Here’s your chance to add a gorgeous example of the earliest Lamborghini Countach to your collection.
A 1976 Countach LP400 “Periscopio” is scheduled to go up for bid early next month as part of RM Sotheby’s annual Miami sale. The bold blue example is from so early in the car’s production run that it doesn’t even have a traditional rearview mirror.
The LP400 was built from 1974 to 1978 and is the first production iteration of the legendary Countach. Because of this, it is by far the most representative of designer Marcello Gandani’s original vision for the wedge-shaped supercar. It features the same general shape and scissor doors of other Countachs, but it’s also decidedly sleeker, lacking the blunt lines and extraneous details that would work their way into the designs of later models (as cool as they may look to some). The LP400 is also one of the rarest Countachs, with only around 150 rolling off the line during the four years it was in production.
1976 Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopio”
Karissa Hosek/RM Sotheby’s
It wasn’t without its flaws, though. Rearward visibility was … poor, to put it kindly. That meant a regular rearview mirror wasn’t of much use. To get around this, a small periscopic mirror system—hence the car’s nickname—was installed into the roof of the car so that drivers could see what was behind them. This issue would be worked out by the time the LP400 S was released, making the LP400 the only Countach to feature the system.
This LP400 example, chassis no. 1120172, is finished in its original color of Blu Tahiti. The car left the factory with a Tobacco leather interior, but this was replaced in 2007 with a lighter biscuit leather upholstery. The cabin features air conditioning, while the exterior is equipped with two external rearview mirrors to improve visibility. In the engine bay, you’ll find the car’s numbers-matching 3.9-liter V-12, which can produce 375 hp. The car is on just its third owner since leaving the factory and has been feted at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and appeared on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Jay Leno’s Garage.
Inside the Countach LP400 “Periscopio”
Karissa Hosek/RM Sotheby’s
If all this has piqued your interest, you might want to make your way to South Florida for RM Sotheby’s Miami 2024 sale, which will be held on March 1 and 2. Be prepared to spend, too. The auction house expects this Countach to fetch between $1.1 million and $1.4 million.
Click here for more photos of the rare Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopio.”
Karissa Hosek/RM Sotheby’s
