It’s difficult to think of a car more iconic than a Lamborghini Countach, and the 25th anniversary model was perhaps the ultimate expression of one of the 1980s most memorable supercars. Like any final editions of significant vehicles, many owners have put these anniversary Countaches into car bubbles since they were new, only using them to drive to car shows or to the specialist show. I don’t think this example offered by Lamborghini of Montreal has even done that much driving, as the mileage is listed as being just 83 original miles. You’ll find this truly time-warp example here on CarScoops and thanks to Barn Finds reader Richard H. for the find.
The 25th Anniversary editions were a love-it-or-hate-it affair, as the package took the clean shape of the 5000 QV and added numerous spoilers, air dams, air inlets, flares, and other scoops to feed large quantities of cool air into the engine compartment. While many of the enhancements were functional, there are some members of the Lamborghini community that felt it went too far in terms of distorting the original lines of the car. Most photos will show you that the LP400 – the original production car – was downright graceful and not at all the in-your-face supercar that the 25th anniversary models had become.
Styling preferences aside, there’s no denying this is as close as you’re going to get to buying a brand new Countach in the year 2020. With the plastic still on the seats and console, it seems likely the interior shows next to no signs of wear and tear. The seller doesn’t provide much in the way of information about the overall health of the car, but one can assume an example like this that was intentionally preserved to such a high degree received the usual assortment of ongoing and preventative maintenance an Italian exotic like this usually demands. And with that, the seller is seeking a big payday for his commitment to preserving the Countach: $799,900 CAD, or a little under $565K US.
The mileage reading is in KMs, not miles, so don’t get fooled into thinking the seller is misrepresenting the distance traveled. The price tag is eye-watering, but how many Countach 25th anniversary cars come up for sale all that often? And ones with display-only mileage? It’s a pretty small pool to choose from, for sure, but a huge price tag for a car that will likely still never be driven given how much value is tied up in its lack of use. Honestly, I can appreciate wanting to own the best or most pure, but I’d also say that owning a nicely preserved example that can still be driven regularly would be a priority, rather than a car that you’re afraid to drive on even the most mundane excursions.
As suspected, part of the John Scotti group of dealerships in Montreal. Checkout his web pages if you have a few hours to kill. He has an amazing collection of cars for sale.
Unreal….but I have to ask, what would one do with it other than sit and stare at it? If you drove it, I would assume the rate of depreciation would be pretty rapid (no pun intended).
But, if one has the cash to burn, go for it.
If I was the seller, I would contact Lamborghini to see if they want to buy it. Belongs in their museum IMO.
My dream car ! By far ! I’ve always said this would be it. Anniversary Model or not. This is the car ! And with the highways all barrien right now. LOOK OUT ! If course I would like driving to average 1000 miles a year. Wonder how it would do compared to my son’s 2006 Vette 🤔
Amazing but man. I can’t help but feel this was a huge waste of enjoyment, and money. These had an MSRP of $145,000 in 1989. Most actually sold for a lot more than that but, to use that number for discussion purposes, that’s $302,000 in today’s money.
So if he gets the $565k he’s looking for, he will make a $263k profit, minus insurance and storage costs – which couldn’t have been insubstantial given the condition the car is in. Still, that sounds good! I’d take that right about now!
But consider if he had put that $145k into a mutual fund back in 1989, he’d have $1.575 million if the fund gave a modest 8% annual average return. And he’d probably have closer to $2 million if he added the insurance and storage costs to the fund over the years also. Plus, according to Hemmings, these were hot when new, and sold for tens of thousands over, and in some cases even double, the MSRP in the real world.
Lesson – drive the cars! It is very rare that just salting a car away like this will make any sense.
Can we assume you have read a paper or heard some news about a small blip in the markets recently? His $2,000,000 mutual fund might be down 50%.
Yup, and he’d still be a half million ahead even if he panic sold lol!!! OMG seeelllllll!!!
I wish I had your fortune-telling ability. Life is good when you look in the rear-view mirror all day.
Off topic but I ironically won a blue one of these with white leather interior in Gran Turismo Sport. Just raced it last night in the first two races of Clubman Cup (Nurburgring GP/F and Kyoto Driving Park). It was very fun to drive. Very stable on the track!
My guess if you had the equiv. of 300K to spend and just sit on, you prob had a heck of a lot more money then this anyway. Profit, no profit, matters not. Plus, bet he or she had other toys at the time, still does. These kind of people live in a different world than you and I, can’t compare lives. Apples and oranges my friend.
Absolutely correct, I look at this car and it makes me sad. It’s a concrete lion at the end of a driveway, never going to prowl, hunt or even make a peep.
well for your information sir, john scotti group is a high end multi dealership in montreal quebec canada, he also sells classic cars, so do your home work before you jump to conclusions, and besides he is not hurting for money he has several dealerships in quebec
His collections are worth millions Canadian or USD. Have you ever seen the ones he had parked outside under an Autoroute overpass.?
This unit beckons to be exercised…would certainly provide excitement for the next meticulous custodian… 👍
LS transplant, and some flamed paint? No, a 350 with a 671 blower!
👍 lol my kinda guy 😎
Wow though. A work of art!
Why just look at it? People with this kind of money buy half million dollar cars and drive them all the time and those probably depreciate a lot faster than this one. At this point in time, the performance is beyond fully useable, so it’s about what car do you enjoy, and I think I would enjoy this car more than some of the newer multi six figure cars. On a tiny, tiny fraction of this scale, commensurate with my net worth, I have a well preserved 69 Corvette convertible that is essentially a daily driver. It brings me more joy, dollar for dollar and mile for mile, that anything else I could have bought in the price range. When it’s done, I’m sure I will make a similar decision when replacing it.
Yes, a car is a car. You buy it to enjoy. I guess if you just want to look at it and drink a beer that’s fine too. Knew an old man there’s bought a 69 super bee and road runner both set in the garage. In 79 he fired then up for us that was when I first saw them, less than 50 miles on both. That’s cool. But if get more pleasure driving them. And then rebuild the engine when worn out if it came to that. People with these cars have $$$ to throw around here may have 1/2 dozen that he tools around in and this not his favorite. If I could only live my life they this same era and do it differently. Yes, if have one or 2 😏
On the practical side- if you did want to drive this beauty, you would have to consider that it has sat for 30 years. Since normal maintenance is so horrific on these normally, I cant imagine what you would go thru bringing it back to a useable status. Guess if you have the scratch to buy it, you would have it to maintain it. Good luck getting 800 large for it!
Stay safe and washa you hands
Cheers
GPC
My thoughts too. Unless the engine has been run regularly there must be a lot of dry seals and gaskets, would you not think? Is stuff like that an engine out service in one of these vehicles? Seller is one of probably only two Lamborghini dealers in eastern Canada – he could probably do the service pre-sale. Or would this be considered making the vehicle non-original?
Aye, Moncton- I was thinking the samething- ya cant have your cake andn eat it, too. Once you do the maintenance???? The very tired cliche’ “they are only original once”–and the dealer selling should know this.
Cheers
GPC
Shoot. This car is really stuck in limbo. I mean, it’s cool, but not cool enough to keep it wrapped in plastic. In reality no car should be wrapped in plastic (never driven). Well, If I had the money, or Jay Leno’s air conditioned garage, I would love to have a 356 America Roadster with zero miles on it in my living room, to drool over (or something else. lol). Unlike a trophy gal (or guy), this will only get better with time. So this situation presents quite a conundrum. If I had bank, to hell with it. I’d drive the h*ll out of it. To heck with the haters.
Lambos do not take well to long term hibernation… their engines are meant to be run…a lot. Expect the more money than brains club will have to replace every engine and trans seal possible. The old Bizzarini designed V12 is well known for its reliability and low maintenance when run regularly
The most hideous front bumper ever affixed to car.
Take a look at the Lamborghini Montreal website. They have a red 1990 Countach with a completely different from bumper.Maybe the black one has a USA mandated bumper set up?
No one has mentioned how difficult they are to back up in the show Counting Cars on the History Channel the guy that owned the car had to open the driver side door and lean out so it could be backed into the garage.
Installing a modern back up camera is pretty easy and eliminates this issue. Back in the day it was a problem
Just outside Monaco there used to be a disco named Jimmy’s. The teenager sons of filthy rich daddies would come to Jimmy’s in flocks. All with Countaches. The valet parking service boys were very much to parking these wild bulls. And they didn’t bother to get in the driver seat. The sort of got in half, sat on the doorsil with the doir high up and would park in backwards with as much throttle as they could handle. Wild sound, amazing sight !
This one is beautiful. I wouldn’t drive it though. I sold a 84 in 2017 for 498 and it had 4400 miles on it.
Those horrible front bumpers are US-specified to meet the crash standards.
How is this a “barn find”?
@Jerry Brentnell,
Good point my friend. I notice quite a few comments that manage to slip the old fact check counter…I would love to see the next custodian of this exotic do it justice and enjoy driving it.
I guess that given this guy owns dealerships he might hold it as stock which might mean tax advantages?
Therefore some of the assumptions might not apply.
That’s how I would play it.
The owner is clearly smarter, richer, and probably has a better haircut than anybody on this site, including me.
The tax thing is for sure. There’s literally nothing most business owners don’t gain some sort of tax write off from. I know. My bean counter used to write off my haircuts. lol. I’m sure Karma will catch up with me, but my mind set has changed so I’m doing my best, especially now. Speaking of haircuts, Ike I think smarter may be a stretch, but from his taste in cars, he probably rocks a mullet.
I,d trade it off for a four door. Easier to get in .To get a smile on one,s face. Not much use for me.Couldn,t drive it over any railroad tracks. No room inside.Hard to get in and out. Yeah, I,d have to have an old vehicle I knew how to tinker on. Something I could use. Not look at. Theirs alot of places this car would be use -less. If I had that kind of money. I,d help the less fortunate kids . Who need help with their health problems,food,shelter. Sale it and make kids happy–seeing their smiles is what would make me happy.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation lessons would make us all happy, Johnny.
Nice comment, Johnny. So nice I don’t care about the grammar.