Lamborghinis used as Covid-19 shopping trolleys
Discussion
Quite a few posts overnight, what are we like...?
Here's that Montreal I mentioned, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw it and was glad I had my camera with me, one of just 104 RHD examples and a local Warwickshire based car....
I'm sitting here with a glass of wine pondering all sorts of notions about exotic Italian machinery, since I first joined PH I've posted in many different threads, be it classics or moderns, I've been through at least three phases of wanting a Porsche 914 / 928 / 996, but I always gravitate back to the glorious products of Italy and knocking on the door of my fiftyfifth birthday I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be staying, the passion never seems to wane no matter how much I veer from one marque to another and back again. I'm probably not alone in this, not by a long chalk! I remember buying the little Osprey books on the Espada, Urraco, Countach, Bora and Merak in the '80s, drooling over the pictures and lapping up the text like a kid in a sweet shop, I still have them now and get the same whistful feeling when I look through them.
Some more beauties from the NEC, these are from 2012....
Here's that Montreal I mentioned, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw it and was glad I had my camera with me, one of just 104 RHD examples and a local Warwickshire based car....
I'm sitting here with a glass of wine pondering all sorts of notions about exotic Italian machinery, since I first joined PH I've posted in many different threads, be it classics or moderns, I've been through at least three phases of wanting a Porsche 914 / 928 / 996, but I always gravitate back to the glorious products of Italy and knocking on the door of my fiftyfifth birthday I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be staying, the passion never seems to wane no matter how much I veer from one marque to another and back again. I'm probably not alone in this, not by a long chalk! I remember buying the little Osprey books on the Espada, Urraco, Countach, Bora and Merak in the '80s, drooling over the pictures and lapping up the text like a kid in a sweet shop, I still have them now and get the same whistful feeling when I look through them.
Some more beauties from the NEC, these are from 2012....
rat rod said:
The golden years are gone and characters like Valentino Balboni ,Bob the Cop ,Del Hopkins,Mike Pullen are a rare bread these days ,
I’d add Vic Sawyer to that list.Edited by rat rod on Sunday 21st June 00:01
I remember him overtaking me at about 170mph in his new blue Diablo on the dual carriageway on the way to Silverstone after LCUK stayed the night in a local hotel. What an incredible noise!
And Peter Hay. Also Piet Pulford who still pops up.
Craig Cairns at Lamborghini Pangbourne gets it. And Andrew Bagley.
Fessia fancier said:
Ratrod, I'm interested in your observation on the 400S ownership and sale. There are a lot of threads with the aim of examining values. Sure, people need to figure out what they afford to can buy and run, but the fun of ownership sometimes seems to be secondary. I'm with you on the 400 S sentiments - on paper a good decision to sell, but perhaps once emotion is factored in, a bit more complex.
In my view any rise in values is a bit of a poisoned chalice. I take my hat off to you for having a 400S, that is a fabulous dream fulfilled and you are in a tiny group of people who did that. The shame of these price rises is that what used to be quite affordable things to buy (thinking Espada and Jarama in this topic rather more than 400S, of course) have become quite a different kettle of fish.
On paper it looks like a good thing but all that happens is the cost of spares and servicing rises because the parts and garages are dealing with a car worth much more than before. The same widget costs much more if the car has doubles in value. Insurance also becomes more expensive. Want to take your car on track for fun? Quite a few people are more reluctant because of the value.
And in a way it also becomes a bit like the rising house price illusion - fine if you sell but then you need to buy somewhere to live, so there isn't really a gain and I can even see some long term owners being priced out of ownership even though they bought long ago. It also becomes a bigger transaction if you just want to change on a whim. I used to change cars frequently but over the last few years I have bought and sold very little (admittedly that is partly due to being short of time).
I suppose that I always tend to rebel at the monetisation of my hobbies (and still feel a little miffed that they make you pay for F1, Moto GP and football when everybody could watch them before) so perhaps this is my particular hobby horse.
On a different note, I was amused to see what I think is the back of a Renault 12 in one of P5B's photos. Amused because for days we drove over much of Turkey in one when I was a teenager (a trip with parents) with only one music tape (Bridge over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel, I can probably still remember the words of all the songs!).
I did a lot of heart searching before i decided to sell the Countach,it wasn't a 5 minute decision.It's like you say with houses ,no point selling your house if you can't replace it immediately otherwise you get left behind so i knew once it goes the likelihood of me getting another would be slim to none.my retirement looming,youngest son going to University,daughter in Canada needing another car,older son needs a deposit on his first house ,a garage full of cars all needing something ,after 10 years of fun i decided to sell,A decision i now regret and that's why i always say they are a long time gone. I heard about the car by word and mouth.and cashed 2 insurances in as they wasn't doing much. So do i pay the mortgage.off,spend money on improvements on the house or buy a Countach.I wanted a QV but this 400 s came up and although slower it is much rarer and more collectable.It doesn't matter that it's slower it's all about the theatre and drama and starts as soon as you pull down on those doors ,spinning the starter and the V12 explodes into life on it's sports exhaust, it's such an event. You will know all about that. with your Jarama and Espada ,It makes you feel like a 12 year old. kid The first owner was Tim Dutton of Dutton Cars and. the original colour was gold but it has had 2 colour changes first one was blue and the second is pearl yellow which i think is to modern for a Countach. all ready having 2 colour changes i didn't think another one would make any difference so was going to repaint it gunmetal grey but never got round to it.I saw it back in the early 90's at Mike Pullen's Carrera Sport track days at Goodwood and later at Castle Coombe at the Lamborghini and De Tomaso day.it was blue then with no wing .Maintenance wise hasn't been to bad,I had the fuel lines renewed more for safety and had the brakes renewed as well,and new headgaskets ,new dashboard covering new carpets and seats restitched. it's not a show car with a couple of scrapes here and there but at least i could enjoy it more like that making me less nervous where i parked it.The first question people would ask is ,it a replica,I think it must be the colour.The insurance cost has gone up a lot over the years but at least that's covered by the increase in value of the car. I was very lucky to buy it before prices got silly ,more luck than judgement. I do miss popping down to the garage and having a quick peep as i didn't need to drive it to make me smile. I've since bought 3 classics from my wish list ,sorted the kids out and done a few overdue jobs on the house and still got change and with prices cooling i may one day have another Countach in the garage ,who knowsIn my view any rise in values is a bit of a poisoned chalice. I take my hat off to you for having a 400S, that is a fabulous dream fulfilled and you are in a tiny group of people who did that. The shame of these price rises is that what used to be quite affordable things to buy (thinking Espada and Jarama in this topic rather more than 400S, of course) have become quite a different kettle of fish.
On paper it looks like a good thing but all that happens is the cost of spares and servicing rises because the parts and garages are dealing with a car worth much more than before. The same widget costs much more if the car has doubles in value. Insurance also becomes more expensive. Want to take your car on track for fun? Quite a few people are more reluctant because of the value.
And in a way it also becomes a bit like the rising house price illusion - fine if you sell but then you need to buy somewhere to live, so there isn't really a gain and I can even see some long term owners being priced out of ownership even though they bought long ago. It also becomes a bigger transaction if you just want to change on a whim. I used to change cars frequently but over the last few years I have bought and sold very little (admittedly that is partly due to being short of time).
I suppose that I always tend to rebel at the monetisation of my hobbies (and still feel a little miffed that they make you pay for F1, Moto GP and football when everybody could watch them before) so perhaps this is my particular hobby horse.
On a different note, I was amused to see what I think is the back of a Renault 12 in one of P5B's photos. Amused because for days we drove over much of Turkey in one when I was a teenager (a trip with parents) with only one music tape (Bridge over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel, I can probably still remember the words of all the songs!).
Edited by rat rod on Sunday 21st June 20:09
Always preferred the Countach sans wing, this is another one from the owner's club stand at last year's NEC show, a few yards along from Kermit the Jarama....
And my favourite period Countach shot, Bob Wallace at the Swiss border in (I think) LP400 #002....
And my favourite period Countach shot, Bob Wallace at the Swiss border in (I think) LP400 #002....
Edited by P5BNij on Sunday 21st June 20:25
Edited by P5BNij on Sunday 21st June 20:39
Ferruccio said:
rat rod said:
The golden years are gone and characters like Valentino Balboni ,Bob the Cop ,Del Hopkins,Mike Pullen are a rare bread these days ,
I’d add Vic Sawyer to that list.Edited by rat rod on Sunday 21st June 00:01
I remember him overtaking me at about 170mph in his new blue Diablo on the dual carriageway on the way to Silverstone after LCUK stayed the night in a local hotel. What an incredible noise!
And Peter Hay. Also Piet Pulford who still pops up.
Craig Cairns at Lamborghini Pangbourne gets it. And Andrew Bagley.
P5BNij said:
Quite a few posts overnight, what are we like...?
Here's that Montreal I mentioned, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw it and was glad I had my camera with me, one of just 104 RHD examples and a local Warwickshire based car....
I'm sitting here with a glass of wine pondering all sorts of notions about exotic Italian machinery, since I first joined PH I've posted in many different threads, be it classics or moderns, I've been through at least three phases of wanting a Porsche 914 / 928 / 996, but I always gravitate back to the glorious products of Italy and knocking on the door of my fiftyfifth birthday I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be staying, the passion never seems to wane no matter how much I veer from one marque to another and back again. I'm probably not alone in this, not by a long chalk! I remember buying the little Osprey books on the Espada, Urraco, Countach, Bora and Merak in the '80s, drooling over the pictures and lapping up the text like a kid in a sweet shop, I still have them now and get the same whistful feeling when I look through them.
Some more beauties from the NEC, these are from 2012....
I wonder if that silver Espada is the very one that i saw back in the 70's ,my first Espada experience. Great photo's keep postingHere's that Montreal I mentioned, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw it and was glad I had my camera with me, one of just 104 RHD examples and a local Warwickshire based car....
I'm sitting here with a glass of wine pondering all sorts of notions about exotic Italian machinery, since I first joined PH I've posted in many different threads, be it classics or moderns, I've been through at least three phases of wanting a Porsche 914 / 928 / 996, but I always gravitate back to the glorious products of Italy and knocking on the door of my fiftyfifth birthday I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be staying, the passion never seems to wane no matter how much I veer from one marque to another and back again. I'm probably not alone in this, not by a long chalk! I remember buying the little Osprey books on the Espada, Urraco, Countach, Bora and Merak in the '80s, drooling over the pictures and lapping up the text like a kid in a sweet shop, I still have them now and get the same whistful feeling when I look through them.
Some more beauties from the NEC, these are from 2012....
P5BNij said:
Always preferred the Countach sans wing, this is another one from the owner's club stand at last year's NEC show, a few yards along from Kermit the Jarama....
And my favourite period Countach shot, Bob Wallace at the Swiss border in (I think) LP400 #002....
The red Countach is perfection in my eyes, E reg so must be around 1988, it just looks so right.And my favourite period Countach shot, Bob Wallace at the Swiss border in (I think) LP400 #002....
And apologies but I do struggle replying to multiple posts so apologies if I missed anything, though need to say the photos are beautiful. Thank you.
The pics you posted earlier of the Alfa Romeo Montreal are lovely as are the Bora, Urraco and Espada. I'm sure I purchased the small Osprey books but I do remember buying the 'Motorshow' magazine each year which used to list all the cars for that particular year and used to drool over the pics, am sure I still have them somewhere so must dig them out.
spikeyhead I'm not too sure about whether Cooper Cars morphed into Leicester Lamborghini but if so do hope they retrained the staff members because when I push-biked down from Nottingham which was quite a feat for a skinny teenager to take a look at the silver Countach not one staff member came out to me to even enquire what I was doing in the showroom, well apart from the receptionist who wandered over to me and bit my head off and told me not to touch the car, luckily for me one of their customers who was looking over a few other cars overheard the conversation and asked me if I wanted to take a look inside it, and lifted the door for me. Now what they didn't know was the reason for me push-biking down to see the Countach was the fact that a good friend of my Father's who purchased quite a few cars from them, had told me about the Countach and had suggested I took a look, so I did. Thinking back I should have just mentioned his name but at the time was far too timid for that. I took a few more pics at the time so will post them on here when I find them.
Ferruccio I don't think you should have mentioned 170mph on here or the BRAKE mob will have a hissy fit and Vic Sawyer will be getting a knock on his door by PC (politically correct) plod to discuss his past speeding activities, all said in jest of course. BTW, how do you know it was 170? tell us more. I remember reading an article in CAR mag of three Lambos in convoy overtaking a Jag that was flat out at 155mph, must have been a sight for sore eyes.
rat rod, if you purchased in 2006 you must have purchased the Countach at just the right time so well done for going for it, I remember reading about the Dutton Countach in one of the car mags shortly after he bought it, wasn't the number plate T00 5LOW or something like that. I didn't realise it was a 400S model so you bought yourself a true classic classic Countach if there is such an animal. Even parked up it looks like it's breaking the speed limit. Always think of the Canon Ball run and the speed safety campaigners so nothing has changed except they have become more hysterical.
I was lucky enough to meet up with the silver Countach again a few years later at one of the Carrera Sport meets at Goodwood and had a chat with the owner, and somehow managed a spin out in it a few months later as a passenger. I remember the drama involved with actually climbing into one for the first time, there's nothing quite like bringing the scissor doors down for pure unadulterated excitement, then the wait as the key is turned one notch and listening for the fuel pumps slowing before the engine roars into life. Bl**dy awesome...
To be honest I've not seen a Countach in the flesh since the last Carrera Sport meet I attended which must have been around 1993 which is a shame, though thanks to PH and the decent folks on here can still relive the dream.
Edited by rich888 on Sunday 21st June 23:06
SAB888 said:
rat rod said:
Is Piet Pulford the builder of the Miura Jotta,wow what a work of art.
Yes, Pulford was the guy behind the Miura Jota. I've seen the car a few times and it is incredible. The sound from the V12 engine with the trumpet exhausts is wonderful. rat rod said:
I did a lot of heart searching before i decided to sell the Countach,it wasn't a 5 minute decision.It's like you say with houses ,no point selling your house if you can't replace it immediately otherwise you get left behind so i knew once it goes the likelihood of me getting another would be slim to none.my retirement looming,youngest son going to University,daughter in Canada needing another car,older son needs a deposit on his first house ,a garage full of cars all needing something ,after 10 years of fun i decided to sell,A decision i now regret and that's why i always say they are a long time gone. I heard about the car by word and mouth.and cashed 2 insurances in as they wasn't doing much. So do i pay the mortgage.off,spend money on improvements on the house or buy a Countach.I wanted a QV but this 400 s came up and although slower it is much rarer and more collectable.It doesn't matter that it's slower it's all about the theatre and drama and starts as soon as you pull down on those doors ,spinning the starter and the V12 explodes into life on it's sports exhaust, it's such an event. You will know all about that. with your Jarama and Espada ,It makes you feel like a 12 year old. kid The first owner was Tim Dutton of Dutton Cars and. the original colour was gold but it has had 2 colour changes first one was blue and the second is pearl yellow which i think is to modern for a Countach. all ready having 2 colour changes i didn't think another one would make any difference so was going to repaint it gunmetal grey but never got round to it.I saw it back in the early 90's at Mike Pullen's Carrera Sport track days at Goodwood and later at Castle Coombe at the Lamborghini and De Tomaso day.it was blue then with no wing .Maintenance wise hasn't been to bad,I had the fuel lines renewed more for safety and had the brakes renewed as well,and new headgaskets ,new dashboard covering new carpets and seats restitched. it's not a show car with a couple of scrapes here and there but at least i could enjoy it more like that making me less nervous where i parked it.The first question people would ask is ,it a replica,I think it must be the colour.The insurance cost has gone up a lot over the years but at least that's covered by the increase in value of the car. I was very lucky to buy it before prices got silly ,more luck than judgement. I do miss popping down to the garage and having a quick peep as i didn't need to drive it to make me smile. I've since bought 3 classics from my wish list ,sorted the kids out and done a few overdue jobs on the house and still got change and with prices cooling i may one day have another Countach in the garage ,who knows
Thanks for posting that rat rod, very nice to read. I have never been in any Countach but I can just imagine the drama. I love those early cars, they progressively got (very slightly) less arresting to me as the shape evolved but perhaps that was just because the shape had been around for a bit, and I was very young and impressionable when they first came out. When it was first launched I could hardly believe that such a car existed and could be driven on the road.Edited by rat rod on Sunday 21st June 20:09
It must have been a fabulous experience to drive it and to own it, and for a good long time too.
I have always thought that in my ideal three car garage a Miura SV (along with a 288GTO and Stratos) would be the combination I would choose but in recent years I've tended to think the Miura could well be replaced by an early Countach. As mentioned in earlier posts, those were so so rare to see back in the day. They really were built in tiny numbers. I'm struggling to think of a more spectacular car even today, at least to my eyes.
Fessia fancier said:
Thanks for posting that rat rod, very nice to read. I have never been in any Countach but I can just imagine the drama. I love those early cars, they progressively got (very slightly) less arresting to me as the shape evolved but perhaps that was just because the shape had been around for a bit, and I was very young and impressionable when they first came out. When it was first launched I could hardly believe that such a car existed and could be driven on the road.
It must have been a fabulous experience to drive it and to own it, and for a good long time too.
I have always thought that in my ideal three car garage a Miura SV (along with a 288GTO and Stratos) would be the combination I would choose but in recent years I've tended to think the Miura could well be replaced by an early Countach. As mentioned in earlier posts, those were so so rare to see back in the day. They really were built in tiny numbers. I'm struggling to think of a more spectacular car even today, at least to my eyes.
Your welcome,This chapter in my life is over for now but hoping a new chapter will open again.This thread and the people on it are making me rethink which direction i will be going.Thought i'd go slightly modern so i would not only use the cars more but have the odd weekend away.the Countach would be a liaility for this but looking at the photo's and post's my heart is firmly in the classic's. whether i like it or not ,.It must have been a fabulous experience to drive it and to own it, and for a good long time too.
I have always thought that in my ideal three car garage a Miura SV (along with a 288GTO and Stratos) would be the combination I would choose but in recent years I've tended to think the Miura could well be replaced by an early Countach. As mentioned in earlier posts, those were so so rare to see back in the day. They really were built in tiny numbers. I'm struggling to think of a more spectacular car even today, at least to my eyes.
I am also very much enjoying the pace of this thread as a change from some of the others on PH. I thought I'd upload pictures of a couple of classic Lambos I am lucky enough to have owned for quite a few years now. The Espada isn't mine but having had my attention drawn by this thread to the one at Iain Tyrell's I am sorely tempted to remedy this omission, though something else would have to go first!....I've also included photos of two other classic Italians. One (the Ghibli) is a recent addition and the other (the Iso Grifo) went a few years ago. And speaking of "classic Italians" you will no doubt recognise Mr. Balboni in the final photo. This was taken in 2007 at a small local Lamborghini owners meet in Florida. He was charming throughout and took a genuine interest in everyone's cars. The icing on the cake for me was at the conclusion of the event. I was trying to figure out how I could drive both my Lamborghinis the twenty minutes back to my garage when Valentino volunteered that he would be delighted to drive my 400GT for me. Perhaps this was because my car, being a 1966 car, actually predates his start at the factory so was one of the few he hadn't driven before. In any event, he definitely did not seem to have lost his pace as I chased after him in the Miura for several miles. A great memory.
PS, for the avoidance of doubt, the two people standing next to Valentino are just random strangers!
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/ig1U4Rt9[/url]
PS, for the avoidance of doubt, the two people standing next to Valentino are just random strangers!
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/ig1U4Rt9[/url]rich888 said:
The red Countach is perfection in my eyes, E reg so must be around 1988, it just looks so right.
And apologies but I do struggle replying to multiple posts so apologies if I missed anything, though need to say the photos are beautiful. Thank you.
The pics you posted earlier of the Alfa Romeo Montreal are lovely as are the Bora, Urraco and Espada. I'm sure I purchased the small Osprey books but I do remember buying the 'Motorshow' magazine each year which used to list all the cars for that particular year and used to drool over the pics, am sure I still have them somewhere so must dig them out.
spikeyhead I'm not too sure about whether Cooper Cars morphed into Leicester Lamborghini but if so do hope they retrained the staff members because when I push-biked down from Nottingham which was quite a feat for a skinny teenager to take a look at the silver Countach not one staff member came out to me to even enquire what I was doing in the showroom, well apart from the receptionist who wandered over to me and bit my head off and told me not to touch the car, luckily for me one of their customers who was looking over a few other cars overheard the conversation and asked me if I wanted to take a look inside it, and lifted the door for me. Now what they didn't know was the reason for me push-biking down to see the Countach was the fact that a good friend of my Father's who purchased quite a few cars from them, had told me about the Countach and had suggested I took a look, so I did. Thinking back I should have just mentioned his name but at the time was far too timid for that. I took a few more pics at the time so will post them on here when I find them.
Ferruccio I don't think you should have mentioned 170mph on here or the BRAKE mob will have a hissy fit and Vic Sawyer will be getting a knock on his door by PC (politically correct) plod to discuss his past speeding activities, all said in jest of course. BTW, how do you know it was 170? tell us more. I remember reading an article in CAR mag of three Lambos in convoy overtaking a Jag that was flat out at 155mph, must have been a sight for sore eyes.
rat rod, if you purchased in 2006 you must have purchased the Countach at just the right time so well done for going for it, I remember reading about the Dutton Countach in one of the car mags shortly after he bought it, wasn't the number plate T00 5LOW or something like that. I didn't realise it was a 400S model so you bought yourself a true classic classic Countach if there is such an animal. Even parked up it looks like it's breaking the speed limit. Always think of the Canon Ball run and the speed safety campaigners so nothing has changed except they have become more hysterical.
I was lucky enough to meet up with the silver Countach again a few years later at one of the Carrera Sport meets at Goodwood and had a chat with the owner, and somehow managed a spin out in it a few months later as a passenger. I remember the drama involved with actually climbing into one for the first time, there's nothing quite like bringing the scissor doors down for pure unadulterated excitement, then the wait as the key is turned one notch and listening for the fuel pumps slowing before the engine roars into life. Bl**dy awesome...
To be honest I've not seen a Countach in the flesh since the last Carrera Sport meet I attended which must have been around 1993 which is a shame, though thanks to PH and the decent folks on here can still relive the dream.
Talk about multitasking. Yes got that one wright or did i. There's no Countach in the garage so maybe i didn't ",Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all " or is it "you don't miss what you never had" .Don't know what i'm talking about i'm a wreck, I was ok with it until i met you guys. PS .Ye T00 5LOW was on the Countach when Tim Dutton owned it and has recently been sold by Collecting Cars for £13.300 plus their commissionAnd apologies but I do struggle replying to multiple posts so apologies if I missed anything, though need to say the photos are beautiful. Thank you.
The pics you posted earlier of the Alfa Romeo Montreal are lovely as are the Bora, Urraco and Espada. I'm sure I purchased the small Osprey books but I do remember buying the 'Motorshow' magazine each year which used to list all the cars for that particular year and used to drool over the pics, am sure I still have them somewhere so must dig them out.
spikeyhead I'm not too sure about whether Cooper Cars morphed into Leicester Lamborghini but if so do hope they retrained the staff members because when I push-biked down from Nottingham which was quite a feat for a skinny teenager to take a look at the silver Countach not one staff member came out to me to even enquire what I was doing in the showroom, well apart from the receptionist who wandered over to me and bit my head off and told me not to touch the car, luckily for me one of their customers who was looking over a few other cars overheard the conversation and asked me if I wanted to take a look inside it, and lifted the door for me. Now what they didn't know was the reason for me push-biking down to see the Countach was the fact that a good friend of my Father's who purchased quite a few cars from them, had told me about the Countach and had suggested I took a look, so I did. Thinking back I should have just mentioned his name but at the time was far too timid for that. I took a few more pics at the time so will post them on here when I find them.
Ferruccio I don't think you should have mentioned 170mph on here or the BRAKE mob will have a hissy fit and Vic Sawyer will be getting a knock on his door by PC (politically correct) plod to discuss his past speeding activities, all said in jest of course. BTW, how do you know it was 170? tell us more. I remember reading an article in CAR mag of three Lambos in convoy overtaking a Jag that was flat out at 155mph, must have been a sight for sore eyes.
rat rod, if you purchased in 2006 you must have purchased the Countach at just the right time so well done for going for it, I remember reading about the Dutton Countach in one of the car mags shortly after he bought it, wasn't the number plate T00 5LOW or something like that. I didn't realise it was a 400S model so you bought yourself a true classic classic Countach if there is such an animal. Even parked up it looks like it's breaking the speed limit. Always think of the Canon Ball run and the speed safety campaigners so nothing has changed except they have become more hysterical.
I was lucky enough to meet up with the silver Countach again a few years later at one of the Carrera Sport meets at Goodwood and had a chat with the owner, and somehow managed a spin out in it a few months later as a passenger. I remember the drama involved with actually climbing into one for the first time, there's nothing quite like bringing the scissor doors down for pure unadulterated excitement, then the wait as the key is turned one notch and listening for the fuel pumps slowing before the engine roars into life. Bl**dy awesome...
To be honest I've not seen a Countach in the flesh since the last Carrera Sport meet I attended which must have been around 1993 which is a shame, though thanks to PH and the decent folks on here can still relive the dream.
Edited by rich888 on Sunday 21st June 23:06
Edited by rat rod on Tuesday 23 June 05:08
P5BNij said:
Quite a few posts overnight, what are we like...?
Here's that Montreal I mentioned, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw it and was glad I had my camera with me, one of just 104 RHD examples and a local Warwickshire based car....
I'm sitting here with a glass of wine pondering all sorts of notions about exotic Italian machinery, since I first joined PH I've posted in many different threads, be it classics or moderns, I've been through at least three phases of wanting a Porsche 914 / 928 / 996, but I always gravitate back to the glorious products of Italy and knocking on the door of my fiftyfifth birthday I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be staying, the passion never seems to wane no matter how much I veer from one marque to another and back again. I'm probably not alone in this, not by a long chalk! I remember buying the little Osprey books on the Espada, Urraco, Countach, Bora and Merak in the '80s, drooling over the pictures and lapping up the text like a kid in a sweet shop, I still have them now and get the same whistful feeling when I look through them.
Some more beauties from the NEC, these are from 2012....
Your house must be like a Library by now.first thing stop buying books, second thing me and ff are coming round and kidnapping you and your wallet and we are going car shopping. no kids, no mortgage you have no excuse .you need a Italian mistress in your life. Just remember the guy who sold his house and bought a brand new Countach in 1983 and lived in a caravan after,mine you he was probably single if not he probably is now.Here's that Montreal I mentioned, I was somewhat taken aback when I saw it and was glad I had my camera with me, one of just 104 RHD examples and a local Warwickshire based car....
I'm sitting here with a glass of wine pondering all sorts of notions about exotic Italian machinery, since I first joined PH I've posted in many different threads, be it classics or moderns, I've been through at least three phases of wanting a Porsche 914 / 928 / 996, but I always gravitate back to the glorious products of Italy and knocking on the door of my fiftyfifth birthday I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be staying, the passion never seems to wane no matter how much I veer from one marque to another and back again. I'm probably not alone in this, not by a long chalk! I remember buying the little Osprey books on the Espada, Urraco, Countach, Bora and Merak in the '80s, drooling over the pictures and lapping up the text like a kid in a sweet shop, I still have them now and get the same whistful feeling when I look through them.
Some more beauties from the NEC, these are from 2012....
bish_345 said:
I am also very much enjoying the pace of this thread as a change from some of the others on PH. I thought I'd upload pictures of a couple of classic Lambos I am lucky enough to have owned for quite a few years now. The Espada isn't mine but having had my attention drawn by this thread to the one at Iain Tyrell's I am sorely tempted to remedy this omission, though something else would have to go first!....I've also included photos of two other classic Italians. One (the Ghibli) is a recent addition and the other (the Iso Grifo) went a few years ago. And speaking of "classic Italians" you will no doubt recognise Mr. Balboni in the final photo. This was taken in 2007 at a small local Lamborghini owners meet in Florida. He was charming throughout and took a genuine interest in everyone's cars. The icing on the cake for me was at the conclusion of the event. I was trying to figure out how I could drive both my Lamborghinis the twenty minutes back to my garage when Valentino volunteered that he would be delighted to drive my 400GT for me. Perhaps this was because my car, being a 1966 car, actually predates his start at the factory so was one of the few he hadn't driven before. In any event, he definitely did not seem to have lost his pace as I chased after him in the Miura for several miles. A great memory.
PS, for the avoidance of doubt, the two people standing next to Valentino are just random strangers!
url]|https://thumbsnap.com/ig1U4Rt9[/url]
But are you happy! Bloody wright you are. lucky man ! enjoyPS, for the avoidance of doubt, the two people standing next to Valentino are just random strangers!
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/ig1U4Rt9[/url] rat rod said:
Talk about multitasking. Yes got that one wright or did i. There's no Countach in the garage so maybe i didn't ",Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all " or is it "you don't miss what you never had" .Don't know what i'm talking about i'm a wreck, I was ok with it until i met you guys.
Haha, at least you had the nerve to go for it...In the late 1990s I had the opportunity to buy the silver Countach twice, first time it was listed in the Sunday Times classified section so I contacted the owner who told me it had been stored in a museum for a few years, the guy had a penthouse overlooking Tower Bridge, from what I can remember I drove over Tower Bridge*, took the first left into a car-park, then proceeded over to the lift and up to the apartment where he showed me various receipts for the car. Am pretty sure there was a hosepipe ban on at the time. Anyway, we went down to the underground car-park and he drove it out for me to inspect, well it looked very disheveled and very unloved, his excuse for not washing it was the hosepipe ban, but come on, it just looked plain neglected compared to how I had last seen it gleaming in the last owners car park. He took me for a brief test drive but London being London we promptly got stuck in a traffic jam. You have to realise that it was very hot on this particular day and the aircon was about as much use as a chocolate teapot and it was at this point I discovered that Countach windows are more for show in that they only went down a few inches so weren't much use either. I think the car cooling system was getting a bit hot and bothered so he did a U turn in the road which was quite astounding considering we were in the middle of a traffic jam and the total lack of visibility and drove on further till going through a tunnel which sounded awesome as the sound bounced off the walls before heading back to the apartment where we discussed figures and I went off to think about whether I wanted to borrow some money to buy it, and foolishly decided against it. Instead I went off and bought a Range Rover and invested in technology shares ready for the stock market boom. A few weeks later the Countach appeared again in the Sunday Times but this time listed by a dealer at substantially less money, and it dawned on me that if the seller had dropped the price to somewhere close to what the dealer must have paid I would have ripped his hands off and bought the thing. Anyway it was too late because I had a nice shiny Range Rover on the driveway and I was sat on a large pot of technology shares awaiting the boom in the share values, and my goodness there was a boom in values, but not in the direction I had anticipated because the tech market crashed spectacularly, and then just when I thought it couldn't get any worse 9/11 happened, so my investments went spectacularly downwards and I lost nigh on everything. With hindsight I should have bought the damn thing and could have at least opened the garage door and polished it!
So the motto of the story is, if you see something you really like, go for it...
BTW, I kept the classified advert and the dealer listing for a few years before mislaying them. Don't suppose anyone on here keeps copies of the ads or has access to the Sunday Times archives?
EDIT: *Damn, I can't remember if it was London Bridge or Tower Bridge, was a long time ago!
Edited by rich888 on Monday 22 June 10:50
rat rod said:
....
Your house must be like a Library by now.first thing stop buying books, second thing me and ff are coming round and kidnapping you and your wallet and we are going car shopping. no kids, no mortgage you have no excuse .you need a Italian mistress in your life. Just remember the guy who sold his house and bought a brand new Countach in 1983 and lived in a caravan after,mine you he was probably single if not he probably is now.....
You're right of course rat rod, I need to do something about it and I'm actively working on it - tomorrow it'll be exactly three years since my Dad died very suddenly, I remember waking up the next day thinking to myself ''life's too bloody short.... treat yourself to something you really want before it's too late, something Dad would have loved'', he was just as much of a petrolhead as I am, we had so many plans to do things and go places like the Monaco GP, do a tour of Italy taking in the Lambo, Maser and Ferrari museums etc but sadly none of it came to pass. Now that the mortgage is out of the way I'm determined to get something special, I've been faffing about and prevaricating for far too long, it's only now that I'm anywhere near a position to do anything about it Your house must be like a Library by now.first thing stop buying books, second thing me and ff are coming round and kidnapping you and your wallet and we are going car shopping. no kids, no mortgage you have no excuse .you need a Italian mistress in your life. Just remember the guy who sold his house and bought a brand new Countach in 1983 and lived in a caravan after,mine you he was probably single if not he probably is now.....
Meanwhile - bish, here are some photos of your beautiful Ghibli at the NEC back in November 2012..... the Maserati Club stand was the highlight of the show for me, I kept going back to look at it several times throughout the whole weekend, it really was a feast for the eyes....
Edited by P5BNij on Monday 22 June 11:03
Edited by P5BNij on Monday 22 June 11:03
Edited by P5BNij on Monday 22 June 11:07
rich888 said:
rat rod said:
Talk about multitasking. Yes got that one wright or did i. There's no Countach in the garage so maybe i didn't ",Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all " or is it "you don't miss what you never had" .Don't know what i'm talking about i'm a wreck, I was ok with it until i met you guys.
Haha, at least you had the nerve to go for it...In the late 1990s I had the opportunity to buy the silver Countach twice, first time it was listed in the Sunday Times classified section so I contacted the owner who told me it had been stored in a museum for a few years, the guy had a penthouse overlooking Tower Bridge, from what I can remember I drove over Tower Bridge*, took the first left into a car-park, then proceeded over to the lift and up to the apartment where he showed me various receipts for the car. Am pretty sure there was a hosepipe ban on at the time. Anyway, we went down to the underground car-park and he drove it out for me to inspect, well it looked very disheveled and very unloved, his excuse for not washing it was the hosepipe ban, but come on, it just looked plain neglected compared to how I had last seen it gleaming in the last owners car park. He took me for a brief test drive but London being London we promptly got stuck in a traffic jam. You have to realise that it was very hot on this particular day and the aircon was about as much use as a chocolate teapot and it was at this point I discovered that Countach windows are more for show in that they only went down a few inches so weren't much use either. I think the car cooling system was getting a bit hot and bothered so he did a U turn in the road which was quite astounding considering we were in the middle of a traffic jam and the total lack of visibility and drove on further till going through a tunnel which sounded awesome as the sound bounced off the walls before heading back to the apartment where we discussed figures and I went off to think about whether I wanted to borrow some money to buy it, and foolishly decided against it. Instead I went off and bought a Range Rover and invested in technology shares ready for the stock market boom. A few weeks later the Countach appeared again in the Sunday Times but this time listed by a dealer at substantially less money, and it dawned on me that if the seller had dropped the price to somewhere close to what the dealer must have paid I would have ripped his hands off and bought the thing. Anyway it was too late because I had a nice shiny Range Rover on the driveway and I was sat on a large pot of technology shares awaiting the boom in the share values, and my goodness there was a boom in values, but not in the direction I had anticipated because the tech market crashed spectacularly, and then just when I thought it couldn't get any worse 9/11 happened, so my investments went spectacularly downwards and I lost nigh on everything. With hindsight I should have bought the damn thing and could have at least opened the garage door and polished it!
So the motto of the story is, if you see something you really like, go for it...
BTW, I kept the classified advert and the dealer listing for a few years before mislaying them. Don't suppose anyone on here keeps copies of the ads or has access to the Sunday Times archives?
EDIT: *Damn, I can't remember if it was London Bridge or Tower Bridge, was a long time ago!
Edited by rich888 on Monday 22 June 10:50
rat rod said:
170mph and it's not run in yet , that must have been a sight and sound .Does he always drive at those speeds ,you must tell me his secret for not getting caught . Is Piet Pulford the builder of the Miura Jotta,wow what a work of art. All great people with a passion.
As you know, it was so different in those days. I don’t think Vic had any special strategy. Yup - Piet has long been addicted to Miuras.
He was a like a drug dealer offering you your first hit for free to get you addicted.
He threw me the keys to a Miura once.
The first time I drove a Lambo, a Jalpa with a wing, with two rear view mirrors, one to look over the wing and one under, when I managed to work it out I saw flashing blue lights.
The policeman asked me how fast I was going.
I said that I was just on a test drive and that I had no idea.
We had a nice chat.
He told me that I was doing 56mph in a 40mph and sent me on my way......
I’ve still got that car.
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