While a Fox Mustang or a Grand National might be a really cool barn find from the 1980s, there’s no denying this was also the golden era of classic Italian supercars. Thus, a 1985 Lamborghini Countach barn find out of Connecticut makes for some really interesting content.
The car in question is a Countach 5000S which was delivered in July 1984 to its first owner in Rome, Italy. It’s European spec, a 2-valve carbureted car that didn’t come with a wing, and this together with its condition contributes to the value.
These are such incredible finds. When new, the Countach would have retailed for around $99,500, and that’s an insane amount of money in that era. Only 321 were made in this spec and about 40 to 50 might have arrived in the States. It’s hard to put a price, but depending on the condition, I’d say it’s worth anywhere between $300k and $550k, maybe more.
A Lambo reconditioning specialist in Miami wanted to buy the car and bring it back to life after it had been sitting in a “barn” for 20 years. It’s not an actual barn, more of a nice garage. But the problems are the same as with most barn finds dust and animal infestation. This is why AMMO NYC was tasked with doing a full detailing job.
The chances of ever seeing a detailing video like this are pretty low. She’s not the dustiest barn find ever, but Lamborghini’s paint is pretty thin and leaves no margin for error. Also, the Countach has become a biohazard, filled with mouse droppings. Before mechanics are allowed to work on it, the Lambo needs to be fully disinfected.
What is the Lamborghini Countach 5000S?
The iconic Countach supercar was in production from 1974 to 1990, but only 1,983 were produced. Multiple updates were made over the years, and the names can be a little confusing.
The first one was the LP400 powered by a 3.9-liter engine. Then came the LP400S, which was downgraded in power from 370 to 340 hp, but got the iconic fender flares and famous 345/34 R15 Pirelli tires, which were the widest in the car world at the time.
The 5000S is actually just another name for the 1982 LP500 S, and that came with a 4.8-liter engine. This is not to be confused with the 1985 LP5000 QV (Quattrovalvole). The name is Italian for four valves, indicating the spec of its 5.2-liter bored and stroked engine.
It’s really nice that this car doesn’t have American bumpers. And while the wing wasn’t factory-fitted, it is the right one for this car.
Growing up, a Lamborghini Countach in red with the big wing was THE coolest car on the planet for me. When Top Gear said that these don’t drive as well as they look, I didn’t want to hear it. But the 80s supercar did drop in notoriety until Lamborghini made the all-new model and started taking orders from literal billionaires.
