Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

Sorry I made a mistake, it is actually black/red and not black/black, this car below I believe.

If I'm correct its FLA 12882
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12155 was another Countach Downdraft I knew from new when Mike Taylor (of St. Peters, Jersey in the Channel Islands) took delivery.

He collected the car from the factory on September 3rd, 1987 and drove it across Italy and France to the ferry to Jersey on EE plates.

White/red interior with white piping, fabulous: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/139243027-post5325.html

He kept it for 15 years till 2002.
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Here is FLA12882 when it lived in a Dutch museum near Amsterdam, I remember when it was for sale it had only 7,000 km.
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Simon Furlonger sold this 88.5 DD with larger seamed interior piping, this change was retained through the 25th Anniversario
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Larger seamed interior piping, no perforations on the seat inserts
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This image is a good illustration (even though it is at somewhat of an angle) of the difference between the 'small' wing and the 'big' wing...
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Alpine CD 7909 Owner's Manual wanted, TIA [email protected]
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I see that now that you mention it. My focus was drawn more toward the front of the cars in that photo. Anyone have more photos from that series?

 

Huracan vs Countach (DD) comparo

This is the ex-Steve Downs 88.5 featured on the cover of Performance Car magazine when new
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This DD, as featured in the February 1988 edition of PC, with wing now added.

Perhaps 50% of the cars that have wings have had them added post-delivery?
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The Lamborghini family Downdraft featured in Classic Cars, March 2008
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A row of Downdrafts in the 90s in the UK, mostly White or Pearl White, and mostly winged, incidentally
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Anyone know of this book includes the QV?
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Yes Joe it does inclue the QV
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Thanks! Fantastic 1985 Geneva Salon Downdraft launch images, worth it for those alone.

 

Note the 507 QV cars built from 85-87. I dont think anyone really knows how many are DD's at the end of the day. Ive seen a range from as little as 145 up to 2-3rds. Would be nice to know for certain but probably wont ever know for sure. 2/3rds would be 335 cars as DD's in a round body form.

 

There are some clues on this topic.

Firstly, we know that by the end of 1987, just 200 had been built, ergo the filing for FIA Homologation which requires 200 production cars built & delivered. Bear in mind that by the end of 1987, they were building side-skirted DDs.

Secondly, one person who has managed to gather factory records is Simon Kidston, and here he addresses the issue of production: Kidston - 1986 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S QV I draw your attention to this statement: "According to Lamborghini factory records, no more than 300 carburettor first-generation Countach QVs were built".

Hope this helps.
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Downdraft cruising in the USA
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In 1985/6 you could actually rent a nearly-new Countach QV (DD) in the UK from Town & Country, it was a red with black car that was used by CAR magazine & Autocar magazine. GBP 436 for the day!
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Famed 1988 poster made using Zico's 1987 DD in the UK
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It does. I still can't believe it was actually homologated for group b. considering the GTO was built ground up to compete in that arena it is a wonder that a decades old design fit the bill.

 

I had this poster growing up! Mine was laminated. Not sure if it was original. I wonder where I can find another.

 

If you look at the Group B class for the 80s there was a lot more pedestrian machinery than the Countach: Grand Touring Sports Cars - Racing Cars

That said, the comparison between the Countach Downdraft with the 288 GTO is drawn because they over-lapped production periods, they were Ferrari & Lamborghini's best of the era, and although they were Homologated for Group B, they are both stories of promise unfulfilled.

 

Another of Didi's Downdrafts, this one at the Essen Motor Show 2014
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And the year before at Technoclassica Essen 2013, this beautiful black/black DD was displayed.

Heavy on the tire dressing....
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