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Wrecked Lamborghini Countach from 'Wolf of Wall Street' fails to sell in Abu Dhabi

Martin Scorsese used two genuine 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Editions in "The Wolf of Wall Street." They're both headed to auction in December, one of them for the second time. See, in August, RM Sotheby's announced that it would auction one of the movie cars in New York in December, its lot being an undamaged Bianco Polo Countach 25th Anniversary. At the time, no one had information on the location or condition of the second car that had been damaged rather badly as part of filming, victim of the main character driving under severe influence and the stunt department putting in some sledgehammer work. In November, the second, wrecked car showed up in the catalog for Bonhams' On the Grid auction at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. Bonhams put the presale estimate at $1.5 million to $2 million. Someone submitted a bid for $1.35 million, which the seller rejected, so the auction house is putting the car up for sale at a later date. For some perspective on that rejected bid, Hagerty values the 1989 Lamborghini Countach Silver Edition in good condition at $440,000, the qualification being that the car "Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby." An example in concours condition, which is "World-class. Could compete in the world's best Concours d'Elegance events," is valued at $780,000. Classic.com, which tracks transactions of exotics and classics, shows a number of sales this year. Bring a Trailer sold three over the summer, one for $577,600, a second for $632,000, a third for $670,000. Other summer auctions for the same model pulled $472,500, $465,000, and a rejected high bid of $342,000. The highest prices paid this year are $775,000 for a car with 154 miles and $715,000 paid for a car with 102 miles. "The Wolf of Wall Street" car is an undriveable heap, a piece of cinematic sculpture at best, for which the owner seeks at least double the price of a practically new car. And what's wrong with that? Art regularly goes for more than $1.5 million, if that's what this is to be considered — and that might indeed be the consideration. RM Sotheby's recently put a 1962 Ferrari 250/330 GTO on the block at one of its art auctions in New York, perhaps Bonhams plans to do something similar. Car & Bike wrote that the Lamborghini heads to auction again in December. Bonhams' site lists three car-centric auctions in December, the Countach so far not shown among the lots.

Lamborghini Miura owner sues garage over million-dollar car-b-que [w/video]

Remember about a year and a half ago when a rare, classic Lamborghini Miura SV went up in flames in London? Its owner sure does. And he's not willing to write it off, pointing fingers squarely at the Lamborghini dealership in London for causing the fire. It may seem like a difficult case to make, especially since the Miura was not in the dealership's possession when the fire erupted – the owner's son was driving it, but he was driving it home from the dealer where it had been brought in for service. According to the suit filed by the vehicle's owner, billionaire property agent Jon Hunt, the mechanics at the dealership owned by high-end automotive group H.R. Owen must have improperly fitted the spark plugs during the Miura's service. Lamborghini's official dealership should have known better, says Mr. Hunt. That's why Hunt is suing the dealership to the tune of GBP700,000, equivalent to over $1 million at today's rates, plus storage costs and "loss of enjoyment." The vehicle – one of only 764 made – was evaluated at GBP900,000, but Hunt's suit deducts the GBP200,000 it was worth as scrap. We've included footage of the fire below, but it's not for the weak of heart when it comes to watching an irreplaceable classic supercar burning to the ground. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Italian investigators search Lambo headquarters in VW probe

Italian investigators searched Lamborghini headquarters on Oct. 15 to look for evidence of managers' involvement in Volkswagen's emissions cheating. VW's main office in Verona was also inspected, according to Reuters. Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen, and Lambo in turn is listed as the owner of VW Group Italia. Authorities wanted to find out if employees were conscious that the vehicles were skirting emissions rules. "It is one thing if I sell water and pretend it's wine, but if I sell water believing it is wine it's different." Verona chief prosecutor Mario Giulio Schinaia said to Reuters. Italian newspaper Gazetta del Sud reported that several managers in Italy were under investigation for alleged fraud. Prosecutors in Germany have also been rigorously investigating VW, and they recently staged a similar raid on the company's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The automaker reportedly turned over documents and other data relating to the software defeat device. Meanwhile, VW's internal investigation has turned up little wrongdoing, though a recent leak suggested otherwise, and at least 30 managers could have known about the defeat device. The automaker has disputed that figure. Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn testified before Congress that he believed only a few individuals were involved. The situation hasn't been easy on VW in the US, either. The Department of Justice has also been pursuing an investigation into the automaker. Plus, state attorneys general are filing lawsuits against the company for defrauding customers. VW has until Nov. 20 to explain a repair for the problem to the California Air Resources Board. Related Video: