I remember the day and how upset Graham was about the brakes. Danny was unable to drive the car for a couple of hours after Grahams lap as he came in and smoke was pouring out of the front wheels. He is an a very good racer and would have posted a faster time than the Enzo had he had brakes that worked .But as he has said it really does come down to how good the other driver is! Image Unavailable, Please Login