Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

I dis-agree..EVERYONE'S written statement has bearing on the market...

WHAT I think you forget to see, between THIS old post and its date and TODAYS date is VERY simple. With the OLD post, there were less then 2 dozen DD cars available in the USA over the MULTIPLE FI cars..AND even then the DD cars where for the most part "grey market" cars...so the old RULE of supply and demand..

TODAY, since you can import the DD car here to the USA, just as JOE has done with his example, the rule of supply and demand is LONG gone..WE all KNOW that there were 3 times as many DD cars made as FI cars..and since they can EASILY be imported to the US shores...there is no longer a "mystery" of the RARE and hard to get status..

HECK fly to Europe, travel, enjoy, buy a DD, import it for under $2K and your good to go...no need to pay premium for it...

But like has been said multiple times....a COUNTACH is a COUNTACH...its just that some think the variants are THAT much better, when in fact...........they are not....they are still a symbol of long lost history...a COUNTACH!

 

There are likely still less than 2 dozen DDs in the US and whether it was 2012 or today you could bring a DD into the US. It also costs closer to 6% all in to import a car from across the pond when you factor in import duties, insurance, tariffs, bonding, and shipping and you would still have to find one that made sense with the currency disparity (the euro being at a 10% premium to the dollar.)

If a they are all at parity, why ask more for a LP500S than a FI QV or an Anni? No need to answer this.

I move to get off the value discussion on back to the thread.

 

I agree 110%..and I have to say, your one of the best I have ever come across...be it customers talked into the "Exotic of the month flavor" or the "Life insurance of the LA Public Transit".

But it is still to each to read and enjoy and gather what they want from a thread such as this started by a poster that has a vested interest in the out come of the "original" post,..

But a REALLY easy to "put to rest" the "behind the curtains" thought's of this thread and the reason of its original start and posting.,...

Joe, when will this completed restoration be for sale AND what will the "ask" price be..?

OR it may have already been spoken for??

Inquiring minds want to know??

 

Wrong, I know of at LEAST 10 imported here in the last 6 months..and currently 3 that are on there way here. WITH each year, the 25 year rule expand, MORE can come
in now then 4 years ago in 2016...as a matter of fact, ANY AND ALL DD cars can now be imported,,,were in 2012 less were allowed in

AND when you get ready to bring your next one over, call me, because your getting taken at 6%....I will be happy to help you at a much lower rate..

 

Correct, though it's possible to reduce bonding and insurance costs if you are importing multiple cars per year.

So assuming no DDs were exported from the US between 2012 and 2016, when the exchange rate was 1.4 to 1, shall we say 36 DDs if we add the ones Roy mentioned? Anyone have a count on this? Roy, please share the serial numbers of these cars if possible.

 

I think it is extremly difficult to find a well sorted, unmodified and service history DD in Europe for less than €650.000. Besides imports costs there is a 99% chance that there will be some little things that the new owner will want to tackle. The 25th anniversaio cars can be found for up to 60% less - go figure.

 

I want them all, periscopo DD low body anni love them all.

 

Yes fun, reg the cat removal,imho its a fair allowance,being it was installed only to satisfy a certain market emmision,similar to the bumpers being a DOT saftey thing adding tons of weight, this way the cars would both be equal qV s, with different induction, i think the outcome would settle a lot of unknowns and kill a fef sales pitch strategies between brokers and clients wich are at the rime being told ,buy the powerful fast carburated qv, not the slow American version, when,in the first place ,all the client was asking for vas a 4valve Countach. For those of us in the know,we already know the outcome of this test, take 4dd s and 4 fi and there will be a good mix of tesults.

 

ciao Chris

i agree on this
i like carbed cars more than FI

after owning a pair of 400S, a pair of diablos, 308 dry sump and more modern ferrari FI cars, i feel the carb cars are still more reliable and less prone to issues than the old FI lamborghini.

how is the 308 GTB?

 

I think the point is being somewhat missed here. This discussion should have zero to do with whats a faster car IMHO as those who seek them could really care less I would imagine.

There are approximately 650-750 4V 12cyl DD carbouretted engines made for the street, ever. They also happen to be FIA Homologated engines, period. It is a unique street engine in sports car history. If you want a non-anny version, well then your choice is further narrowed. On the flip side, lets ask this question, how many 4V FI 12cyl cars exist? Well, various manufacturers made them for almost two decades before DI came in...... IDK maybe that has something to do with it too?? No one is saying the FI QV is bad or worse, just different.

Why all the fuss? I just dont get it, I have seen the distinction of the Downdraft car since the 90's. Why are people acting like this is new news being driven by brokers, speculators, ect ect. If you truly care about sports cars and the money comes second why care what variant is more valuable then the next? Arguably the better the DD does, the better an FI will do monetarily and vice versa.

 

A million dollar threshold has been reached by a DD and I'm not surprised. I was recently talked into selling a very special DD for nearly $700K, (one of two I had) which was just restored by Bobileff. Was too cheap in my view bc, as I've said these cars are special to a great many people of a certain generation and there are not many. I still have the Alpine DD that I restored, 17 years ago, drove, and am re restoring. I've always said you'd see a million dollar DD as the certain market generation started to come of age. There are many who want the classic countach look with the hottest motor. The CT market has always had the LP400, the LP400S1 and the round body DD as first tier CTs for different reasons. 17 years ago when an lp400, a LP400s1 and a DD were about the same value, there wasn't a choice for me I had to have the DD. I waited for one and I spent about $200K 17 years ago restoring it. A perfect DD was worth whatever I could afford to pay for it back then. Many of my generation share this view, and they will in 5 years get into peak earning. You are starting to see this with 80s cars. When they do, the competition for this model will get even higher. While a delivery mile (side skirt which many don't prefer) just reached a 1 million threshold, you will see more in the future.

I'm never going to sell the Alpine DD and so I don't care what the market says now, and proved I didn't care 17 years ago. But there's reasons the DD is increasing in value. They are the same reasons I've always said.