This Barn-Find Lamborghini Countach Has an Incredible Backstory

The Lamborghini Countach is the definitive supercar for an entire generation of enthusiasts. While most examples of the star from Sant'Agata Bolognese have been painstakingly looked after as values have skyrocketed, this particular 1982 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S isn’t a normal car. That’s because this somewhat derelict coupe is actually the first of the 321-car run.

Offered for sale by DriverSource, this Lamborghini Countach introduced the world to the 400S's follow-up models at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show. The car is one of the first five examples of the 500S/5000S, and as such it carries a number of rare features not shared with later cars. These include items like the unique “5L” badging, LP400S-style flares up front, and a set of cast magnesium Campagnolo wheels. Lamborghini factory test driver Valentino Balboni has inspected the car, confirming its place among the Countach timeline.

After its time in Geneva, this particular Countach was sold to Aaron Rosen, who purchased the car in Italy. It would then make its way to Germany, before ultimately settling down across the Atlantic in 1985. In order to federalize the sports car for use in California, the engine’s Weber carburetors were swapped over for an electronic fuel-injection system. Once stateside and legal, the car was acquired by Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo. The rock star would end up putting some serious miles on the car, with the odometer reading now reading 41,100 miles. That said, most of that mileage was put on the car before the turn of the millennium, as in 2001 the Countach was towed into Franco's European Sports Cars in Van Nuys, California. There it would sit for the next two decades unfinished, as shop owner Franco Barbuscia passed away in 2021 before restoring the car.

The lost Countach is now being offered for sale in its current “as-discovered” condition, which isn’t exactly show quality. The sale will include the car, historical documents and images highlighting its pedigree, period press materials, and an unmounted rear wing. The chance to get your hands on a historically significant Countach doesn’t come along very often, and the sellers are aware of this. Regardless how much a proper restoration of the car might cost, the sellers are asking $695,000 for the privilege of that undertaking. Until that happens however, we’ll continue to enjoy the barn-find ascetic attached to this particular 1980s icon.

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