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a007apl
11-27-2001, 12:47 PM
New photos in;
http://lambor.hoops.ne.jp

a007apl
11-28-2001, 06:29 AM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by a007apl
[B]New photos in:
www.lamborghiniregistry.com

a007apl
12-02-2001, 06:17 AM
Originally posted by a007apl
[QUOTE]Originally posted by a007apl
[B]New photos in:
www.lamborghiniregistry.com
Last Update in this site:11/29/2001(New Photo!)

a007apl
12-02-2001, 12:34 PM
www.lamborghiniclub.ch
Last Update:11/29/2001

a007apl
12-02-2001, 07:50 PM
www.countach.cc

a007apl
12-04-2001, 08:32 PM
New photos in:
www.lamborghiniregistry.com

a007apl
12-12-2001, 08:47 PM
15 pic's in:
http://mesonpi.cat.cbpf.br/joao/nfs3/countach/countach.htm
Photos of the Need for SpeedIII(the best game of sporcars)

a007apl
12-12-2001, 08:52 PM
Who to want to play "Need For Speed" in network.
I run with the :devil: SV!

a007apl
12-13-2001, 06:46 PM
www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/lancia/58/countach/countach_1.htm

a007apl
12-14-2001, 06:02 PM
http://members.tripod.com/~macsautobody/gallery.html

a007apl
12-14-2001, 07:02 PM
Originally posted by a007apl
Who to want to play "Need For Speed" in network.
I run with the :devil: SV!
Need For Speed?(4)
Looking all lambos in:
www.nd4spd.de/nfs4/cars.php3?action=showcar&marke=lamborghini

nsx1164
12-16-2001, 10:01 AM
Check some pictures and specs out at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/7099/lc25.html

Enjoy!

a007apl
12-16-2001, 10:29 AM
Originally posted by nsx1164
Check some pictures and specs out at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/7099/lc25.html

Enjoy!
yes!
Now I jump to:
www.fortunecity.com/olympia/senna/242/25th.html

a007apl
12-16-2001, 07:39 PM
Originally posted by nsx1164
Check some pictures and specs out at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/7099/lc25.html

Enjoy!
Visit my homepage of Countach in:
http://community.webshots.com/album/27197967vEfbDJhrPV

a007apl
12-16-2001, 08:55 PM
Originally posted by a007apl

Need For Speed?(4)
Looking all lambos in:
www.nd4spd.de/nfs4/cars.php3?action=showcar&marke=lamborghini
Or:
http://www.nfssd.all2race.gamigo.de/lambor.html
Doawnloads de cars & Play The Need For Speed IV!!

a007apl
12-16-2001, 09:17 PM
Originally posted by a007apl

Or:
http://www.nfssd.all2race.gamigo.de/lambor.html
Doawnloads de cars & Play The Need For Speed IV!!
For NFS III:
http://nfs.sports-gaming.com/nfs3editedcars.shtml

a007apl
12-16-2001, 09:50 PM
Originally posted by a007apl

For NFS III:
http://nfs.sports-gaming.com/nfs3editedcars.shtml
and:
http://www.dippold.org/nfs/nfaj/deutsch/CARSL.HTM

a007apl
12-17-2001, 05:45 AM
Originally posted by nsx1164
Check some pictures and specs out at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/7099/lc25.html

Enjoy!
Look this Site:
http://heritageclassics.com/lamborghini/89countach/Page.html

a007apl
12-17-2001, 06:52 AM
Originally posted by a007apl
New photos in;
http://lambor.hoops.ne.jp
Last UpDate:12/16/2001

a007apl
12-17-2001, 07:41 AM
Originally posted by nsx1164
Check some pictures and specs out at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/7099/lc25.html

Enjoy!
Enjoy this Animation:
http://www.denbeauvais.com/three_d/3d_images/lambo_images/large/lambospin.gif

a007apl
12-20-2001, 08:01 PM
http://www.blueprint69.com/Lamborghini/lambocountach.htm
1971
http://www.blueprint69.com/Lamborghini/lambolp500.htm
LP500

a007apl
12-21-2001, 06:58 AM
http://sport.auto.free.fr/detailphoto.php3?zl_id=452&zl_idMD=111
25A
http://sport.auto.free.fr/detailphoto.php3?zl_id=1081&zl_idMD=353
500SQ
http://sport.auto.free.fr/detailphoto.php3?zl_id=451&zl_idMD=104
LP400S

a007apl
12-21-2001, 04:41 PM
http://www.denbeauvais.com/three_d/index_2.html

a007apl
12-21-2001, 06:04 PM
http://www.blaise27.demon.co.uk/lambo/archives/countch.htm

a007apl
12-23-2001, 05:57 AM
http://www.aikis.or.jp/~tosynari/countach01.html
Virtual Countach pics

a007apl
12-23-2001, 06:15 AM
Originally posted by a007apl
http://www.aikis.or.jp/~tosynari/countach01.html
Virtual Countach pics
Other site
http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~break/cars/CARcountachJ.html

a007apl
12-23-2001, 06:54 AM
http://www.stud.uni-giessen.de/~st3752/htm/elambo.html

a007apl
12-23-2001, 08:08 AM
Originally posted by a007apl
http://www.denbeauvais.com/three_d/index_2.html
http://www.sysops.clara.net/lambo1.htm

a007apl
12-23-2001, 02:16 PM
http://www.toyshop.com.au/brochures/featcars/lambo.htm
Virtual Showroom

a007apl
12-23-2001, 03:12 PM
Originally posted by a007apl

http://www.sysops.clara.net/lambo1.htm
http://www.spworld.demon.co.uk/countach.htm

a007apl
12-23-2001, 07:47 PM
Originally posted by a007apl

http://www.spworld.demon.co.uk/countach.htm
http://www.digitalproducer.com/images/behzad_lamborghini.jpg

a007apl
12-24-2001, 01:20 AM
http://www.port.venice.it/events/ruote/0.jpg

a007apl
12-24-2001, 07:11 AM
This is mad
http://www.rdmcars.com/lam-red.jpg

a007apl
12-24-2001, 07:28 AM
http://www.art.com/asp/display-asp/_/NV--1_1836_6263/PG--11/1.asp
Search Lamborghini and go to 10 of Countach and 2 of the Diablo

a007apl
12-26-2001, 05:56 PM
http://directcon.net/wander/PolLamCount.html

a007apl
12-27-2001, 06:11 AM
http://www.hallmark-cars.com/o10.jpg

a007apl
12-27-2001, 02:46 PM
http://nationwidepicturecars.com:8080/nwpc/Members/car?Catalog=la701984&shootzip=
http://nationwidepicturecars.com:8080/nwpc/Members/car?Catalog=la502987

a007apl
12-28-2001, 04:42 AM
http://www.go.to/monstertruck

a007apl
12-28-2001, 07:54 AM
http://tera.teralink.com/~rayk/20001103/lamborghini-back.jpg
http://tera.teralink.com/~rayk/20001103/lamborghini-front.jpg
http://tera.teralink.com/~rayk/20001103/lamborghini-hood.jpg
http://tera.teralink.com/~rayk/20001103/lamborghini-side.jpg

a007apl
12-28-2001, 05:41 PM
http://www.motionalmemories.com/1975-Lamborghini-Countach.htm
http://www.motionalmemories.com/Lamborghini-Countach-red.htm

a007apl
01-04-2002, 05:48 AM
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/lancia/58/countach/countach_6.htm#LP400

a007apl
01-06-2002, 05:16 AM
http://www.motorcities.com/contents/00B9J370726462.html

a007apl
01-06-2002, 06:40 AM
:)

a007apl
01-07-2002, 09:05 PM
:)

a007apl
01-08-2002, 07:12 AM
Detail

a007apl
01-10-2002, 07:29 AM
:)

a007apl
01-10-2002, 05:10 PM
"Speaking about adversity, they say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. In the late Sixties, Ferruccio Lamborghini was enduring a string of adversity, despite the fact that his Miura was the darling of the automotive press. Though once honored by Italy's president as a "Knight of Labor," a title that brought with slightly more esteem than being named a "Kentucky Colonel," his manufacturing plants were plagued by long and ruinous strikes. Communist agitation was everywhere, and the streets were often stained by the chianti red of rioters' blood.

Closer to home, the Lamborghini Miura seemed a victim of its own success, like a precocious child that can't quite adjust to adulthood. It was a car that was rushed into production before it could be properly sorted out, and, thus, the first round of buyers became loud, complaining "development drivers," a job they certainly did not want to pay for. In addition to the typical exoticar teething problems, the Miura had four very definite shortcomings:

The first was its backbone or, rather, it's lack thereof. Chief engineer Giampaolo Dallara designed the Miura's monocoque tub out of welded-up sheet steel. It seemed an excellent way to save weight, but, in practice, the chassis flexed much more than was desirable. When combined with corrosion over the years, a Miura chassis could actually fall apart during a hard maneuver.

Hard maneuvers could also cause the oil to slosh in the pan to the point the oil pickup would suck air. This had a devastatingly deleterious effect on the V-12's main bearings, and, of course, pulling the transverse engine from a Miura had about as much appeal as pulling one's own teeth without Novocain.

Another shortcoming was the relationship of the Miura's rear suspension geometry to its decidedly aft weight bias. (Some 58 percent of the vehicle's 2800-pound weight rested on its rear tires.) Early Miuras were known to transition in a flash from benign understeer to rapid oversteer, a trait that left many wealthy Miura owners white-knuckled and, perhaps, one or two of them dead.

The final shortcoming was front-end lift, a factor that seems the bane of the "pretty" car. The Miura's attractively curved nose proved to be an effective airfoil, lifting the front wheels at speed, again a disconcerting habit to Miura purchasers.

While all these problems were difficult, perhaps the most crippling to the Miura was its expense to manufacture. With a bulging order book, Lamborghini felt compelled to deliver vehicles, but the pace of production was agonizingly slow and, therefore, agonizingly expensive. As a trailblazer, the Miura was a certain landmark, but as a profitable venture, the car left much to be desired.

With these undercurrents buzzing around the Sant' Agata Lamborghini works, Paolo Stanzani stepped to the drawing board to design the car that would become the Miura's replacement, the Countach. At the time one would be hardpressed to think of a better man for the assignment. Not only had Stanzani been a key player in the development of all of Lamborghini's previous motor cars, he was also the head of production for the company. He knew firsthand the manufacturing headaches the Miura design had brought onto his enthusiastic team of artisans.

Though Dallara had reinvented the sports GT car with his groundbreaking mid-engine design, Stanzani didn't blindly follow the obvious lead. In fact, he proceeded to reinvent the sports GT yet again, because, except for the midships-mounted V-12, his Countach was vastly different from the Miura.

The Miura had been hailed for the innovation of its transverse-mounted V-12, something akin to a Mini Cooper set-up on a far grander scale. Stanzani understood the packaging efficiencies of the transverse mount, but he also had experienced the tortuous shift mechanism and the cockpit heat problem inherent in having six cylinders a few inches from the seatbacks.

For the Countach, he mounted the engine longitudinally (as had the mid-Sixties Ford GT40, among others), but rather than having the power takeoff exiting the rear of the engine with a short run to a transaxle, he specified the power takeoff be in front of the engine, right to the gearbox, which sat about even with the driver's right thigh. This enabled a shift linkage as direct as in a conventional front-engine, rear-drive automobile.

Unfortunately for simplicity, this was about the only direct aspect of Stanzani's design. To reach the rear-mounted differential, power was routed through a gearset to a driveshaft that ran through a tunnel in the oil sump, not exactly conventional or easy to build.

Another huge departure from the Miura came in the Countach's chassis. The troublesome sheet-steel monocoque was abandoned. In its place Stanzani specified a racecar-like space frame of welded steel tubing. To the detriment of the passengers, the wheelbase was shortened from the Miura's 98 inches to 96.5.

Lamborghini originally planned to offer the Countach with a 5-liter bored-and-stroked version of its Bizzarrini-designed V-12, and because of that it was unveiled at the 1971 Geneva auto show as the LP500. When it came to series production, however, the car's were powered by the reliable 3.9-liter version and the nomenclature was changed to the LP400. In its initial Countach form, the V-12 delivered 375 horsepower, down 10 from the MiuraSV configuration.

For the body design of the new car, Lamborghini tapped a familiar face: Marcello Gandini, who with some help from a very young Giorgetto Giugiaro, had drawn up the Miura. Like Stanzani, Gandini went a vastly different direction with the new car. Instead of the Miura's sensuous curves, the original Countach had edges to it, as if it were an oragami sculpture. Its most distinctive feature were the gas-strut-assisted swing-up doors. Those familiar with the current Countach would barely recognize the original, because it lacked the fender flares, cooling scoops and rear wing that made the car an Eighties icon.

What the design didn't lack was presence, and as it evolved toward production in 1972, the signature air scoops and low, anteater nose made it look futuristic. In fact, the car still looks futuristic more than 25 years after it was designed.

After tweaks to the original removed its tendency to lift its nose, the Gandini design was far better for high-speed touring than was the Miura's. Where the Miura would get twitchy during hard acceleration or braking, the Countach proved much more stable, which was important since, even in its earliest form, the car had honest 180 miles per hour capabilities. (In good trim a Countach could jet from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 5.5 seconds.)

Unfortunately, just as the Countach program was reaching fruition, Ferruccio Lamborghini's troubles grew so bad that he sold controlling interest in his car company to a couple of Swiss businessmen. Though lacking the driving vision of its founder, the company continued to refine the raging bull.

An S version was introduced in 1978, and in 1982 the car received the 5-liter V-12 that it was originally designed to accept in the early 1970's. Finally, still showing a great deal of life, its engine was redesigned yet again, receiving four-valve heads on a bored-and-stroked 5.2-liter block. This Quattrovalvole proved to be the most potent Countach of them all, with 455 horsepower and more torque than a bulldozer.

It was a car in which the driver never looked back. Why bother? If he was doing his job, nobody was ever gaining on him."

a007apl
01-11-2002, 05:03 PM
www.lambocars.com
QVSpecial
&
Vortech Charger

a007apl
01-17-2002, 06:29 PM
http://pscars.wallst.ru/sportcar/count25a.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_25_aniv_1.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/sportcar/count3.jpeg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/sportcar/count1.JPG
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_25_aniv_2.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_5000qv_3.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_5000qv_1.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_5000qv_2.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp5000s_1.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp500_1.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400s_4.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400s_3.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400s_2.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400s_1.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400_4.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400_3.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400_1.jpg
http://pscars.wallst.ru/history/lamborghini_lp400_2.jpg

a007apl
01-17-2002, 07:13 PM
http://www.ferraris-online.com/cars/12663/12663WhtCountachRtSideLr8.jpg
http://www.ferraris-online.com/cars/12663/12663WhtCountachRtFtQ2Lr8.jpg
http://www.ferraris-online.com/cars/12663/12663WhtCountachRtBkQLr8.jpg

http://www.ferraris-online.com/cars/(1120)118/(1120)118a.html

a007apl
01-19-2002, 12:15 PM
http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/9275/bplamboanni.htm

a007apl
01-20-2002, 06:28 AM
"In just over 40 years as a small, hand-built automobile manufacturer,Lamborghini has produced not quite 10,000 automobiles.By these standards, even Ferrari must be considered a mass-producer. They define the very archetype of an exotic car. Whispering the names Miura, Diablo, and the immortal Countach are sure to elicit expressions of desire from the most seasoned enthusiasts.

Until recently, only a very select few could experience the reality behind the dream. The dramatic and speculative increase in exotic car prices in the late 1980s placed these cars in the hands of the priveleged few. The Countach - easily the most recognized and exotic model of the marquee - sold in the vicinity of a quarter million dollars (US) in 1989. However, since the crash of the exotic car market in the early 90s, the price of Lamborghini and Ferrari has fallen .

Judging by the availability of these cars and the asking price published in a variety of sources, the market for a number of recognized models appears to have reached its lowest point over the last year. If you've ever wanted to experience the most exclusive sports car ever produced, now is the time to 'invest'.





I took delivery in late March of 1997 in the midst of spring New Mexico snowstorm. When the transport opened up and the black Lamborghini peeked out from the trailer, I was in automotive heaven. Its the kind of thing dreams are made of.

The sleek ,black1985 Countach 5000S with black 'n' white leather interior, is the third model in a series of 5 in the Countach line. According to a number of sources, this was one of 193 5000S models made between 1982 and 1985 (Countach production figures are a matter of some debate; Lamborghini did not keep precise records). It is one of the last dozen produced, a favorable condition since Lamborghini made continual modifications and improvements during its production run .

The 5000S includes an uprated engine displacement to 4.8L, principally to meet more stringent emissions requirements and to improve fuel economy (about 14 mpg in mostly highway driving). This model was the last with an imposing set of 6 Weber side-draft carburetors, as subsequent models entered the modern age of fuel injection and the now-common 4 valves per cylinder (certain European models retained carburetors, but switched to down-draft units to accommodate the new engine heads). Power in the 5000S is up slightly (to 375 HP) from the 4000S model, with a significant improvement to the torque range . The classic Italian race-bred V12 engine pulls strongly down to 2000 rpm, and really comes online from 4000 rpm to the 8000 rpm redline.



Then there is the Lamborgini V12 sound at full-throttle which can only be compared to the most passionate of Italian symphonies. With nearly 6 months and 3000 miles under by belt, I am just beginning to understand and appreciate Lamborghini signature .

Whilst we're at it, let us dispell a few myths .For starters, the car is very well built- even superior to the Ferraris I've owned. The Countach is rock-solid, without annoying shake or rattle. The doors are a marvel of engineering as they rise vertically from low, angular frames.

The interior feels eerily close to an aircraft cockpit. The ergonomics are classic Italian: long arms and short legs. Close your eyes and let your right hand slide from the steering wheel: you hit the short, stout shifter every time. A potential problemis the low roof line . At 5 10", I have to squat low in the seat with my knees bent on either side of the wheel in order to fit during racing. Tall drivers need not apply.

Whilst driving, the two most impressive handling features are impeccable steering and exceptional brakes. The Countach steering is precise beyond words. It is the first car I've ever driven without slop or hunting.Body roll is minimal, though strangely, there is a bit more lift and dive under hard braking or acceleration than you might expect giving the side-to-side rigidity during cornering.

Ferraris from the same era (such as the 308) need constant adjustment to keep on-center. The Countach is the only car which holds its heading without the slightest movement of the wheel. The steering is heavy at slow speeds (no power assist), but is moderately light once you're moving. The Countach steering transmits precise information about front-wheel grip to the wheel, but with only slight kickback over bumps and other imperfections. The car is neutral at moderate speed, with progressively more understeer at slower speeds. The Countach is sensitive to lift-throttle oversteer, and I don't yet have the courage to push it through the sweepers to the limits of its ability.

The brakes are racing-car caliber. On the race-track the brakes are very linear and progressive with no fade. Impending lockup is easily sensed and corrected. Brake balance seemed just a touch off with the fronts locking up consistently. This may be a tuning issue with the modern Pirelli P-Zeros tires I installed, a grippier tyre than was available at the time of the cars manufacture.

Looking at the car you would think that visibilty would be poor. But looks are deceiving. Visibility is excellent to the front, adequate to the sides, and poor but not blind to the rear. The wing doesn't obstruct the rear view. The rear quarters, require a fellow passenger to glance out of the right-side whilst driving in heavy traffic. It doesnt help that many drivers like to hug behind the car in order to inspect it and hide in the blind spots. Two tiny, concave mirrors on the outside corners of the side mirrors have done wonders to indicate the presence of obstacles in the blind spots.



Mechanically, the car is quite simple. Standard carbs and Marelli ignition. I found the prior tuning was off for my excursions in the mountains of New Mexico, so I refitted high-altitude jets, and I retuned for 7000-ft. operation. With these changes, and a few other small adjustments, the car runs flawlessly. Even city traffic in the summer hasn't phased the cooling system, a thankful finding dispelling the myth that Countachs were notorious for overheating.

Overall headaches:restricted visibility, backing up, and the most intimidating aspect of all, the phenomenal clutch which my wife refers to as the "Thighmaster". I haven't measured, but would guess that it takes about 60-80 pounds to activate. If you're used to the feather-light, no-adjustment miracle of the modern clutch , you're in for a rude surprise. Some drivers simply won't have the strength to activate it. To make matters worse, when you're stopped on a hill, waiting for the traffic signal to change, the throttle travel is long and a bit imprecise.Finding the right engagement point for clutch, brake, and throttle with your two very strained feet takes a lot of practice. If you've never heel and toed before, you'd best not practice on the Countach!

The throttle deserves some extra mention: you just keep pushing, and the engine just builds power. The overwhelming sensation when driving is that you keep holding the car back. It feels the same at 50 mph as it does at 100 mph. And it gets smoother with speed. About speed, the question everyone asks is how fast? Under controlled conditions during testing, I tickled 140 mph, but without knowing the car and (especially) the history of the tyres, I wouldn't do much more. The car had ample reserves. Credible reviews of the 5000S place the top speed between 185 and 190 mph. Later versions of the Countach were measured in excess of 200mph! Every model held the title for worlds fastest production car at the time it was introduced.

And you can't leave the car alone in the streets. The body is 1mm thick aluminum and is very delicate. The fragility of the body makes engine work a bit tricky. Accepted procedure is to remove the rear trunk lid and wing, and you stand or kneel in the trunk to service the engine.

Registering the car takes a little more time than usual with whats proven to be a nearly universal occurrence a huge, passionate crowd gathered to inspect the car and contents. I've been tailed, flagged, pulled over, followed, honked at, had several police agencies stop me for inspection , and have seen at least two people lose their glasses onto the pavement as the spun their heads in a double-take as the car drove past. Even a 9-year-old boy had his mother stop while we were putting new tyres on the car in Santa Fe to describe to us the subtletest of intricate details about the car !

Beneath the sci-fi looks and bad-boy image of this car sits a completely different machine. It is a tractable, reliable, and supremely confident machine which requires skill to bring out its best qualities. The racing car never really disappears. But you dont have to be a dedicated gearhead, either. Whatever the new automotive concept , the Countach still inspires as one of the most outlandish and provocative driving experiences."

a007apl
01-25-2002, 10:39 PM
a 1979 Lamborghini LP400S Countach, SN 112.1094. These cars are hand made at Sant' Agata, in northern Italy. The car was finished in September, 1979 and is an early, low body model (40.9 in high). Approximately 27 cars were made in 1979. In about 1980 the factory raised these cars about 1 inch for additional (and badly needed) ground clearance and another inch was added above the sills to provide more headroom. No rear wing was fitted to these early cars. The body is of a thin gauge aluminum. The interior is leather and there is relatively little room once inside. There is a small luggage space in the front and a larger area in back behind the engine. The butterfly wing doors are pneumatically operated.

These are small cars; at 163 inches in length, it is about 3 inches shorter than a a 911 Porsche. The wheel base is short at 96.5 in. Nearly everything on the car is light and strong; total weight is 2,640 pounds. Lamborghini felt that "weight is where the slow demon lurks" and everything is designed to avoid weight. A complex space frame serves as the chassis for these mid-engine cars. Except the air conditioner, nothing is on the car that does not make it go fast, stop quickly and corner very well. Thus, no power steering, power brakes, or creature comforts (e.g., cup holder). The windows wind down only about 2 inches. Huge ventillated disk breaks stop the car very quickly: you can feel your ears flop forward when braking hard.

The engine is a high performance, all-alloy V-12, with 4 cams and 375 hp at 8,000 rpm. The engine has 6 large 45DCOE Weber carburetors, 2 coils, 2 distributors, and 10.5:1 compression. Valve overlap is severe, thus low end torque is poor; these engines are for high rpm use, no trickling though traffic. There is 95.4 hp/litre or 1.59 hp/ci in the same league as other racing engines. The transmission is a 5-speed that protrudes into the cabin such that the gear change is direct into the transmission. Then a special drive shaft goes back through the engine sump to power the rear wheels.

It is one of about 24 cars with the ultra-light magnesium Bravo-style wheels. The rear wheels are 12 inches wide and carry a Pirelli 345/35/15 P-zero system tire that is 13.5 inches wide. The front wheels are 8 inches wide and carry 205/50/15 Pirelli tires. The cornering power of these cars is superb, with virtually no lean on very high speed corners. Twin radiators lie toward the rear of the car above the rear wheel and are feed by 2 side air ducts and an NACA duct on each side of the car through electric fans.

The car was sold originally through the Hubert Hahne dealership in Dusseldorf, Germany. The car was brought into the USA in 1984 as an "exempt" car; thus it has no bumpers, no special safety glass, no smog or air pump, no restrictions on the gas filler cap, no catalytic converters - nothing. The car is as sold in Europe and we have all the government paperwork (EPA, DOT, U. S. Customs) to prove its legality in the United States.

We have owned the car since April 1995 and it has been a great car. We have driven it 3,100 miles to Monterey, California for the Concourso Italiano, Leguna Seca Historic Races and the Pebble Beach Concours. Very high speed driving is the forte of a Lamborghini. The car is very fast (the factory claimed 170-185 mph) and fun to drive.

The car gets terrible gas mileage as it still has the carbs jetted for sea level while we live at 5,200 feet above sea level. The car handles perfectly on the mountain roads we live at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and often take summer trips over Trail Ridge Road (the highest paved road in North America). We both drive the car often and we both love it.

The car is an aggressive, menacing mystery an enigma. It is wide, low, fast, exotic and outrageous. It is one of the most impressive, impractical and futuristic cars ever produced. It is a combination of sculpture, art, and therapy.

David and Dalene Anderson
Fort Collins, Colorado USA
__________________________________

http://www.cnr.colostate.edu/~anderson/ecc.html
7 Pics

a007apl
01-26-2002, 08:39 AM
There it stood. Low, wide, squat and seriously purposeful. The blemish-free smooth white aluminium bodywork, washed in the bright and hot sunshine, blinded onlookers with its brilliance. Yet as the optic nerves at the back of the eyes twisted and knotted in agony, we couldn’t help but stare, totally transfixed. Even the nearby palm trees seemed to lean forward to get a better look. We were all awe-struck. We were all in the presence of the legendary and mighty Lamborghini Countach.

Today you can’t walk down London’s Knightsbridge without tripping over a Ferrari Testarossa, and there seems to be a constant wrestling match for the supercar crown between the likes of the Lamborghini Diablo, Ferrari F40/F50, McLaren F1, and even pretenders such as Porsche’s 911 Turbo and the Lotus Esprit V8.

But just as the comic-book super-heroes of today, be they Judge Dredd or the X-Men, will always be overshadowed by the original, Superman himself, so the Countach will remain the original supercar. Its place in motoring history well and truly established.

The Countach, more than anything else perhaps, was a statement. A statement that shouted ‘speed’ at the top of its voice! Whether in its original pure form, shorn of spoilers, skirts and wings, or in its final incarnation as the Anniversary, boasting all the extraneous adornments including side slats; if you couldn’t sincerely call it ‘beautiful’, neither could you deny it the words: ‘breathtaking’, ‘stunning’, ‘dramatic’, and best of all, the ‘ultimate head turner’.

The sharp angular lines, slot-like side and back windows and wedge-shaped profile, topped with bulging black air-ducts and enormous wind-cutter rear wing, implies that this is what happens when geometry meets hallucinatory drugs. You find yourself wondering if it really is an earthbound creature at all, appearing to be designed with Maximum Warp in mind. Perhaps some aliens left it behind by mistake. The message it transmits is one of no compromise - it is a speed demon pure and simple.

Let’s not make excuses. It’s not practical or sensible and it wasn’t justifiable when it was designed, nor is it now in the caring, eco-friendly nineties. But it is the stuff dreams are made of. From childhood, when I used to race Countachs across the bedroom floor and do crazy 180 degree spins to get away from the baddies, till today, Lamborghini’s Countach - and ironically the only car to pull them through the doom and gloom of the 70’s oil crisis - is still very much in the all-time ‘most desirable cars’ top ten.

Tractor man, Ferruccio Lamborghini’s car making venture (which apparently he set up due to dissatisfaction with his personal Ferrari in 1963), first unveiled the Countach to an unsuspecting public in 1971. People gasped, blinked and rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the Bertone design, penned by Marcello Gandini. Some even booked into trauma clinics, their previous notions of car-design having been shattered. A legend was born. Appropriately, the word ‘Countach’ is Piedmontese and means ‘splendid, amazing or incredible’.

However, it was only after a lot of development, testing, fine-tuning and re-testing, that the Countach finally went into production in 1974. Fifty cars had already been sold in advance, since the car had tantalised buyers when it was shown again in 1972 and 1973. Initially is was introduced as the LP400 with a 4-litre engine, which was replaced four years later by the LP400S with revised and updated suspension to cope with the high-tech Pirelli tires then introduced. It was also given spoilers and wheel-arch extensions, and this look was carried over to the LP5000S that arrived in 1982, this time boasting an even bigger 5-litre engine.

The car standing before me now was one of these - a 1983 model, number 87 from a batch of 323 LP5000s’ made up to 1985 with 12,000 kilometres on the clock. Poised and ready, sitting on the smooth tarmac, waiting to be unleashed on the roads of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It belonged to English Aircraft engineer working for the national airline, who had bought the car a year and half earlier. Once he had got it home, he had stripped the car down and embarked on a massive restoration project. He removed the engine and gearbox, overhauled the carburettors, and cleaned and re-tuned the engine. The gearbox needed a complete rebuild, new synchromesh rings were fitted and the clutch and gear lever were disassembled, cleaned and re-lubricated. With the interior furnishings removed, the bodywork was given a complete bare-metal re-spray in original Polo Bianco white.

The engineer had spent a fortune on new parts, which he had bought from former Lamborghini dealers, Portman, in London, and shipped back. Amongst other things all the water hoses were replaced, it was fitted with a new clutch, replacement ‘Bertone’ badges, new front wheels rims (costing £1,000 each), and new tyres. Even the rear tail-light lens cover was replaced because a 2mm crack was found where the holding screw had been over-tightened.

He admitted not feeling too interested in calculating the total amount he had spent. Value? Well a similar car was recently advertised for sale in a British motoring magazine at £60,000. Which makes it sound like the ultimate supercar bargain, especially when just five years ago, it was worth nearly twice as much. To put that into perspective, the current Lamborghini Diablo retails in the UK at between £144,000-175,000, but a new Lotus Esprit 16v Sport will set you back £65,000.

The LP5000S is equipped with a monster 5-litre engine based, of course, on the traditional Lamborghini V12 power-house with six marvellous twin-choke carburettors. This contrives to pump out a massive 375bhp at 7,500rpm and 302 Lbft of torque at 5,500rpm, which is enough to launch the beast to 60mph in about 5 seconds and take it on to a mind-numbing top speed of ‘at least’ 185mph. ‘LP’ stands or ‘Longitudinale Posteriore’ which means the engine is placed longitudinally in the engine bay, just in front of the rear axle and aft of the seats, and you really do feel its presence. This engine is enormous, and glorious both to look at and listen to.

Pressing the almost concealed button in the side air duct, releases the catch and the huge scissor door swings gently up and forward on its hydro-pneumatically assisted struts. On first acquaintance, the prospect of negotiating the wide door sill and narrow entrance while maintaining a ‘cool’ appearance is a bit daunting, but with a little practice, it’s a fairly easy matter of sliding your bottom in first, and simply swinging your legs in after, being mindful not to scuff the beige leather lining.

Once in, you sit very low with your legs bent and offset towards the centre. Yet there is ample space in the footwell both for feet and the long pedal travel. The seat fits you snugly, and it’s only a short reach to the steering wheel. Although tall drivers will find themselves getting intimate with the roof-lining, there is actually more room inside than appears so from the outward impression. Elbow room is generous, and the bottom of the steeply raked windscreen dives forward to a point somewhere near infinity. Styling inside is traditional 70s futuristic, just the way you’d expect, with the exposed transmission gait, square-shaped instrument binnacle and delightfully old-fashioned dials. A wide transmission tunnel keeps the driver and passenger well apart to make sure the former keeps his/her mind on the road.

Forward visibility is okay, to the side it’s poor, and to the rear it’s virtually non-existent, unless you count the post-box slot that passes for the rear window - and even this is obscured by the almighty rear wing. Only the lower half of the side windows open, which means you can’t even stick your head out. In order to reverse, the driver has to open his door, and perch himself precariously on the doorsill, while peering over the large air intakes - this is not a car to take your driving test in! Large rear three-quarter blind spots make even lane changing a game of chance unless you make very careful use of the tiny side mirrors.

But all this is forgotten once you stir up the engine with a prod on the accelerator, and your heart rate starts to compete on pace with engine revs. The Lambo is not as difficult to drive as you may think. In the first few moments after pulling away it becomes clear that the heavy clutch and clunky gearbox aren’t half as unfriendly as they felt on first acquaintance.

What does meet your expectations dead-on, is the sensational performance delivery - and thank God for it! Instant power is always on tap, whatever the speed or gear, just floor the throttle and it’s G-force bonanza time. We’re not talking clever high-tech valves, fuel injection, or engine-management systems extracting every last ounce of power from wheezing vee-sixes - no sir! The Countach provides good old-fashioned bare muscle grunt, and this muscle simply picks you up and hurls you towards the nearest horizon with thrilling ferocity. The shove literally forces you back into the seat, and with the power block right behind your shoulders, it gives some indication of the sensations an F1 racing driver experiences on the track.

With the needle on 120mph, and the engine settled in fifth gear, taking the accelerator all the way saw 145mph come up in less time than it takes to say: "There goes a Lamborghini Countach!". If you’re braver than this writer, keep your foot down because it still feels as if there is more to come. At these speeds the car feels incredibly stable and inspires supreme confidence. Only at very high speeds did the nose begin to bob gently up and down as the spoilers fought the air-drag to keep the car on the ground. The single large windscreen wiper was less successful, lifting a couple of millimetres clear.

The sound of the 12 cylinders beating fiercely but in perfect co-ordination is glorious, with the revs red-lined at 7,500rpm. The deep resonating thunder can be heard from afar, and so emotive is its raging bull roar, that in moment of passionate insanity it seems perfectly reasonable to pay humongous sums of money for an automobile that offers less practicality than a Suzuki Alto.

But so much raw power also commands a great deal of respect, not only from other road users who swerve out of your way the moment you light up their rear view mirrors, but also from the driver. This is a car that needs to be driven thoughtfully and carefully, as you soon realise that even a minor mistake can turn this flashy and expensive toy, into a lethal weapon. The tyres may be wider than the length of your forearm, but when they let go, they do so in a big way. And that’s not all, with visibility being what it is, driving this car in traffic is not for the nervous, especially when everyone else around you is driving into each other while trying to get a better look. After all, the Countach is the original Supercar!


All articles are copyright Shahzad Sheikh

a007apl
01-31-2002, 06:04 AM
Chassis number: ZA9CA05A0KL
___ ___ ___

He http://www.sportscarmarket.com/mp/img/0201etc.jpg Countach debuted at the Geneva Auto Salon as a show car in 1971 and was introduced to the European market in 1974. In polite terms, the name Countach is Italian slang for “Good Lord!” or simply, “Wow!” This exclamation aptly describes most car lovers’ response on seeing the car for the first time. Wildly futuristic in the ’70s, the Countach was the work of Marcello Gandini at the Carrozzeria Nuccio Bertone.


First introduced as an LP 400, the Countach was equipped with a dual overhead-cam V12 engine that went through several changes. The models that followed were the LP 400 S, the LP 5000 S and the LP 5000 QV.


The final version of the Countach, the flamboyant 25th Anniversary model, adopted the larger, 48-valve (four per cylinder) version of the V12 engine. Displacement was just over five liters. The engine was fitted with Bosch fuel injection, replacing six two-barrel Weber carburetors. A total of 1,385 Countachs were produced over the full model run, which ended with this Anniversary model in 1989.


Built to celebrate Lamborghini’s 25th anniversary, this special edition featured restyled front air dam and air intakes, front and side skirting and wide wheel flares. There were more than 500 changes in total, including an upgraded Alpine sound system and immense Pirelli P-Zero 345/35 ZR15 tires. During the peak of the market in late 1989 and early 1990, Countachs like this one sold for more than $400,000.


The example shown here is a true “time capsule” car, showing just a few delivery miles on the odometer. In virtually every respect, the car is as new, including its rare factory pearl red paint. In addition, EPA and DOT releases and California title are on file.


This amazing car offers a chance for the astute collector to travel back to a time when it was possible to buy this factory supercar brand new.


This car was sold for $99,500 at RM’s Monterey sale on August 18, 2001, including buyer’s premium.


Children of every race, size, age and gender can pronounce Lamborghini, and recognize the Countach. Our editor tells me that when he attended, with Ms. Banzer, a Guggisberg auction in Geneva over a decade ago, her boys, then six and nine years old, had only one request—to sit in the white Countach Guggi was about to hawk.


Having just had the dubious honor of celebrating my 10th year hosting the exotic car display at the New England Auto Show, I was dumbfounded every time a pint-size boy or girl uttered LAM-BO-GEENY. There is a secret gene that lets rug rats know what Lambos are, and Prowlers and Vipers as well. (Let’s hope the straight-laced, teutonic masters of Chrysler manage to figure out that minivans may bolster sales figures, but “halo cars” are what get the next generation buzzing.)


In the ’80s, no teenager’s bedroom was complete without posters of Farrah Fawcett and of a Lamborghini Countach, each badly thumbtacked to the wall in a manner guaranteed to drive wallpaper-conscious mothers to distraction.


In grown-up circles, Countachs had their moment in the sun in 1989-90. I recall Monterey-auction meister Rick Cole proclaiming, as a 25th Anniversary Countach crossed the block at the DoubleTree Hotel, his famous maxim, “You can never pay too much, you can only buy too soon.” Strangely enough, Mr. Cole seemed to own half or three-quarters or eleven-tenths of the 68 Anniversary Countachs produced, and sold them for astronomical amounts. What a coincidence.


The current Countach market is almost a non-market. Several dealers I have spoken to are unwilling to write a check to stock one. Hence, retail and wholesale are really the same number. I’ve seen cars with 20,000 miles offered in the $65k range. This car, in as-new condition, was a fair-enough deal at $99,500. However, if the new owner actually wants to use the car, he should have a thorough inspection and major service performed first. Age and non-use are enemies of things like rubber seals and electrical connections. The catalytic converters on Countachs have been known to cause problems as well; there’s nothing like a cat fire that turns your Lambo into a marshmallow-toaster to ruin your day.


As a future invesment? You never know. It’s been suggested to me by more than one or two enthusiasts that these cars have not hit their stride in collectibility, and that ten years from now they will emerge as first-tier collectibles. Then again, by then South Beach may go back to the retirees, and Farrah Fawcett will be leading aerobics classes in assisted-living homes.—Steve Serio


(Historic data and photo courtesy of auction company.)

Years produced 1974-88 (1989 for Anniversary)
Number produced 1,317 (68 Anniversary models)
Original list price $100,000
SCM Price Guide $80,000-$100,000
Chassis number Engine compartment, on the frame rail between the engine and trunk
Engine number Between the cylinder heads
Tune-up $1,650-$2,200
Distributor Cap $255
Club Lamborghini Club of America,
One Northwood Drive, Suite 7,
Orinda, CA 94563
Website www.lamborghiniclub.com
Alternatives Ferrari Testarossa, Lotus Esprit, DeTomaso Pantera, BMW M1

a007apl
02-02-2002, 01:05 PM
Speaking about adversity, they say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. In the late Sixties, Ferruccio Lamborghini was enduring a string of adversity, despite the fact that his Miura was the darling of the automotive press. Though once honored by Italy's president as a "Knight of Labor," a title that brought with slightly more esteem than being named a "Kentucky Colonel," his manufacturing plants were plagued by long and ruinous strikes. Communist agitation was everywhere, and the streets were often stained by the chianti red of rioters' blood.

Closer to home, the Lamborghini Miura seemed a victim of its own success, like a precocious child that can't quite adjust to adulthood. It was a car that was rushed into production before it could be properly sorted out, and, thus, the first round of buyers became loud, complaining "development drivers," a job they certainly did not want to pay for. In addition to the typical exoticar teething problems, the Miura had four very definite shortcomings:

The first was its backbone or, rather, it's lack thereof. Chief engineer Giampaolo Dallara designed the Miura's monocoque tub out of welded-up sheet steel. It seemed an excellent way to save weight, but, in practice, the chassis flexed much more than was desirable. When combined with corrosion over the years, a Miura chassis could actually fall apart during a hard maneuver.

Hard maneuvers could also cause the oil to slosh in the pan to the point the oil pickup would suck air. This had a devastatingly deleterious effect on the V-12's main bearings, and, of course, pulling the transverse engine from a Miura had about as much appeal as pulling one's own teeth without Novocain.

Another shortcoming was the relationship of the Miura's rear suspension geometry to its decidedly aft weight bias. (Some 58 percent of the vehicle's 2800-pound weight rested on its rear tires.) Early Miuras were known to transition in a flash from benign understeer to rapid oversteer, a trait that left many wealthy Miura owners white-knuckled and, perhaps, one or two of them dead.

The final shortcoming was front-end lift, a factor that seems the bane of the "pretty" car. The Miura's attractively curved nose proved to be an effective airfoil, lifting the front wheels at speed, again a disconcerting habit to Miura purchasers.

While all these problems were difficult, perhaps the most crippling to the Miura was its expense to manufacture. With a bulging order book, Lamborghini felt compelled to deliver vehicles, but the pace of production was agonizingly slow and, therefore, agonizingly expensive. As a trailblazer, the Miura was a certain landmark, but as a profitable venture, the car left much to be desired.

With these undercurrents buzzing around the Sant' Agata Lamborghini works, Paolo Stanzani stepped to the drawing board to design the car that would become the Miura's replacement, the Countach. At the time one would be hardpressed to think of a better man for the assignment. Not only had Stanzani been a key player in the development of all of Lamborghini's previous motor cars, he was also the head of production for the company. He knew firsthand the manufacturing headaches the Miura design had brought onto his enthusiastic team of artisans.

Though Dallara had reinvented the sports GT car with his groundbreaking mid-engine design, Stanzani didn't blindly follow the obvious lead. In fact, he proceeded to reinvent the sports GT yet again, because, except for the midships-mounted V-12, his Countach was vastly different from the Miura.

The Miura had been hailed for the innovation of its transverse-mounted V-12, something akin to a Mini Cooper set-up on a far grander scale. Stanzani understood the packaging efficiencies of the transverse mount, but he also had experienced the tortuous shift mechanism and the cockpit heat problem inherent in having six cylinders a few inches from the seatbacks.

For the Countach, he mounted the engine longitudinally (as had the mid-Sixties Ford GT40, among others), but rather than having the power takeoff exiting the rear of the engine with a short run to a transaxle, he specified the power takeoff be in front of the engine, right to the gearbox, which sat about even with the driver's right thigh. This enabled a shift linkage as direct as in a conventional front-engine, rear-drive automobile.
Unfortunately for simplicity, this was about the only direct aspect of Stanzani's design. To reach the rear-mounted differential, power was routed through a gearset to a driveshaft that ran through a tunnel in the oil sump, not exactly conventional or easy to build.

Another huge departure from the Miura came in the Countach's chassis. The troublesome sheet-steel monocoque was abandoned. In its place Stanzani specified a racecar-like space frame of welded steel tubing. To the detriment of the passengers, the wheelbase was shortened from the Miura's 98 inches to 96.5.

Lamborghini originally planned to offer the Countach with a 5-liter bored-and-stroked version of its Bizzarrini-designed V-12, and because of that it was unveiled at the 1971 Geneva auto show as the LP500. When it came to series production, however, the car's were powered by the reliable 3.9-liter version and the nomenclature was changed to the LP400. In its initial Countach form, the V-12 delivered 375 horsepower, down 10 from the MiuraSV configuration.

For the body design of the new car, Lamborghini tapped a familiar face: Marcello Gandini, who with some help from a very young Giorgetto Giugiaro, had drawn up the Miura. Like Stanzani, Gandini went a vastly different direction with the new car. Instead of the Miura's sensuous curves, the original Countach had edges to it, as if it were an oragami sculpture. Its most distinctive feature were the gas-strut-assisted swing-up doors. Those familiar with the current Countach would barely recognize the original, because it lacked the fender flares, cooling scoops and rear wing that made the car an Eighties icon.

What the design didn't lack was presence, and as it evolved toward production in 1972, the signature air scoops and low, anteater nose made it look futuristic. In fact, the car still looks futuristic more than 25 years after it was designed.

After tweaks to the original removed its tendency to lift its nose, the Gandini design was far better for high-speed touring than was the Miura's. Where the Miura would get twitchy during hard acceleration or braking, the Countach proved much more stable, which was important since, even in its earliest form, the car had honest 180 miles per hour capabilities. (In good trim a Countach could jet from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 5.5 seconds.)

Unfortunately, just as the Countach program was reaching fruition, Ferruccio Lamborghini's troubles grew so bad that he sold controlling interest in his car company to a couple of Swiss businessmen. Though lacking the driving vision of its founder, the company continued to refine the raging bull.

An S version was introduced in 1978, and in 1982 the car received the 5-liter V-12 that it was originally designed to accept in the early 1970's. Finally, still showing a great deal of life, its engine was redesigned yet again, receiving four-valve heads on a bored-and-stroked 5.2-liter block. This Quattrovalvole proved to be the most potent Countach of them all, with 455 horsepower and more torque than a bulldozer.

It was a car in which the driver never looked back. Why bother? If he was doing his job, nobody was ever gaining on him.

a007apl
02-06-2002, 06:53 PM
http://www.zon.se/bil/mantorp/countach/index.shtml

a007apl
02-21-2002, 07:41 AM
http://www.countryroads.com/outlaw.htm

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