1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000S

Sometimes, a car comes along that is just too good to overlook and in the name of finding the car a nice new home, you just kind of have to go for it.  That was the case with this outstanding 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000S. It had a fresh service and was sitting on brand new set of Pirellis and being represented as, “A stunning example of one of the finest machines Lamborghini ever produced. Lightly exercised moderately to preserve its full integrity with only 16,000KMs (9,941 miles)”.

This 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000S is just such a car. The car was being offered by a colleague in Southern California who had put a tid-bit or two about it on Instagram and no time was wasted contacting him to find out more.

As my friend is well known to have only top-quality cars, it was enough to get my attention so I got in touch him right away to inquire about the car and was pleased to learn I was the first to do so. And, while I’ve been known to go on rants about Instagram being essentially disposable information, it definitely served a purpose in this case and we were off and running.

As my friend relayed, the car belongs to a serious collector owner who happens to be an engineer and had the car virtually since new when he was gifted the car by his wife. The Instagram images were a bit cryptic, as they were made in the owner’s garage, they were mostly extreme close ups but with each passing image, the Countach really looked flawless, this was starting to look really encouraging.

The History.
Originally, the car was bought directly from Lamborghini S.p.A in Sant ‘Agata Bolognese, brokered by Auto Kremer in Austria and International Motor Imports in San Antonio, Texas on behalf of restaurant developer Philip Romano, famous for national brands such as Fuddrucker’s, Romano’s and Macaroni Grill, among others.

The Countach was then shipped by air from Austria and then by ship (“Mediterranean Highway 40”) to Houston to its new home with Mr. Romano. It was then federalized by Fairway Engineering in Torrance, California to conform with U.S. DOT and EPA requirements.
The car was then sold to the second owner with 4,200 kilometers (2,609 miles) and placed in climate-controlled storage in Houston, Texas until 2019 when it was permanently moved to Southern California.

The Deal.
On receiving some of the back story from my colleague, it was enough to show it to John here at Curated. John said, “Let’s get it now!”. That was all I needed to hear and the negotiations began. After stating our intentions in writing, the door was open and the next step was finding someone to inspect the car but this was no small task.

The car was located in a small town about three hours north of Los Angeles and finding someone to take a full day to go see a car proved to be a challenge. It took over a week before someone was found willing to go see the car on our behalf.

We anxiously waited for the report and inspection images to arrive. The time difference from L.A. to Miami wasn’t helping and the wait was unbearable, could the car really be as good as we think it is?

Late in the day, word finally arrived from the inspector that it may be the best 5000S he’s ever seen, calling it a “rock star” and “an EXTREME amount of documentation”, confirming what we were already suspecting that this car is a rare gem and perhaps taking its place as one of the best Countachs that has been located in the brief history of Curated.

Minus a couple of minor issues which are easily resolved, the car is flawless as represented. The level of love and detailed care the owner has given this car is truly astounding and he is to be commended for the way he has cared for this special car over the years.

An initial low-ball offer was made but not delivered to the owner, we were now getting into some serious territory. For sure, if we wanted this top shelf Countach 5000S, it wasn’t going to go cheap. Another offer closer to the owner’s asking price was made but rejected. We brought it this far and the owner had his number in mind and he was telling us that he was ready to consign the car to an auction, we formally agreed on his asking price and moved the deal forward.

The Arrival.
After waiting a week for the transporter to arrive from Southern California, the Countach rolled off the trailer and did not disappoint. A bit dusty from its long trip, it cleaned up nicely and the quality of the car was clear. Very much as advertised, everything just as it should be, in near perfect condition, the car started and ran readily with no smoke.

The inspector was right, the car is a “rock star” in every sense. The car’s presence is stunning in red with tan leather interior and definitely looks the part. The headliner remains is in perfect condition, no stains, sagging or discoloring. The interior and seats still have their original contour, showing no signs of pulling or tearing.

Likewise, the majority of the zinc and factory coatings on clamps, bolts and brackets are perfectly preserved. The original paint shows minor signs of cracking, shockingly well preserved and no major stone chips. The lights are all perfect, no signs of discoloration or scratches. The original Route OZ stickers still affixed to the stunning silver wheels. As expected, the tools are completely untouched and all together in original tool kit.

The 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000S features the more powerful 4.8 liter V-12 with the well-known side draft carburetors. The body work remained unaltered but it does have the flared wheel arches and huge rear wing. The car’s clean and aggressive stance represents among the last of the great Countachs before running boards and air inlets began to evolve in later versions.

This Countach #12703 is currently on display at the Curated showroom in downtown Miami. We are very proud of this car and have promised the owner that the next owner will be as passionate about its care and upkeep as he was.