Discussion
Ordered new from the factory by an Arab prince, cancelled order picked up by a German dealer..ending up in the UK to a private owner. I then bought it.
Look at the dash board all three of the owners kept the badge stuck to the dashboard which was put on at the factory or by the prince which is a national flag of Saudi Arabia.
Oh good grief - adverts from old magazines - I'm sure I can find a few.. hundred....and some entries from auction catalogues. Here goes:
From 2001: LP400 for £36,995 anyone?...and I seem to remember they had trouble shifting it!
This is the white Countach that was auctioned for over £300k recently - it wore the number plate TAM1 for most of its life. Here in the 90s at Portman Lamborghini in Ealing:
White skirted 88 Countach
Photo used everywhere of a QV - I think Autocar originally. Not sure:
From 1997 auction catalogue
From 2001 Auction Preview Ad:
..many many many more to follow, I'm sure....
From 2001: LP400 for £36,995 anyone?...and I seem to remember they had trouble shifting it!
This is the white Countach that was auctioned for over £300k recently - it wore the number plate TAM1 for most of its life. Here in the 90s at Portman Lamborghini in Ealing:
White skirted 88 Countach
Photo used everywhere of a QV - I think Autocar originally. Not sure:
From 1997 auction catalogue
From 2001 Auction Preview Ad:
..many many many more to follow, I'm sure....
- so in 13 years you could have made about 300k...not bad at all.Robert W said:
You have made more than 300k. It's an LP400. RHD. It's the yellow one on the picture.
I agree, probably more like 450k nowadays, why do you think it took until quite recently for the original to be seen as collectable ? even in 2001 that late LP400 car was 23 years old, so was old enough, plus so many changes had happened to the countach through the 80's for it to be seen as the purer car/clean lines etc.But then in the 80's everyone was into big shoulder pads, big hair, mullets, loud leg warmers so i guess the original cleaner lines of the LP400 did not suit, big spoilers and body kits were the 'in' things.
Just to compare, I remember Sapphire Cosworth's were going for top money if they were clean unmolested examples only 10-15 years after they were last built.
Robert W said:
Oh good grief - adverts from old magazines - I'm sure I can find a few.. hundred....and some entries from auction catalogues. Here goes:
Photo used everywhere of a QV - I think Autocar originally. Not sure:
..many many many more to follow, I'm sure....
RobertPhoto used everywhere of a QV - I think Autocar originally. Not sure:
..many many many more to follow, I'm sure....
This was from a road test from a publication called High Performance, it was a quarterly supplement by What Car magazine. This was the Spring 1986 edition. I know this because it was the first magazine I bought and I bought it because of the Countach. I still have the magazine to this day.
Two interesting facts:
1. Tiff Needell was the reporter - his first Journo job.
2. I got to drive this very car in 2007 when it was owned by Ian QV on here.
Full scans on my Flickr site if you want to see. Just scroll left
https://www.flickr.com/photos/snapperseven/1171709...
Oh and if you do read the article, the Countach Tiff refers to is Mike Pullen's car.
Cheers
SS
Remember always that prices can go down as well as up!
I remember in the late 80s when Tom Hartley offered me £60k for my Jalpa that I'd paid £20k for two years earlier - 25 years later it might be worth £40k.
So I would not be at all surprised if the bubble bursts again; just as it did before.
If you like cars, rather than investing, that'll be a good thing, as it allows you to buy more!
I remember in the late 80s when Tom Hartley offered me £60k for my Jalpa that I'd paid £20k for two years earlier - 25 years later it might be worth £40k.
So I would not be at all surprised if the bubble bursts again; just as it did before.
If you like cars, rather than investing, that'll be a good thing, as it allows you to buy more!
Robert w,
that advert for the yellow 1978 lp400 was one I remember clearly, and was the advert that led me to make a trip down to London to see the car
it was the first countach that my wife had seen , and I distinctly recall her genuinely surprised first words ''that's not a car , it's a spaceship''
I think that they were prepared to let that car go for 35k
it was delightful, but on a test drive felt very fragile , and I decided to pass on it
I don't regret that from a driving point of view, but it was a beautiful car, and clearly, with hind-sight a mistake from the investment point
the lp400's are so sleek and pure , but I think that the arched cars will also have their day sometime in the future
the countach was notable partly because it was so startling (''countachness'') , and the arches and wings further accentuate that madness
that advert for the yellow 1978 lp400 was one I remember clearly, and was the advert that led me to make a trip down to London to see the car
it was the first countach that my wife had seen , and I distinctly recall her genuinely surprised first words ''that's not a car , it's a spaceship''
I think that they were prepared to let that car go for 35k
it was delightful, but on a test drive felt very fragile , and I decided to pass on it
I don't regret that from a driving point of view, but it was a beautiful car, and clearly, with hind-sight a mistake from the investment point
the lp400's are so sleek and pure , but I think that the arched cars will also have their day sometime in the future
the countach was notable partly because it was so startling (''countachness'') , and the arches and wings further accentuate that madness
HI, Just out of interest, which QV Is this? Is it E482NUL or is it Harry Metcalfe's car? Nice having two on display! Robert W
E482 NUL is not the Harry Metcalfe car and is owned by Mark Hart, with the previous owner being a Mr Mamood and was E732 KWL we understand who at the time had 2 with the other being a LHD car in Black and was pretty prolific in the West End at the time!
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|http://thumbsnap.com/77p5p9a8[/url]
E482 NUL is not the Harry Metcalfe car and is owned by Mark Hart, with the previous owner being a Mr Mamood and was E732 KWL we understand who at the time had 2 with the other being a LHD car in Black and was pretty prolific in the West End at the time!
url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/77p5p9a8[/url]Edited by Lambo7Oaks on Wednesday 18th June 12:37
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