Seeking to commemorate the 25th birthday of the most renowned car to bear the Lamborghini name, the Countach 25th Anniversary was revealed for the first time at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix. This new Countach retained the same visual panache and performance of the existing 5000 QV but featured roughly 500 subtle changes and improvements intended to increase passenger comfort and refine its style.

Horacio Pagani, then the engineering head of Lamborghini’s new composites division, was tasked with redesigning the Countach’s bodywork. Rather famously, the roots of the 25th Anniversary (and the early Diablo) design were to be found in Pagani’s famous Kevlar-composite-bodied Countach Evoluzione test car of 1987. It was this exact project that reportedly prompted Pagani’s effort to undertake the manufacture of his own supercar, soon thereafter departing Lamborghini and forming his own consultancy for automotive composites.

Pagani’s masterful touches on the updated Countach included raising the nose and re-engineering the air intakes to improve airflow toward the front brakes. At the rear, the bumper received subtle styling changes. The air intakes just behind the doors received thicker strakes painted in the body color, rather than the traditional black finish. Furthermore, the 15-inch wheels were two-piece forged alloy units and wider than those fitted to the 5000 QV.

Inside, Lamborghini replaced the Countach’s relatively basic, manually operated windows with power-operated units. Furthermore, both seats were equipped with power-adjustable backs to increase driver and passenger comfort. A newer steering wheel was fitted, along with a more powerful air-conditioning system.

The performance of the 25th Anniversary Countach remained identical to that of the 5000 QV, which was still very impressive. The Countach could reach 62 mph from a dead stop in 4.7 seconds, and its top speed was an equally exciting 183.3 mph.

THE TIME CAPSULE COUNTACH

This final model-year 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary is likely the lowest-mileage example in existence. Completed at the Sant’Agata Bologenese plant in late August 1989, and subsequently delivered new to the United States in the uncharacteristically reserved color combination of Metallic Black (PPG 224521) over gray leather, this special “time capsule” Countach indicated fewer than 249 kilometers (around 155 miles) from new, at the time of cataloguing.

An accompanying bill of sale dated 5 February 1990 from the Clark Motor Company of Heath, Ohio shows this remarkable Countach was sold to a Detroit-area physician for $275,000. At the time of this sale, the car’s mileage is noted as 138 kilometers (around 82 miles).

By November 2007, this remarkably preserved Countach had reappeared at its originating dealer having added just 13 kilometers (approximately 8 miles) of use over the interceding 17 years. Between 2010 and 2020, the car remained within a prominent Ohio collection on static display, though it was regularly inspected, started, and taken for very short drives to keep its mechanical components in working order.

The consignor subsequently purchased the car from its Ohio residency in January 2020, and today it is presented effectively “as new.” It still rides on the original Pirelli P Zero tires and is accompanied by original manuals, sales literature, and the 1990 bill of sale

An undeniable icon of the Italian motor industry, the Lamborghini Countach cemented the brand as a true player against rival sports car manufacturers Ferrari and Maserati by virtue of its powerful 12-cylinder engine and bold, innovative design. The 25th Anniversary edition served to both refine its attributes and amplify its outlandishness to create the ultimate iteration of this must-have supercar.

With so few kilometers on the odometer and a recent service being completed, it is hard to imagine a more appealing example than this time capsule. It is quite likely the lowest mileage, late-model Countach in existence, a true reference for a preservation-grade Lamborghini.