[ CHASING CARS ] Nigel Boothman’s market headliner
Will the moderns make headlines, or is there life in the old darlings at Villa d’Este?
Referencing a past model could help this re-born, limited-run and low-mileage Countach perform well at Villa d’Este – but how will it compare with more traditional blue-chip classics?
This 2022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 should tick all the boxes that currently make cars collectible. A famously prestigious Italian marque? Check. Extreme power and performance? Over 800bhp, 220mph, check. Limited production? Just over 100 built and a numbered plaque on the dash, check. Tiny, once-round-the-block mileage? Just 124km, check. Fashionably mid-2020s retro colour? Yes, being one of five in Luci del Bosco metallic brown lets us check that requirement. And a story that gives it a strong ‘want’ factor? Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary celebration of the original Countach, so check that one as well.
The LPI 800-4 was announced in 2021 as a fixed run of 112 cars, the non-round number referring to the Lamborghini model designation of LP112 used during the Countach’s development. It was based on the Sián FKP 37, itself derived from the Aventador but with a hybrid powertrain. The weighting was still firmly towards internal combustion, with 770bhp coming from the 6.5-litre V12, and the difference made up by one electric motor. Savings from the use of a supercapacitor rather than a lithium-ion battery resulted in a relatively svelte dry weight of 1595kg. The styling, a well-judged update of Gandini’s original trapezoid form, was rather less startling than the original had been in period but was well received.
‘If it goes above its top estimate, it will have joined hypercars whose price new is already exceeded on the collector market’
When new, the LPI 800-4 was priced around €2m (£1.7m) plus taxes, so the estimate of €1.8m-€2m at Broad Arrow’s Villa d’Este sale on Sunday 17 May could still represent a used-car discount. If it goes above top estimate, the new Countach will have joined other recent hypercars whose sky-high price new is already exceeded on the collector market.
This sale is also about the roster of supercars and fellow moderns offered alongside the LPI 800-4, plus an impressive list of traditional blue-chip classics. These include a 1990 Ferrari F40 (estimate €2.3m-€2.5m), one of the Icona-series Ferraris, a 2020 SP2 (€2.5m-€3m), a 2023 812 Competizione (€1.3m-€1.5m) and a rare 2003 Honda NSX-R (€850k-€950k). The F40 looks almost cheap by recent record-breaking standards, perhaps because of its 40,271km. The NSX-R is priced on the freak result of €935k Broad Arrow achieved at the same sale last year.
Among the more traditional lots, highlights include two vintage Bugattis; a 1929 T43 roadster (€2.5m-€3.5m) and a 1926 T37 Grand Prix (€1m-€1.3m), a 1968 Bizzarrini 5300GT Strada (€900k-€1.2m), a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (€1.6m-€2m) and a 1966 Aston Martin short-chassis Volante (€650k-€750k). Bar the Gullwing – still a steady gainer, year on year – none look investible, but the best examples still bring strong prices. What transpires should be the clearest guide yet to whether Europe is following the USA in trends across both the newest and the better-established parts of the market.
Subscribe to Classic Cars today. Choose a Print+ Subscription and you'll get instant digital access and so much more. PLUS FREE UK delivery.