French title
Chassis no. 1120018
Engine no. 1120018
Production no. 9

- Displayed at the 1975 Paris Motor Show
- One of the very first 'Periscopio' models built
- Ex-Jacques Quoirez, one owner since 1983
- Exceptional 'garage find'
- Magnificent original interior
- The first LP400 sold in France by Thépenier

A Lamborghini Countach is an extraordinary car in its own right. But a model in such exceptional original condition as the one presented here is a real gem. In addition, it is one of the very first cars built, with the production number 9. It is therefore what is known as a 'Periscopio' version on account of the recess in the roof designed for a central rear-view mirror on the prototype.
Delivered new by Thépenier, the importer and dealer for several up-market makes of sports car, it was finished in 'Marrone' with a 'Senape' (mustard) interior. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, it was resprayed a very attractive light grey, with a fine red coachline running along the waistline.
On 30 April 1982, it was registered as 8187 QS 47 in the name of an owner from the Lot-et-Garonne. The following year, it was purchased by its current owner, who registered it on 2 May 1983 as 2042 SB 17. Recently qualified as a doctor, he had used an Alfa Romeo 2600 as a student and was captivated by the stunning design of the Countach. He also loved its handling and used it regularly to drive to his surgery, hardly going unnoticed in the small town where he practised. It was for the sake of discretion moreover that he subsequently decided to use the car less frequently, until the start of the 2000s, when he laid up the car in the garage of his property on an island off the Atlantic coast, in the dry close to the boiler room. The last tax sticker on the car dates from 1996. The Countach never ceased to impress its owner, who told us: "When you have owned a car like this, it is hard to find another model that is even more remarkable."
Since then, the Lamborghini has remained in its original condition, the only change being to its registration on 26 November 2013, after the owner moved house and it received its current registration number. It is therefore a genuine 'garage find' car which has been extremely well preserved. Unrestored, the car is sound, and the paint shows only a few signs of oxidation and very slight corrosion. The interior, with its patinated leather upholstery, appears to be completely original; the driver's seat is slightly worn but very well preserved, with only a small cigarette burn. The carpets are also original and the car is fitted with an Autovox radio and Pioneer speakers. The windows are etched with the chassis number and the rear boot has what appears to be an original carpet. It contains the window mechanism for the passenger door, which has been dismantled. The spare wheel and tools required are in the front.
In terms of its mechanical specification, the Countach is fitted with its original engine and has certain features specific to some of the very first cars built, such as the magnesium hubs and adjustable shock absorbers, making it closer to a prototype than a production model. We can see from an oil change label from January 1983 that it had then covered 83,500 km. Today, the odometer is reading 87,558 km, and the car was last driven in 2013. The Countach, which has spent most of its life on an island off La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast, will be sold with a copy of the workshop manual.

It should be remembered that the Countach owes its spectacular styling to Marcello Gandini, whose talent has again been rightly honoured in Gautam Sen's superb book, Marcello Gandini, Maestro of design. It is also worth pointing out that the Volkswagen group has had an exact replica of the Countach prototype made, just as it was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971. That is how important this car is in the history of supercars in general, and of Lamborghini in particular. As well as its amazing styling with its scissor-type doors, a first, the Countach had an exceptional engine, a 3.9-litre V12 producing 375 bhp: this was centrally mounted, located behind the gearbox thanks to a clever system with a driveshaft running through the engine oil sump. This made it possible to retain more compact styling.

As well as its exceptional condition, the car we are presenting has the advantage of being the first version built, the 'Periscopio', the purest and closest to a genuine prototype. When it was launched, the Countach seemed like a vehicle from outer space on the road. Today, it has lost none of its ability to amaze everyone who comes across it. And, even more so, all those who take its wheel, like its next owner.

Full catalogue and more photos https://www.artcurial.com/en/sale-4315-retromobile-2023-artcurial-motorcars