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Early LP400 Countach is one of only 157 with the over-roof rear-view mirror periscope channel
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–> by Chris Chilton
3 hours ago
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by Chris Chilton
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Rod Stewart’s love of model railways comes across as a weird fit given the veteran singer’s wild antics in the 1970s and 1980s. But Rod has another passion that dovetails perfectly with his former rock and roll lifestyle: Lamborghinis.
Rod loves supercars, but he seems to have a particular soft spot for Lamborghinis, having bought his first, a Miura P400S, in 1971 after enjoying massive global success with the song Maggie May. He went on to own a Miura SV, Diablo and Gallardo, and the car you see here, a 1977 LP400 Countach that’s being auctioned by RM Sotheby’s at Villa Erba this weekend.
Even without the celebrity connection the LP400 is a special thing. Though the narrow, spoiler and arch-free body isn’t necessarily as famous as the later versions of the Countach, the slim-hipped LP400 is the one that comes closest to designer Marcello Gandini’s original vision for the car, and the original LP500 show car.
Related: Fancy Owning Rod Stewart’s 1989 Lamborghini Countach?
And one of the most famous features carried over from the concept to the street was a channel sunk into the roof designed to let the driver see over the rear of the car, leading to the ‘periscopo’ nickname. These early cars are the most prized today, but there was a time when they were just old supercars, and seen as less exotic than the contemporary Countaches with their wider tracks and fat Pirelli P7 tires.
Which is why, having bought the Lambo while on tour in Australia in 1977, then relocated it to America, Stewart commissioned Albert Madikian Engineering to apply a full wide-body kit and even install an open-top targa roof, before eventually selling the car in 2002.
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Fortunately those mods were later reversed by a subsequent owner and in 2022 the Countach was refreshed by Lamborghini’s official Polo Storico restoration department. So when the car crosses the auction block this weekend it will do it dressed in its original combination of Rosso paint and Tobacco trim, and with the 375 hp (380 PS) 3.9-liter V12 as ready to rock as it was in 1977. All you need is a pair of tiger-print leggings and a couple of million bucks, and it could be yours.
You can check out the full auction listing here.
