Why Lamborghini's Countach 25th Anniversary remains the model to own

The most famous Lamborghini Countach in the world is probably the 25th Anniversary white model that Leonardo DiCaprio wrecked during his character Jordan Belfort’s chaotic, drug-crazed drive home from his country club in the 2013 Martin Scorsese movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

That car was sold in all its broken glory for £840,000 by Bonhams in 2023 (complete with a Belfort costume and a director’s chair and clapboard signed by Scorsese), with its undamaged, but less-celebrated, screen double Countach fetching £1m at RM Sotheby’s only a fortnight later.

Which makes the remarkably well-preserved anniversary Countach on sale with Girardo & Co seem like a bargain – not least since it’s almost certainly among the lowest mileage survivors of the 667 examples built, and possibly the most original.

Launched in 1988 to mark a quarter of a century since Ferruccio Lamborghini founded his eponymous, Ferrari-baiting marque, the Anniversary cars were designed with the input of a young Horacio Pagani (who had been hired as the firm’s head of composites) and 1977 World Rally champ Sandro Munari (who helped to design, tweak and tune the suspension).

Pagani was responsible for the plethora of strakes, scoops and skirts – all of which were functional features – while the improved suspension made for a better-appointed, more-comfortable and more-forgiving car than the Countach QV from which the Anniversary model was derived. It is, in other words, Lamborghini’s ‘peak Countach’.

This one was sold in the summer of 1990 by Portman Lamborghini, once the sole marque concessionaire in the UK, which operated from a showroom in George Street, Mayfair, and offered a tax-friendly export service – which could explain why the car was swiftly shipped to Japan.

It remained there for 25 years before being brought back to Europe in 2015 and, by the time it came into the hands of its current, third owner it had clocked-up a mere 671km – which is just over 400 miles.

Such minimal use can prove to be a double-edged sword, especially with Italian supercars, but Girardo & Co says this one was subjected to a thorough, £18,000 mechanical refurb in 2018, despite having been carefully stored throughout its sedentary life.

It has also received a £2500 major service within the past few weeks and is now up, running and ready for the summer with what Girardo describes as “impressive shove” from the mighty, responsive 5.2-litre, V12 engine, a “positive” manual gearbox and “fantastic” air-conditioning.

One of 600 left-hand-drive examples, its Rosso paintwork and Nero leather interior are not far off being factory fresh – and the car even retains its original spare wheel and tool roll, complete with replacement auxiliary belts, scissor jack and gleaming spanners. Which might be enough to get you out of trouble in the event of a simple puncture – but would have been no help to Jordan Belfort whatsoever.

1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary
On sale with Girardo & Co, Oxfordshire. Asking: £575,000. girardo.com