This is the First-Ever Lamborghini Countach to Sell for Over $1 Million

The Lamborghini Countach is such a radical and recognizable shape, it’s amazing the early ones don’t already cost in the millions… However, things are headed in that direction, as proved by this stunning (Tahiti) blue example, built in 1976.

It just sold at a Bonhams auction for $1.21 / €0.89 million, making it the most expensive of its kind ever.

One of the first 150 examples that came with unique periscope-style side mirrors that earned them the nickname “Periscopa,” this car has additional reasons to have fetched the price that it did.

The odometer reads 16,500 original kilometers, which is just over 10,000 miles. The car was part of the current owner’s collection since 1978 (it was originally sold to a Swiss gentleman) and is, by all accounts, in perfect shape. It does show signs of wear, but with the recently repainted body, it now looks as good as it did new.

Still, it’s an old car from Italy in the 1970, and for that reason alone, “the speedometer and odometer on this Countach are not currently operational.”

This is The First Purpose-Built Porsche 911 Rally Car

With a motorsport history that arguably shames any other car manufacturer on the planet when it comes to the number of overall race wins, Porsche has been present over the years in just about any type of racing there is, including some fields which normally wouldn't be exactly appropriate for a sports car manufacturer.

One such racing scene is rallying, where cars like the funky-looking Porsche 911 SC below had its fair share of success. After a previous involvement with a works team back in 1968, which lasted only until the early 1970s, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer made a brief return to this motorsport category in 1978, with the so-called 911 SC “Safari”, a car that came close to actually win the 1978 East African Safari Rally.

Had it not hit a rock while crossing a small river, which damaged its rear suspension, the car in the footage below could have won the aforementioned rally after leading it for quite a few hours into the race. Despite having been beaten by a much slower Peugeot 504 – a car by the same manufacturer which didn't leave Porsche name their car the 901 back in the 1960s – it proved that the 911 could also evolve into a off-road rally car that can win races and ride with the big boys outside the tarmac.

Apart from the raised suspension, off-road tires, extra headlights and a roll-cage, the 911 SC “Safari” was mostly stock, with the car that actually participated in the East African Safari Rally now sitting in the Porsche Museum, with the exact same specification as it did in the 1978 event.

Custom Porsche 993 by Rauh-Welt is Pure Widebody Perfection

Founded in 1997 as a small countryside body shop, RWB or Rauh-Welt Begriff is a Japanese Porsche tuner specializing in creating stunning(ly good) widebody kits for various models of 911. They don’t only do cars for Japanese customers, though, as they have offices in many major cities around the world, including one in the US, located in San Mateo, California.

One of their most notable recent creations is this expertly widened 993. It has some of the widest flares you could ever put on a 911 without making it look ridiculous and all the rest of the package is comes to compliment the extra girth, featuring special bumpers, skirts, spoilers and wheels.

This particular car is even more special because it’s the culmination of a father and son’s collective dream of what one of these cars could be, if done by the book, a book that could be written by RWB founder Akiar Nakai, who personally worked on the project

Porsche Customizer Magnus Walker Creates First Unique Wheel Set

If you’re a fan of custom classic Porsche 911, then you’ve probably heard of Magnus Walker. He’s a huge fan of the brand and so far has channeled his passion into creating bespoke looking 911s, like the blue first-gen Turbo he’s seen driving in the video below.

That car is special not only because it hears his unique signature, but also because it’s the first one to ever ride on a custom set of wheel designed by Walker. He set out to create them with the mindset of not wanting to copy any existing classic-looking 911 rims, and he definitely succeeded.

The gold wheels that resulted perfectly compliment the trademark Porsche shape and they don’t look like a modern afterthought. I think they look like rims that could have been made back when the car was new – they look period but are modern and unique at the same time.

Rare Early Lamborghini Countach Sells For Record $1.2 Million

Lamborghini may have made headlines with the highly exclusive, $4.5-million Veneno and the even more expensive Veneno Roadster that followed, but when it comes to classics sold at auction, their prices seldom approach the kind of figures attained by rare classics made by arch-rival Ferrari. Early 350 GTs and rare Miuras (like the SV prototype Gooding sold a few years ago for a record $1.7 million) have been known to breach the seven-figure mark, but now the Countach is making its way into the big leagues as well.

Pictured here is a rather exceptional early example sold by Bonhams in Connecticut last week. This 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 "Periscopica" – so dubbed for the unique rearview mirror fitted to the first 150 examples made – has just over 10,000 miles on the odometer. With flawlessly retouched Blu Tahiti (read: French racing blue) paint and an immaculate deep tan leather interior, the Periscopica was the subject of feverish bidding before selling for $1.2 million to a buyer present at the auction, beating out a dozen or so telephone bidders.

The record price for a Countach trumps the previous record, also set by Bonhams at the Quail Lodge last August, where another '75 Periscopica sold for $836,000. The rising prices surely reflect the coming of age for the Countach, now nearly 40 years since its introduction – particularly for the generation that grew up idolizing it as the prototypical supercar. Scope it out in the artful gallery of 76 high-resolution images above and the details of the auction below.

Leno Stretches Lamborghini Diablo's Legs For Latest Garage Installment

 

While posters of the Lamborghini Countach decorated the walls of many boys' walls in the 1980s, the Diablo filled that spot for young men in the early 1990s thanks to its extreme styling. In its latest video, Jay Leno's Garage welcomes a beautiful, white 1991 Diablo into his garage for a look back on what is now a classic supercar.

Unlike some of the vehicles Leno shows off, this one doesn't belong to him. Instead, veteran Italian car mechanic Franco Barbuscia owns it. He has been maintaining Jay's Countach for years. A '91 Diablo is an archaic supercar by today's standards. It doesn't have power steering, anti-lock brakes or obviously anything like traction control. It's just a big V12 hanging behind the driver with a wonderfully meaty roar that emanates from the exhaust.

Franco's Diablo might actually be better than new. It has a few upgrades to aid in drivability, like re-spaced pedals, a carbon-Kevlar clutch and more. Apparently all of the tweaks help a lot because, "it rides smoother than my Carrera GT," Leno enthuses about the car. Scroll down to reminisce about this Italian classic and get an ear full of its wonderful sound. 

Mazda to Celebrate 25 Years of MX-5 Miata with a Historic Display at NY Show

It may have been more appropriate to celebrate the MX-5 Miata's 25th anniversary at the Chicago Auto Show this year, since the original model did debut in The Windy City on February 9, 1989, but Mazda chose the more popular New York International Auto Show to host what it calls, "the biggest birthday party yet for the storied two-seat roadster".

This party will see Mazda placing on display 15 MX-5 vehicles, ranging from motor show concepts to racers and production models.

The Japanese firm did not reveal any details about the cars it will bring to the Big Apple, but if you'd like to speculate on which MX-5s it should show, go ahead and tell us in the comments after you take a look at the gallery we've assembled below.

Speaking about the NY happening, Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) commented:

“MX-5 Miata is the quintessential Mazda. And after 25 years, every vehicle in the lineup continues to feature some characteristic of MX-5: a fluid shifter, lightness on its feet, quickness around a corner, a fun-to-drive DNA. With all the whiz-bang technology and comfort amenities increasingly added to modern vehicles, MX-5’s direct connection between car and driver still remains the standard feature that puts smiles on drivers’ faces.”

The word on the street is that Mazda may show the next MX-5's platform in NY, with the actual car to debut at next year's Chicago Auto Show.