My old Lambo photos from the 90s
Discussion
Fair question on the EE plates...They stand for Excursionisti Esteri, They are temporary plates put on a car by the factory (applied for from the Italian Motoring Ministry) thats ready and off to be Exported. All this reminiscing and nostalgic walk down memory lane has got me all juiced up!!! Great stuff!!! Keep it coming guys and gals!!
Right I'm off to dig out my albums from Heathmans and Portmans from 1985-1991.
I Remember vividly walking to Heathmans from Parsons Green tube Station some three times a week and getting to know the owner, we became great mates and we still stay regularly in touch. David was/is a great bloke and we still see each other. The man became my surrogate dad and I'll never forget the times he used to take me out in the Lambos. I attribute my love of these Italian cars because of him!! God I miss those days!!!
I'll never forget on my 18th birthday David taking me out in a White QV/ blue leather with white stripes (C537YEH). Triple figure mph in a Countach on the Hammersmith flyover (before the silly cameras) on the way to the Brentford service station to drop it off and then only to pick up another red 5000S that had just been serviced for him. What an amazing, amazing day, getting emotional just thinking about it. I can still smell the fuel/oil and leather like it was yesterday and the roar of that V12.
Man his showroom was an Aladdin's cave of exotica, wall to wall car porn!!
Right I'm off to dig out my albums from Heathmans and Portmans from 1985-1991.
I Remember vividly walking to Heathmans from Parsons Green tube Station some three times a week and getting to know the owner, we became great mates and we still stay regularly in touch. David was/is a great bloke and we still see each other. The man became my surrogate dad and I'll never forget the times he used to take me out in the Lambos. I attribute my love of these Italian cars because of him!! God I miss those days!!!
I'll never forget on my 18th birthday David taking me out in a White QV/ blue leather with white stripes (C537YEH). Triple figure mph in a Countach on the Hammersmith flyover (before the silly cameras) on the way to the Brentford service station to drop it off and then only to pick up another red 5000S that had just been serviced for him. What an amazing, amazing day, getting emotional just thinking about it. I can still smell the fuel/oil and leather like it was yesterday and the roar of that V12.
Man his showroom was an Aladdin's cave of exotica, wall to wall car porn!!
Edited by MaserCoupe on Saturday 9th June 20:48
Hi Robert, Yes that is it and that was a photo I took circa 1989. I remember visiting a salesman in the mid 1990's who was selling a 5000S Countach in what was Joe Macari's old showroom in Wandsworth high street (by Chelsea cars). He wanted a picture of it when it was new at Portmans which I had. So he copied to add to it's history file, he then saw the photos in my album and asked if he could copy the picture you posted which I was happy for him to do. I think his name was Carlo but I can't remember.
Yes David had that LM002 and that red Countach too. That day was amazing! We thought it would be fun to park them outside his showroom (read block Heathmans road) and take a few snaps! That LM002 was the first car I ever washed!! Alot of real estate!!!!! I did it as a thank you for taking me out in them that day!
That white QV (C537YEH) was sold to a 19year old DJ from London (A very large chap) who had the car for less than two weeks! I remember the day he came back with it, to get David to sell it for him and I'll never forget the conversation. "Dave!! Dave!! I love this car, I love this car!!!, But every time I turn up at the pub, I embarrass myself trying to get out of it"...So he took it in and a week later it went out the door for even more money...
I remember also he had "BR33" in 1986 with the Alpine stereo and it's blue printed engine! 425BHP from that 2valver! That was amazing to see it in the flesh! God those doors were heavy and nearly chopped my arm off!! They wouldn't stay up as the speakers were so so heavy! Great sounds though!!! It was a lovely car and a real belter! I remember seeing it's alloys and thinking why on earth are they so scuffed! But hey this was the eighties and they were daily drivers for some people! Somewhere in the attic I've got that poster that portman's did with the caption "About 155 in the rain" when it broke outright records at Millbrook and tons of Counatch mags on BR33.
I recently met Steve Cropley who wrote the amazing article on "BR33" Barry Robinson's QV "Blazing back to Britain" and he kindly signed that centre page for me as that write up made such an impression to me as a young kid, Steve Cropley was just brilliant and he couldn't believe that anyone actually cared about his write ups.
I remember too the "black smoker" (David's words not mine) BRK....somethingY (I'll check the albums later) Black with Tan/Honey interior, which he had and it had just come from a supercar shootout in the Isle of Wight against an Aston Vantage, 911 Turbo, Esprit Turbo and a BB512. I'll never forget that first ride in it, when he took me out to Pizza Express in Fulham road. I of course step out and go in to order and all the waiters walk (read ran out) out to look at the car!!! So I stood there like a plum for ten minutes waiting to get our Pizza order in!! It was hilarious to watch!!
I have to say my biggest and best memory to date with David was when he sold Ferruccio Lamborghini a Lamborghini 400GT. Ferruccio was, in the early 1980's, collecting cars that he was personally involved in and he simply could not find a 400GT. He found his car at Heathmans and wired the money the next day, he then invited David to spend a week at his vineyard as his guest. Tonino (Ferruccio's son) picked him up from the airport and drove him to the vineyard via his little factory which produced Lamborghini branded luxury goods. Anyone remember the Tonino Lamborghini shop in Bond Street??? Anyway Ferruccio upon meeting David then took him into his car showroom and began to start up all his cars and rev them a like big kid! I still have somewhere a picture of them together. When leaving, Ferruccio gifted David the giant "Lamborghini Trattori" flag that hung at the gates of his vineyard, "David this is for you, thank you for finding my car". I'm hoping he'll gift that flag to me one day.........
Anyway when you see Ferruccio's red 400GT (now in Tonino's museum) you'll notice its a right hooker and we have David to thank for it. He never did tell me how much he sold it to him for, but did say "I made a very healthy profit". LOL!!!
God visiting Heathmans and Portmans was like being a kid in a candy store but only better!!! It was wall to wall Countach's, Jarama's, Espada's, Islero's, De-Tomaso Pantera's, Maserati's, Monteverdi's, even an original Stratos. Christ I remember at one time he even had 3 of the 7 RHD Miura SV's in his showroom and 7 Espadas parked outside in the yard as he ran out of room!!!
I must admit I'm now getting an itch for a Lambo after all this wandering down memory lane, I'm getting all excited again!!
Yes David had that LM002 and that red Countach too. That day was amazing! We thought it would be fun to park them outside his showroom (read block Heathmans road) and take a few snaps! That LM002 was the first car I ever washed!! Alot of real estate!!!!! I did it as a thank you for taking me out in them that day!
That white QV (C537YEH) was sold to a 19year old DJ from London (A very large chap) who had the car for less than two weeks! I remember the day he came back with it, to get David to sell it for him and I'll never forget the conversation. "Dave!! Dave!! I love this car, I love this car!!!, But every time I turn up at the pub, I embarrass myself trying to get out of it"...So he took it in and a week later it went out the door for even more money...
I remember also he had "BR33" in 1986 with the Alpine stereo and it's blue printed engine! 425BHP from that 2valver! That was amazing to see it in the flesh! God those doors were heavy and nearly chopped my arm off!! They wouldn't stay up as the speakers were so so heavy! Great sounds though!!! It was a lovely car and a real belter! I remember seeing it's alloys and thinking why on earth are they so scuffed! But hey this was the eighties and they were daily drivers for some people! Somewhere in the attic I've got that poster that portman's did with the caption "About 155 in the rain" when it broke outright records at Millbrook and tons of Counatch mags on BR33.
I recently met Steve Cropley who wrote the amazing article on "BR33" Barry Robinson's QV "Blazing back to Britain" and he kindly signed that centre page for me as that write up made such an impression to me as a young kid, Steve Cropley was just brilliant and he couldn't believe that anyone actually cared about his write ups.
I remember too the "black smoker" (David's words not mine) BRK....somethingY (I'll check the albums later) Black with Tan/Honey interior, which he had and it had just come from a supercar shootout in the Isle of Wight against an Aston Vantage, 911 Turbo, Esprit Turbo and a BB512. I'll never forget that first ride in it, when he took me out to Pizza Express in Fulham road. I of course step out and go in to order and all the waiters walk (read ran out) out to look at the car!!! So I stood there like a plum for ten minutes waiting to get our Pizza order in!! It was hilarious to watch!!
I have to say my biggest and best memory to date with David was when he sold Ferruccio Lamborghini a Lamborghini 400GT. Ferruccio was, in the early 1980's, collecting cars that he was personally involved in and he simply could not find a 400GT. He found his car at Heathmans and wired the money the next day, he then invited David to spend a week at his vineyard as his guest. Tonino (Ferruccio's son) picked him up from the airport and drove him to the vineyard via his little factory which produced Lamborghini branded luxury goods. Anyone remember the Tonino Lamborghini shop in Bond Street??? Anyway Ferruccio upon meeting David then took him into his car showroom and began to start up all his cars and rev them a like big kid! I still have somewhere a picture of them together. When leaving, Ferruccio gifted David the giant "Lamborghini Trattori" flag that hung at the gates of his vineyard, "David this is for you, thank you for finding my car". I'm hoping he'll gift that flag to me one day.........
Anyway when you see Ferruccio's red 400GT (now in Tonino's museum) you'll notice its a right hooker and we have David to thank for it. He never did tell me how much he sold it to him for, but did say "I made a very healthy profit". LOL!!!
God visiting Heathmans and Portmans was like being a kid in a candy store but only better!!! It was wall to wall Countach's, Jarama's, Espada's, Islero's, De-Tomaso Pantera's, Maserati's, Monteverdi's, even an original Stratos. Christ I remember at one time he even had 3 of the 7 RHD Miura SV's in his showroom and 7 Espadas parked outside in the yard as he ran out of room!!!
I must admit I'm now getting an itch for a Lambo after all this wandering down memory lane, I'm getting all excited again!!
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