Countach front wing ?

If you look at a side or front profile image of the car taken directly horizontal to the open headlamps you'll see that the front wing directly compromises the forward & downward field of illumination of the already-poor lamps, not to mention the glare that it undoubtedly cast upon oncoming road-users.

Perhaps I can be forgiven for coming off as less than positive about these items but, if tested as 5mph bumpers, it seems to me that the damage to the nose of the car might be more extensive than if the units were not there.

To me a Countach is for going fast, so the other thing I would worry about would be how secure the unit was affixed. I seem to recall that they were final-fastened by pull-out lynch-pins so they could be adjusted upwards to allow the front hood to open to utilize the front trunk space. Besides dangerous front-end lift at high speed, what happens to the car or other road-users if the thing detaches when going really fast?

I do understand someone who has a car with an ACI front wing leaving it on especially the Cannonball movie car, and I understand those who find them cool even though I don't. They are definitely part of the USA Countach story.

That said, perhaps some of my lack of enthusiasm for them is the front wings remind me of a difficult era for the Countach which I'd rather forget, an era when the poor Countach was subjected to all kinds of official & unofficial automotive vandalism, some of which resulted in goofy appendages that turned the cars in cartoon caricatures of what their makers originally intended. I think all of the after-modding of Countachs that took place gave license to others to use the cars as hot-rod projects in the era when they were cheap, and is why the cars suffered for so many years with an adverse reputation on many fronts, not-to-mention poor values. It is only recently that the cars are becoming respected, cared for, appreciated, restored to original spec, supported by the factory with a proper restoration program and valued as they should. Anyone who owns a Countach should want them to be valuable, and the only way that will happen and continue to be the case with most cars is when contemporary thinking occurs and the cars are preserved as the artisan makers built them. The good news is, fortunately, this is happening, and it is being spearheaded by many new owners who are treating the cars with the highest respect.

 

Front wing + 1981 or so = jawdropping amazement. It was one thing for the S to stun people with a rear wing. Now throw an unheard of front wing in the mix. I remember the reaction from teens AND adults. But with age and wisdom, we realize what it really is, and non aerodymanic bumper that reduced night vision. But nice to still see them on some cars. A nice reminder of a time long ago.

 

I recall a client who had one telling me that at night he could hardly see as the wing compromised the illumination from his headlights, and, I also recall our own FChat member Chad Bolles stating that many years ago he drove his 1980 Rame Colorado Metallizzato S2 car over triple-digits on the freeway (I don't want to say the exact speed he stated) and the front end got dangerously light! Perhaps he'll chime in and confirm this. Trefor Thomas told me personally that they never tested them aerodynamically, so unless you plan on driving your Countach slowly, this may not be a great idea.


Joe, that would be me. Just as the speedo showed right at 150 +, next thing I saw was the tops of trees, front of car completely off of the ground... Got my attention big time. Never drove car again with the front wing attached.

 

Well I fully understand your stance Joe, and I can assure everyone I am strongly encamped in the opinion of hating all other DOT appendages as most others do. This truly was the only solution that looked good during those dark years. I can agree also that DOT changes that looked horrible did depreciate values and had a negative impact on prices that we only really started to turn around the last 7 years or so. At least this solution kept cars flowing into the USA- it even gave 1 a movie roll. Otherwise who knows what car may have been used. I guess for some it will be like the Koenig kit is for me.. I still can’t believe it ever caught on! But that is an opinion.. At least this front wing served a purpose.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I assume the Cannonball car has the added lights below the wing just for this reason.. which yes, I also think looks cool LOL. As Chad stated, if you plan to do some Serious driving this is not for you, but in this day and age (and roads), if you don’t have the chance to regularly cruise above 100mph it might be worth the trade off in keeping it. I would love to hear from some owners .. I know a few are on here and I have used their pictures. Pretty sure I know how Jeff feels about it since he bought the Cannonball car, but Emilio? A few others?

 

Age & wisdom can be good

You are a lucky man!

Thanks for sharing that story

Agreed

The Cannonball car was featured in a major movie like this, so it makes sense to keep the wings even though they are a post-production modification.

I sold Emilio's car from the USA to him @ 10 years ago I think, the first thing I said to him was "Emilio, you gotta get rid of those wings!"

Of course, as passionate as I sound, and as willing as I am to share my views, I'm not sitting here worrying about what people do to their cars, that's entirely up to them, we're all adults here, Emilio & I talk all the time (as recently as today in fact), he's never mentioned it since and neither have I, whatever makes the owner happy.

 

my 0.02:

from my research this type of front wing (bumper if you want to call it a bumper...but does not look like a bumper to me and i cannot understand how they managed to pass it as one lol ) was put on:
- 400S S1 (i seem to remember 1026 and 1056 at very least)
- 400S S2
-400S S3 cars

but i am positive even on one or may be very few early 5000S


with this type of wing i mean the one like in the Cannonbal movie car:
i did not investigate much on the other types of front wings put on later countach, because i think they are born for different purpose and all more or less unique custom applications.
basically they were not made to "turn around" US rules, but simply to have a 2 wing look, like the old ones.
you saw the cannonball car and thought it was cool... so you ended up with a car with US big later bumpers AND 2 wings ...which today looks imo way too busy (agree with Chris Pine)


i owned a wingless 1978 countach S for 4 years and a 1982 countach S with wing(s) for almost 10 years and still have it (Joe found the car in 2009...wow time flies!)

i like lamborghini and its history since i was a child and i think i have read and own so many stuff on the topic, most would find it scary
i am not a big fan of modified old lamborghinis but to each rule ... there are exceptions, like:
- i would not convert a factory "S" modified LP400 to slim original look, even if today they all do it
- i would not convert the Minram Miura SVJ to what it was when it left the factory first time
- i would not convert a period turbo countach by Wallace to atmo, as to me it is fascinating part of the car history
- i would not remove a period stereo special install on a countach or diablo, if nicely done
and the list goes on

i think every car and every mod should be considered individually before convert everything to day 1, as most do today
this is my personal opinion on the matter and i am not tryng to convince anyone i am right becaue i know the truth, but i suggest only to consider another point of view on the subject
modifications are part of the history of sports cars in the end ... and if Ferruccio did not like to modify his own cars we would probably even not have lamborghini today

generally speaking, i think is worth to preserve some period mods as part of the car personal history.... if they are not "universally awful" of course ...and we all have seen some of them

when i got the car i had some worcks done to it: engine was took off the car and disassembled to pieces for a full overhaul
i can tell you the mods done for the few late 70's, early 80's euro car to legally enter the US market look very basic and minor compared to what the 5000S and QV had done to meet US rules in mid-late 80's
basically my 400S is an euro car with side markers, front wing (bumper) and rear bommerang bumper. that's it
we could not find any engine mod at all versus a similar late euroepan 400S

of course, i thought if put back to 1 wing or wingless while working on it
in the end i choose to keep it for a couple of personal (and questionable) reasons:

- it is to me a part of countach history (gray market countach is part of lamborghini 80's history and most countach guys remember well the 2 wing cars)
- it is part of car movie history (cannonball run is a special movie for any car guy or countach fan)
- it is exaggerated in the same way a countach S is exaggerated, a countach S was never ment to be a subtle car or car for the shy owner
- it is rare today since most the 2 wings cars have been reverted to single wing or no wing cars today
- it is cool and somewhat "nice", as the rear boomerang bumper is; i think almost nobody would call later US bumpers nice or "cool", but these older ones are a different story: nicer designed and, while being a bit over the top for some, they cannot be considered super ugly as the later bumpers

as for driving the car at hi speed: i drove this and the older wingless countach around 200-220 Kmh and did not found them to be light on the front. they both felt very similar.
the only difference i felt wingless Vs wing countach is a car with 1 (or 2) wing feels a bit more planted while braking from 180+ kmh speed
i cannot comment on speed of over 220 Kmh, i do not drive them so fast, i do not drive like an old lady either...some members here can witness for me
but to try to reach 300 Kmh or for lap times i think there are some safer options today. these cars are once in a week fun machines, to enjoy but to respect a bit also...would be nicer if we can keep them alive (imo)

i like fast driving and track days, but i have other cars for the purpose today

and last: for the beauty
i also remember Joe suggested me the first thing to do on the car was to remove the wing(s)
i told him i would have thought about it and i did ...but we seem to still have different opinions on this matter and we still talk toegether

i add a pic of the "ugly" 2 wings countach with the "beauty" wingless miura
i personally like both ...but what do i know ?
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thank you Emilio for chiming in.. I love your perspective and agree with you .. Any car guy/Countach fan knows the movie, hence this modification. Have you any tried to track down or keep a list of the other cars that had this?
Joe, you spoke with Mr. Thomas, any numbers mentioned of cars they processed with DOT mods?
Anyone know, or in contact with Mr. Rarewala? I thought maybe his grandson posted once here in Lambochat.
(still just trying to piece together this sliver of Countach history)

 

i have to look at my S files and see what i come with for the cars "originally" with the front wing
on the other hand, i think only 3 or 4 cars (including cannonball black one and my white one) remain in the 2 wings - rear boomerang bumper look
that makes them pretty rare today

 

Hey Emilio, you gotta get rid of those wings, they are slowing you down my friend!

But seriously, when you go fast on the Autostrada, they will upset the car's forward balance at speed, that's dangerous.

FWIW, for those who worry about the extinction of the ACI-winged cars within the USA, fear not as LP400S S2 1121128 still remains in a family of what is perhaps the world’s most prominent still-growing Countach collection, with it’s ACI front wing, rear factory ‘moody’ wing, rear ACI boomerang bumper, and extremely low miles, preserved exactly as it left ACI.

Trefor has passed away, but I did have a long lunch with him @ 2003 during which I plied him with many questions, fascinating man, lots of stories, but few chassis numbers. Like the one of a young Arab Prince who brought his Countach back to be re-trimmed because his pet lion had chewed up the entire interior. And the Gucci family Countach with special interior.

Jas has also passed away, but I met him briefly in 1995 when I went to Roy Rossi's house in Newport Beach to check out his Virginia City Hillclimb racer and erstwhile track-dog, a car that was, um, how do I put this delicately, somewhat well-worn by the time I saw it. He took me for a ride in it, and I have to say it was the most bone-jarring Countach experience I have ever had as the suspension was completely gone, yet he wanted to show me how the car could perform. I could see the front wing bouncing around up ahead! I have never been so happy to get out of a Countach.

Here below is Roy coming through the corkscrew @ Laguna Seca circa 1990, he took my friend and fellow Countach owner Erik Neilsen for a few hot laps around that track, all the while with the Rolling Stones on at full volume

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Rolling Stones- perfect. I really like my Countach interior so I NEVER let my lion inside of it... just sayin’

 

According to Erik, the irony of the Rolling Stones playing at full volume was the car was so loud you couldn't enjoy either the Stones, or the V12.

Speaking of wings, I must confess the only wing I have been interested in or fascinated by was the one on our LP400S S1 Lowbody 1121038, a rare factory moody wing with wide-buttress, an original Tipo Wolf-Dallara item, only seen on 1002, 1030 and 1030. Here it is below when we showed it @ Quail Lodge circa 2011 next to our Final Production F40. I knew it might be a bit special when none other than Horacio Pagani himself came over from the Pagani display stand to say "I love your car" which I took as a high compliment.

Every year I try to buy this car back unsuccessfully.

Image Unavailable, Please Login