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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.

Lamborghini Veneno could be yours for just $11 million

How could an automaker charge over three million euros for a single automobile, no matter how rare or extreme? That's what we wondered when Lamborghini took the wraps off the Veneno at the Geneva Motor Show, with a price tag working out to over $4 million US using exchange rates at the time. But that suddenly seems downright reasonable when you see how much this owner is asking for one. Listed for sale on a German website by a broker in Japan, this particular Veneno is accompanied by an asking price of ˆ9.98 million. That works out to over $11 million at current rates, or a good three times what it originally cost when new, depending on which currency you're going by. Either way, that's one heck of a markup for a car now three years old, even if it only has about 840 kilometers (522 miles) on the odometer. You'd think, considering its lofty asking price, the seller could have provided some decent pictures, but apparently not. Lamborghini made only three examples of the Veneno coupe for public consumption, and this example is said to be the second. With the other two sold to owners here in the United States (in Long Island and Miami), this appears to be the one sold to a customer in China, and was previously spotted in Hong Kong on its way to Macau. No matter which way you look at it, the Veneno is a rare beast... even counting the nine roadsters that followed with an even more bullish price tag. Put in that context, the ˆ1.75m-euro ($1.9m) sticker price worn by the Centenario revealed in Geneva this year – also based on the Aventador with a more extreme design – seems like a relative bargain. Related Video:

Lamborghini launches Polo Storico heritage division

Lamborghini has always been more forward-looking than it has been focused on its past, but it has still left an undeniable wake of historically noteworthy and highly collectable classics. To tend to them, the company has launched Lamborghini Polo Storico. Sant'Agata's heritage division brings with it new initiatives and consolidates several existing operations under one roof. For starters, the new department will be responsible for the Archivio Storico Lamborghini, a historical archive detailing the company's past models as well as materials and techniques employed in their construction – all of which is being digitized for the first time. Polo Storico will also stockpile original parts and (if necessary) reproduce them from the original blueprints. The services will extend to offering customers the chance to have their classic Lambos restored by experts at the factory using original parts, and even have the vehicle's authenticity certified by a technical committee. Of course Lamborghini isn't the first European automaker to offer such comprehensive services for its historic models. Arch-rival Ferrari launched its Classiche department several years ago, and more recently Land Rover opened a similar operation of its own. These developments underline an increasing emphasis that automakers have been putting on their own heritage and the preservation of their history in the metal. Related Video: Lamborghini relaunches Restoration Center: "Lamborghini Polo Storico" provides unique knowledge and guaranteed authenticity for classic Lamborghini cars Sant'Agata Bolognese, 16. Aprile, 2015 – Automobili Lamborghini is relaunching its restoration center under the name of Lamborghini Polo Storico. The new department includes the brand's historical archives, the vehicle restoration center, vehicle certification, and guarantees the availability of numerous genuine spare parts for all historical Lamborghini models. With its new Polo Storico, Automobili Lamborghini emphasizes the importance of preserving its broad heritage and unique knowledge. A big part of this new formula is the Archivio Storico Lamborghini. This historical archive includes the documentation of historical Lamborghini car models, as well as technical schemes, body colors, leathers, images and several publications ever made by the company.