I have long considered the Lamborghini Countach to be a poster car of the 1980s. By that, I mean that tens of thousands of teenagers across the globe had a picture of one hanging on their bedroom wall as they dreamed of the day they might slip behind the wheel. This Countach emerged during that decade and isn’t any old Italian classic. This is a 1989 25th Anniversary, considered by many the most potent example of the Italian exotic. It has a genuine 17,900 miles on the clock, and recently underwent a thorough and expensive service. The Countach is ready to head to a new home where it will provide a lucky buyer with unforgettable motoring pleasure.
The Countach created a sensation when Lamborghini unveiled it at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show as a planned replacement for the iconic Miura. Its wedge styling was designed to be aerodynamically efficient to maximize performance, and there was something clean and pure about its appearance. It finally reached production in 1974 and remained on sale until 1990. The Countach was wild in its original form, but the evolution of this badge saw it grow wings and scoop which pushed that impression to a far higher level. The company enlisted the help of Horacio Pagani to style the 25th Anniversary version. He enlarged some of these features and added strakes, which were a design feature on the Ferrari Testarossa. Our feature car is a European version, meaning it doesn’t feature the larger bumpers required by American regulations. Its Bianco paint adds a slight touch of subtlety, but it is still guaranteed to turn heads. The paint shines beautifully, the panels are laser-straight, and the enormous 15″ OZ racing wheels fill the wheel wells perfectly. There is no evidence of rust, and this Countach has no cosmetic needs.
Lamborghini might have focused on aerodynamic efficiency with the Countach’s body, but it didn’t show any restraint with the drivetrain. It features a mid-mounted 5.2-liter V12 that sends its power to the road via a five-speed manual transaxle. Because this is a Euro-spec car, it features a brace of Weber carburetors, rather than Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. These cars produced more power than their North American siblings, placing 449hp and 369 ft/lbs of torque at the driver’s disposal. Was the 25th Anniversary fast? The ¼-mile journey should take 12.4 seconds, and the V12 will eventually run out of breath at 185mph. Therefore, I think the answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes!” The new owner will slip behind the wheel of a classic that is a turnkey proposition with 17,900 miles on the clock. The seller recently spent an eye-watering $40,000 on a comprehensive inspection and service, leaving nothing for the buyer to do but hit the key and have some fun.
The Countach might be a high-performance exotic, but the first owner’s decision to trim the interior in Cream leather provides a luxurious feel. The Black carpet and matching wheel leather provide a welcome contrast, and the overall condition is consistent with a pampered classic with a low odometer reading. There is no visible wear, and there is only some slight stretching on the seat bases that indicate it has seen active service. The car features air conditioning, which is significant because the Countach doesn’t enjoy a reputation for excellent cabin ventilation. The buyer also receives power windows, power seats, and an upgraded Alpine stereo.
The Lamborghini Countach probably remains one of the wildest of the exotics that emerged during the 1970s and 1980s. The styling wasn’t subtle in its original form, but the scoops and spoilers pushed it to a higher level. Only 657 examples of the 25th Anniversary rolled from the factory before production ended in 1990. This 1989 model is a stunning example of the breed that the seller has listed here on eBay in Champlain, New York. Unsurprisingly, someone will need to part with a serious stack of cash before it finds a new home. They set their BIN at $849,900, with the option to make an offer. I can only sit and dream about parking it in my garage. Do you feel the same?
$849k? Good one, i would guess this would be a no sale in a Mecum or B&J auction.
So, I’m watching TV auctions, this time from sunny Monterey, and it’s clear where the auction is, is a determining factor in the types and prices. The last auction was in good old, blue collar Harrisburg, Pa. You could take a 0 off the Monterey prices, and very few exotics in the Pa. auction. The Monterey auction was inundated with cars like this, all fetching an alleged half a mil, or more. I’m looking at these bidders, some are a lackey for rich folks that attending an auction is too far below them, but some look like regular folks. Okay, they clearly have the money, A POCKET FULL, and come heck or high water, they aren’t leaving without it. Moral of story, if you want a deal, and most folks that attend this site do, might want to stay clear of Cal. or Texas. I suggest Kansas City.
This,,,um, car? It’s not unlike a really fast motorcycle that will do the speed limit in 2nd gear, you really need that?
The auctions in Monterey have always focused on exotics and other high end cars especially those with a racing background. It’s part of the Monterey Historic races that covers 10 days and includes a concours. The just concluded Hot August Nights and their auctions are more representative the types of cars typically featured on this site.
Steve R
Howard, I have attended the Harrisburg Mecum multiple times, and I try to hit the Kissimmee one each year. Everyone is always griping about the prices at these auctions without realizing how nice these cars actually are. I rarely buy but simply go to enjoy the very best car show one could ever hope to attend. We missed Harrisburg this year, but if it was anything like last year, values were down simply because of the quality of the cars. They all look good on TV, but up close you could see all kinds of poor quality work right down to sanding scratches under the paint on many cars. One GTO was actually wrapped red over the worst bondo you’ve ever seen. Sold to an online bidder who thought he got a smoking deal.
These days there are 4 cyls with that much HP, 850k……uhmmmmmmm Nope.
Where’s the LOL button? You don’t buy these for the performance. You buy them for the status and history.
The anniversary one always ruined the clean lines of the original. It wasn’t this car we all had a poster of, but the red OG one. And that woman tennis player scratching her bum, naturally.
I too prefer the early cars, not that I will ever be able to buy one, lol, I’m too tall anyways
How many mfg designed a car and then figured out it was unstable at speed, slapped a wing on the back, and somehow the car looked better? 🤣🤣🤣
A bunch, I think.
I recall reading a Car and Driver article regarding the Countach rear wing. It was a $15k (or some such) option that took 10mph (or some such) off of the top speed. The cleaver author labeled it the least expensive performance enhancement he’d ever reviewed!
NOT opting for the wing, that is.
Maths aint mathing. 1989-1974= 15 years not 25.
Maybe it’s in kilometer years. Or vice-versa.
Anyway you look at it, a guy could buy a whole collection of Kool cars that you would want to drive…..daily..wow.
1989 minus 25 years is 1964 when the first Lamborghini hit the market
Jerry, you might want to fact check your years.
First Lamborghini was shown in Geneva 1971. First production was 1974. 89 minus 74 = 15.
Yeah, I agree, I don’t know where they’re getting the 25rh anniversary deal. Unless they are using the Miura history. I don’t have a clue.
Even if they went back to 1971 it doesn’t compute…? ?
25th anniversary refers to the first car Lamborghini produced: The 1964 350GT
Watching Mecum on TV now-12:00 PM in Arizona and the identical car just sold for &325,000.00.
The thing I don’t get, is the one just before the white one, a same year black one sold for over $500grand. What, the white one wasn’t good enough?
The black one had something like 5,000 miles on it, the white one was the one the owner drove and had something like 30,000 miles on it. I thought the white one looked better, though.
I saw it too, but it is in Monterey, not Arizona Yesterday, 8/17/24
I’d feel like a jerk driving this thing, give me a sixties Ferrari with conventional doors any day.
This listing ended on Fri, Aug 23 at 7:41 PM. No sale