1984 Lamborghini LP 500 S Countach

French historic registration title The 1971 Geneva Show was marked by the presentation of the latest product of Ferruccio Lamborghini’s genius, a concept car with breathtaking lines that would remain Marcello Gandini’s bravura piece; three years later, the car finally went into production, and was immediately erected as the ultimate symbol of the 1970s and 1980s; the replacement for the sumptuous Miura was called Countach and featured a 4-litre V12 developing 375 hp, enabling it to exceed 300 km/h... The model on display is part of the LP 500 S series, which was of considerable importance to Lamborghini: the year was 1980, and the Mimran brothers bought the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm, which was in economic ruin at the time. Engineer Giulio Alfieri (the man behind the Maserati 250F, Birdcage, 3500 GT Ghibli and others) was promoted to Managing Director and given the task of restoring Lamborghini to its former splendour! To do this, he tackled the Countach’s mechanicals: to make the car easier to drive, he increased the engine’s displacement from 4 litres to 4.8 litres and obtained more torque; the result was an agile car that was easier to drive, and its commercial success was immediate, surpassing the factory’s capacity. Our example is the 25th LP 500 S produced, and was delivered new to Germany in July 1982 in this white-on-white combination, with the optional spoiler; the car was bought in 1988 by a collector in Nancy, who registered it in the Alpes-Maritimes as 9984 XA 06; he would enjoy it very little (106 km in 4 years according to Histovec) and sold it in 2001 to its current owner, who would cover almost 31,000 km in 23 years Today, this car has a beautiful patina: the paintwork has aged and shows a few blemishes, and the original interior shows a few traces of use from a Countach that has covered 56,000 km; during our test drive, we were struck by the ease with which this car can be driven and by its roadworthiness, made possible by the regular maintenance that its owner has offered it over the last 23 years Undoubtedly the most legendary car of the 1980s, here in a highly desirable version that combines European origin with a ‘white on white’ colour scheme made iconic by the film The Wolf of Wall Street; not to be missed...