• Delivered new to singer Rod Stewart while touring Australia; retained by the musician for 25 years
• One of only 157 examples of the first-series LP400 ‘Periscopio’ models produced
• Converted to targa-style open-top configuration in Stewart’s ownership; later reversed to original ‘Periscopio’ specification
• Subject to restoration work with Lamborghini Polo Storico in 2022, totalling €60,500

Lamborghini’s Miura may have been the byword from which the term “supercar” was coined, but it was its Countach successor that continued such credence in the 1970s and 1980s. The LP400 ‘Persicopio’ was closest to designer Marcello Gandini’s radical and forward-thinking LP500 concept, first unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 1971. The model’s Bizzarrini-designed 3,929 cc V-12 engine produced 375 brake horsepower, making it one of the fastest production cars of the decade with a top speed just short of 290 km/h.

It was the innovative way in which the driveline was packaged, though—with the gearbox in front of the mid-mounted V-12—that centralised mass, making the car very forgiving at high speeds. The purity of Gandini’s original wedge design is best shown in the LP400. Built around a complex spaceframe—and clothed with a mixture of aluminium, composite, and steel panels—this first iteration of the Countach also had a unique feature: a periscope-style rear-view mirror located in the roof’s central dip to aid rear vision.

The Countach offered for sale here, chassis 1120262, was built in right-hand drive for export to the Australian market, where it was purchased by singer Rod Stewart while on tour in the country. Leaving the Sant’Agata production line in June 1977, the car was first painted in Rosso with Tobacco trim, and later followed Stewart in relocating to Los Angeles. While in the USA, the musician commissioned Albert Madikian Engineering to carry out modifications including conversion to a full wide-body kit, and then installing an open-top targa roof. The LP400 was brought to the United Kingdom in 1987, where it would stay in Stewart’s ownership for 25 years, as it was sold in 2002.

While the car’s second owner retained the modifications, its engine was overhauled and it is believed to then have been converted to left-hand drive. In 2013, chassis 1120262 was sold once more through a Paris dealer, and the new owner undertook a comprehensive series of works to return it to its original factory specification. The modifications made during its first ownership were reversed, while remaining in left-hand-drive configuration. In 2022, the Countach was subject to restoration work with Lamborghini Polo Storico, totalling €60,500. The braking system, engine, electrical system, gearbox, and steering rack were serviced, while the paintwork wash polished and detailed. The interior was returned to LP400 specification. Please contact an RM Sotheby's Car Specialist to find out more about this expenditure.

Please be aware that only the Fahrzeugbrief (Part 2) is present for this car, and the Fahrzeugschein (part 1) is not present.

Si prega di considerare che per questa vettura è presente solo il Fahrzeugbrief (parte 2) e il Fahrzeugschein (parte 1) non è presente.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ve23.