Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

Thanks Richard, the Downdraft engine really is a Benchmark Jewel in all of sports car history!

 

Chris Harris does love a Countach, here he is in Dick Lovett's 88.5 Downdraft.

He Tweeted this with the comment:

"And yes, I did have to sit in the Countach. Because you're never too old to sit in a Countach"
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Can't wait for Dan's images!

I am only too happy to help coordinate restorations for clients as I have done many times before and continue to do today, just let me know what your preference is.

BTW the details in the images above were all captured by my son Sterling who is a superb photographer, so all credit to him for conveying the car as it exists. That said, photos are IMHO an 80% representation at best, in person the car is mind-blowing, even to me with my particular eye. Also, all credit to my restoration team, they have taken this car very personally.

 

Love it Rob!

 

I've come across some images of the famed Countach QVX racecar in its racing days, never posted here before, this one for instance.

Here is the car in the Pits @ Kyalami in South Africa driven by the irrepressible Tiff Needell.

I wonder who the mechanics were? Del Hopkins amongst them?

That engine sound must have made the hair stand on end as the car went down the straight at WOT.
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Here is another I havent seen before, I believe this is also Kyalami in 1986.
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I havent ever seen the first 2 images here, yet again, these are Kyalami in 1986 with Tiff Needell.
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Tiff Needell also tested this new Countach Downdraft in 1986 for High Performance magazine
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I have another brochure which is printed in 1986, and I believe the car used is an early (1985) Downdraft.
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Same Rosso/Nero car used for this series of Alpine literature as well, all from 1986.
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Thank you NürScud!

The color is a special color which Patrick Mimran has told me personally that he had PPG Milano specially make for him.

I have verified the color to be "Bordeaux Speciale", but because its a special-order color, I can't give you a basic code per se. What I can tell you is that it is a tinted version of PPG 75006, which as used in 1986 is essentially Ferrari's Prugna Metallizzato FER 306/C with the base paint tinted with gold & brown. I'm not sure if the paint flake is aluminum or contemporary titanium mica, either way it is spectacular in person.

As the story has been told already, I had no intention of buying this car, I was simply helping my client sell it, and I bought it so I could satisfy my client's desire to sell. When I bought it, the color was a Chianti color which was nice, but not at all my favorite. Since the car has been taken back to its original color and I have seen it to compare with many other Countach I have seen, I must say I agree with you, its is one of the most beautiful colors I've ever seen on a Countach, if not the most beautiful - I am slightly biased.

As regards the attention to details, as someone has already stated, this car raises the bar. I restored my first Lamborghini in collaboration with Portman UK in 1988 @ 28 years ago, and since then, I have seen all the restorations that come out of Italy, and all the ones that are done by the marque specialists in the USA. Whilst some of these are quite good, Ive never seen perfect (if I dare use such a word), so we wanted to try for that standard. I hope it shows.

One great benefit of the unplanned adventure with this car has been meeting Patrick Mimran himself (albeit so far just by phone calls & emails), and learning about his whole involvement with Lamborghini. I hope to reunite him with the car in the future, at least that's our plan, meanwhile, Ive shared the progress of the restoration in its entirety with him.

Yes, I'm honored to say this historic Lamborghini jewel is my personal car.

 

Wilhelm Hinghaus telling the story of the Downdraft he has owned since new.
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Sure, here you go, I heard this car in 1987 and it still sounds the same, turn up the volume and enjoy.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPXnG6Bo0NA[/ame]

 

Here is Countach88.5 scaring his passenger as he gets it sideways going around Oulton Park a few years ago.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-RqyxJ_wgk[/ame]

 

Fantastic, these come up on EBay sometimes.

 

Thanks Raymond, perhaps the guys know something I don't thats why its still there!

 

Simply put, he was the CEO of Nuova Automobili Lamborghini from 1980 -1987. Basically, he rescued Lamborghini from bankruptcy, and made into a viable company, the basis for the Lamborghini brand today.

When he bought the company, it was bankrupt, so poor that Countachs had to literally be paid for in cash and the worker's wages were being paid by sublet jobs for FIAT.

By the time he sold the company to Auto giant Chrysler, the company was thriving and producing a line of cars (Countach, Jalpa & LM002).

I've posted a few things on him http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144934391-post4085.html & http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144934394-post4086.html, and here is what he looks like today http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144921041-post4037.html

He generously granted me a full-length interview about his tenure @ Lamborghini (which means I am the only person to interview him about Lamborghini in 30 years) and the interview will be published in Octane magazine in a few months.