Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

I think he was smiling behind the wheel, it was quite a day.

When seasoned photographers used to seeing valuable sports cars are impressed, you know the cars are a little bit special.

We got together to shoot a major feature for an English magazine, details TBA, it was a really long day, the cars ended up very dusty from the driving roads, and dirty with ash from all the Southern California fires, but we got the job done.

The theme was a Ferrari vs Lamborghini duel with an 80s superstars twist, the story might be titled 'Pistols at Dawn', some sneak-peak images on our IG https://www.instagram.com/joesackeyclassics/

The last time I saw a stare-down like the first image below, my friend Ray faced off with Marvin, both 80s superstars in their own right (Ray loves the Countach FWIW, I've already posted images of him in it earlier in the thread), all good fun.

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I see you lurking there.

This is what photographers call a money-shot.

Even though relatively photographically clueless bystanders like me are not supposed to tell a professional photographer of worldwide renown what to do, I'll humbly take a little credit for proposing this shot, and he agreed, so he sent me this unedited version today. The final item will look much better than this, if you can imagine that. The Bordeaux Countach's Panna interior is framing the Rosso GTO, too cool.

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Jude's FLA12824

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30 years later the Countach is still stunning compared to the latest & greatest from Ferrari.

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No wing on either car but the GTO has a lot of surface for high-speed downforce @ its trailing edge.

The difference between the cars is that everybody wants to drive the GTO, whereas everyone is a bit scared of the Downdraft, the GTO is inviting, the Downdraft is intimidating.

Night & day, Jekyll & Hyde, yet in some interesting ways they compliment each other.

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Agreed, for us its totally easy, I feel comfortable driving it day or night, on open road or in traffic, but alas, there are many people not like us!

I will say Raymond, with your ignition, GLA12997 runs nicely even in the most heavy traffic, and in the course of an all-day major magazine photoshoot where the car is stopped & started dozens & dozens of times, it never misses a beat, always barks into life immediately. Thank you for that ignition.

A good summation.

If you drive the GTO a while then get into the Countach, you realize how avantegarde the whole Countach setup is, when you drop the door down, you feel, oh, this is kind of special. That said, the GTO is very impressive in all conditions also.

 

Speaking of ease of driving, the steering of the GTO is quite light, but, how many people know that on the Countach you can adjust the tension at the rack all the way out and lighten the turning force required at the steering wheel?

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This image highlight'sFLA12824's color in the sunlight.

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True, but remember that you were always driving a well-sorted Countach which puts it's power on the road really well, and having owned many different Countachs and driven even more, I can assure you that some Countachs unfortunately do not go like this one, so perhaps you were a little bit spoiled but yes, I agree, on the road I do not feel slow even compared to modern machinery.

A short story I know you will love based on something you said in the past:

Recently, a young man came up to me and he obviously knew all about the Mimran Downdraft, he then proceeded to tell me that not only was the Countach his favorite car, but, he would rather own this car over any of the Wolf Countachs, I thought he was getting carried away, but I think you'll get the point he was making relative to what you once said.

Get Valentino to visit with you, drive your car, and request that he provide you with a historical statement on your FLA12824, no doubt he will remember it.

Personally, I find Valentino Balboni's testimonial to an important addition to what Polo Storico or the factory are prepared to verify, because, he was there at the time with hands & eyes on the cars. He has done this for our Mimran Downdraft and what he facilitated is a valuable document to me. Remember, although Polo Storico have the material they do, in all fairness it is subject to some mistakes, and, open to interpretation by people who were not even there when the cars were being built, as such, additional corroboration, especially by someone of Vale's unique position & stature in Lamborghini's history, is important.

 

Today this well-known Porsche racing driver tried out Downdraft FLA12831 and came back with a huge grin, loving its power
and the way it handled.

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The Downdraft without the wing looks like a road-going rocket.