This 25th Anniversary Lamborghini Countach has covered just 6,300km | GRR
Race Retro is an integral event in any classic motoring fan’s fixtures. Held every February, it welcomes hundreds of exquisite cars from yesteryear, with – for a well-heeled few – the opportunity to buy one (or some) at the Silverstone auction.
Naturally, we’ve been scouring the auction catalogue, dribbling over vehicles that we can only ever dream of owning, and top of our list is this incredible 25th Anniversary Lamborghini Countach.
First seen at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, the Countach soon became the poster car of the 1980s, coveted by teenage boys everywhere and owned by a lucky few. In 1988, to celebrate Lamborghini’s quarter century, the Italian manufacturer created the Horatio Pagani-styled 25th Anniversary edition – the most expensive Lamborghini ever at the time. 400 were scheduled for production, but a further 258 were built.
With the widest tyres among any production car of its time, the Anniversary edition featured Pirelli 225/50 rubbers at the front and 345/35 at the rear, in order to be able to cope with the power from the 5.2-litre V12. The model going to auction next month is one of just a handful in right-hand-drive specification.
It was ordered new in Arancio Miura Orange by the current owner, who also owns one of the earliest Countaches, a 1975 LP400 Periscopio. The colour is unique among the Anniversary models, for the buyer requested it be finished in the same colour as his LP400, no longer a factory option.
In more than 30 years since new, the car has covered just 6,390km. After going into storage in 1995, in June 2017 it received a full recommissioning by Colin Clarke Engineering, Lamborghini specialists, at a cost of £17,600.
“This is a remarkable car; I couldn’t believe it when I saw it,” Silverstone Auctions Specialist Lionel Abbott commented. To have one of these cars in this condition and with the story of how it came to be in this colour is few and far between. This is certainly a car for a specialist collector.”
Included with the model is a host of original document and recommissioning documents, spare keys, Lamborghini driving gloves and a bespoke car cover. Fancy bidding? The Race Retro auction will be held on the 22nd and 23rd February. Bring a credit card.