The Lamborghini Countach is the car that broke barriers, records, and traditions. Now, almost half a century since it was unveiled, it still makes people stare and sigh in admiration. Three generations grew up staring at this poster car.

18 photos
Photo: RM Sotheby’s

Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted a successor for the Miura, which was starting to show its age. It could no longer keep up with the new kid in town, Ferrari’s Daytona. Ferruccio loved spacious, comfortable cars. But he read between the lines when it came to the potential of a vehicle that would be raw and radical. So he decided to greenlight just about everything his engineer Massimo Parenti and designer Marcello Gandini from Bertone came up with.

And this is how the Countach came to life as a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car in 1974, four years after the team started the project condemned ‘LP112.’ It was Lamborghini’s first car with a name that was not bull fights-related. The name originated from the word ‘contacc,’ which is actually an exclamation of astonishment in the Piedmontese language, spoken in Northwest Italy.

Fast forward to 1988, and Lamborghini rolled out the Countach 25th Anniversary Edition to mark the company’s quarter century. Unveiled at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, it was a car redesigned by Horacio Pagani. Yes, that Horacio Pagani, who went on to found the Pagani Automobili in 1992. Photo: RM Sotheby’s

It came with enlarged and extended rear air-box intake ducts that would help with the aerodynamics. The secondary pair of debossed ducts, originally placed further behind them, were relocated directly on top, integrating restyled fins now positioned longitudinally rather than transversely for better airflow. Horacio Pagani came up with a rear bumper extending outwardly for a more aggressive style.

Intentionally or not, these mods seemed to mirror Ferrari Testarossa’s design, which was, indeed, a good engine cooling solution. The 25th Anniversary remained in production until 1990, when it was retired to make room for the Diablo.

The 25th Anniversary Edition came as one of the most extreme cars of its generation and as the quickest of the Lamborghinis up until that moment. It ran from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 183 mph (295 kph). It was powered by a 5.2-liter V12 engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The power plant generated 449 horsepower (455 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm).

The Americans loved the Countach from the very start, with the United States being the biggest market for the Italian carmaker. Yet the car did not meet the regulations regarding safety and emission in force in the US and Canada. But the Americans bought it anyway and eventually paid to modify them in compliance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and United States Department of Transportation in what was called the ‘grey market era.’ Photo: RM Sotheby’s

But the car that we have right here, chassis number 12999, has never set wheels on American soil, so it is as clean as it rolled off the assembly line in Sant’Agata Bolognese as one of the 657 25th Anniversary examples built between 1988 and 1990. It is a rare right-hand drive example, first delivered in the UK.

It is finished in Metallic Black over a White leather interior, as its first owner specced it and got it delivered on April 21, 1990, in Somerset, UK, via Portman Lamborghini. Registered G763VYR, the Lambo received its first service a month later, as the accompanying invoices show. Two months later, it had already covered 3,557 kilometres (2,210 miles) and needed a paint rectification on the front spoiler, bonnet, left front wing, engine cover, and rear panel.

Despite being delivered to the UK, there is a dual read speedometer on board, showing the speed in both miles and kilometers, but the odometer only displays nearly 19,200 kilometers, which translates into 11,930 miles.

The second owner purchased the car in 1992 and went for a sports exhaust system for more acoustic drama. In July 1993, following a visit to the service at 14,109 kilometers (8,767 miles), the Countach got several ignition components replaced. Photo: RM Sotheby’s

In 2013, the Lamborghini was imported to Hong Kong, where it was registered in early fall and has remained in the state ever since, undergoing maintenance at Lamborghini Hong Kong. It needed a differential oil refresh on February 26, 2016, as well as the replacement of the rear axle seals and exhaust system later on, in August.

It changed hands once again in 2020 and is now ready to do it again. It is offered without reserve via RM Sotheby’s Sealed and is expected to fetch between $350,000 and $450,000 on October 2. Last year, 25the Anniversary Countachs sold for way more than that, going above the $600,000 mark. When new, the special edition could be driven home by anyone who would pay around $100,000.