Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

Pic of GLA12997 featured in the December 1986 edition of Road & Track magazine (Exotic Cars Quarterly N° 5) showing the car coming down the Sant Agata factory assembly line prior to build completion for Patrick Mimran.

I recently discovered this pic was taken by R&T's photographer Jeffrey Zwart ( Pikes Peak Champion) whilst on assignment to the Lamborghini factory. I am awaiting the rest of his outtakes from that day!
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A rare pic showing Mimran's Lamborghinis at the factory, in the foreground is his Miura SVJ (the last one built by the factory) and in the background is GLA12997.

Interestingly, I have also recently learned that at the time he had GLA12997 built, Patrick Mimran owned a car collection comprising many different makes - multiples of 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bizzarrini, Alfa Competezione, Lola, AC Cobra, Ford GT40, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lincoln, Facel Vega, Talbot Lago, Studebaker, and some Ducati superbikes, all of which I managed to get chassis numbers and details on.
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Patrick Mimran circa 1986
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An upcoming publication will reveal a bit more detail about this man who essentially was Lamborghini's Great Redeemer, pulling it from the jaws of death by buying it out of bankruptcy, and nurturing it back to health to form the basis of the global brand we know today.

Here are some notes from the future piece:

Automobili Lamborghini SpA went bankrupt in 1980. The firm labored on in hand-to-mouth existence, even taking on the assembly of FIAT econoboxes to be able to keep the lights on. From these dark days emerged a knight in shining armor: young, enthusiastic, committed, and most importantly, wealthy.

On the 23rd of May 1981 after his financial value was verified to be 'unlimited' by his Swiss bank, Mimran acquired its interests for just 3,850,000,000 Lire, about $3 million US, likely the sum total of its debts - the Sant Agata works was thrown in for free.

The name was changed into Nuova Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SpA, and Patrick Mimran, although he was just 26 at the time get Lamborghini back to where it belonged, at the top of the exotic car market. Perhaps he was bale to accomplish this task not in spite of his youth, but because of it. He was young enough to remain unfazed by the task at hand, and he set about rebuilding the factory in a methodical manner, starting off by retaining the right people.

Mimran was smart enough to keep Giulio Alfieri on as chief engineer and retain Ubaldo Sgarzi as chief sales manager. He drafted in trusted Mimram aide Emil Novarro (who was already working for the Franco-Swiss family), as operating manager of Nuova Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SpA. Under Mimran's management the company continued to develop the Countach, replacing the long-in-the-tooth 4 liter engine with the LP500S in 1982 and the impressive Quattrovalvole in 1985. It is therefore safe to say the Countach & Mimran kept the company alive, and solidified it into a viable entity with a passionate following.

The LM004 was developed into the marketable LM002, and the Jalpa became a relative success as a smaller-budget sportscar. By 1986, just 5 years after taking over Lamborghini, Mimran had nurtured the company back to good health and a position as a global brand. America's CBS News program 60 Minutes did a feature on the prospering Italian car company.

During the late Eighties, several developments of the Countach were made under the direct supervision of Patrick Mimran and Giulio Alfieri. The 1987 Countach Evolution nicknamed the "Super Countach" was developed by none other than Horacio Pagani when he worked for the Lamborghini Composites Department, that same year that the L150 Restyling prototype was built (the former was destroyed in a crash test while the latter is currently located in Japan).

Nuova Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SpA was making money again, and Patrick Mimran had accomplished his goals. Across the Atlantic, another much bigger car manufacturer was also prospering, and, shopping for car companies. In early 1987, by virtue of a go-between, Lee Iaccoca of Chrsler was put in touch with Patrick Mimran, and talks ensued.

On April 23rd 1987, Iacocca, President of Crysler Corporation, announced he bought the Sant'Agata company from Patrick Mimran. The undisclosed sum was thought to be roughly $30 million+. Why Mr Mimran decided to sell the company remains unknown but he couldn't have chosen a better time: both economies and the supercar market were booming and the Countach was selling very well. Timing, as they say, is everything, and as with the purchase of Lamborghini, Patrick Mimran can only be viewed as a man with impeccable timing.

By the time Mimran sold the company to Chrysler in 1987, he had built the company back up into a relatively healthy bespoke automaker, employing 300 people, whose 1988 projected sales were 439 vehicles as follows: 219 Countach at $127,000 each, 63 Jalpa at $65,000 each, and 157 LM002 at $110,000 each, all of which looked good to Chrysler. In 6 short years, he turned his $3 million investment into a $30 million return, by the deceptively simple expedient of selling at exactly the right time.

Chrysler changed the name back to Automobili Lamborghini SpA but kept the winning team together, Emil Novarro stayed at his position, together with PR man Daniele Audetto, chief engineer Liugi Marmiroli, factory manager Gianfranco Venturelli and sales manager Ubaldo Sgarzi. Chrysler went on to invest a further $50 million in the company.
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Patrick Mimran was an artist, and this was one of his creations
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They sold most of their collection in a Bonhams auction in Geneva.

Didn't know about GLA12997 in that picture.

 

Th finished product, this one fitted with a Downdraft engine, what happened to it?
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Correct, in fact he completely divested himself of all interest in cars 10 years after he sold the factory, selling the entire collection of cars on September the 9th 1997, in fact at Sothebys in Geneva.
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He retired to focus on his art & photography endeavors, and travel the world.
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The billionaire brothers Jean-Claude & Patrick are adept at avoiding the press, but Patrick truly is an International Man of Mystery.

A more recent image of him in his gallery.
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Mimran's GLA12997 is being restored and I'm getting closer to beginning to share regular details on this.

Bottom picture shows 2nd oil-cooler fitted in PS NACA duct.
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Panna leather interior, including headliner in the same material.
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GLA 12997 is noted atop pages 23 & 25 of the QV owner's manual as the car after which the new ventilation system was fitted.

Raymond clarifies that this car has the interim/prototype dashboard and the difference is very subtle.
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I'm having Steve Anderson immortalize the car for posterity with one of his incredible art illustrations, here is an early rendering prior to final color, I'll post the finished product when its completed.
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Great stuff, Joe. Well done! The go between you mentioned between Mimran and Iacocca was Joe Nastasi, was it not?

 

I had Steve do mine as well!

He does fantastic work!

Mike

 

Keep your eye out in the outtakes for my car.

My car is 5 serial numbers after Raymond's ( or shall I say "your car" now). Congrats by the way!

Mike

 

It most certainly was!
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Blu Acapulco GLA12942
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Joe

I cant wait to see your restoration pictures, this car is going to be incredible once finished

 

Downdraft engines being assembled @ Sant Agata - albeit these are 1989 units.
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DD in its natural habitat, the roads around Sant Agata (BO)
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Rick Lee's 88.5 DD
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Thank you Jose, it started off as a nice car and we will do our best, so I'm hopeful.
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We've commenced the restoration, all components have been carefully disassembled, inspected, photographed, cataloged etc.

Everything will be refurbished, repaired, renewed, re-calibrated, or restored as necessary, and the goal is a faithful restoration to original specification as it was delivered to its first owner. The one exception will be a sports exhaust, as the car was delivered to Switzerland with the boxed muffler unit per that country's transportation regulations.

I'll do my best to post from time-to time.
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