LP400

December 1988 - photo by Paul Clemence,

Car was white, then owned by Paul Rich, Sydney, Australia.

21 June 2022: Oldtimer Australia - Specialists in Sports, Racing & Classic Cars

Throwback Thursday . . .

The then Paul Halstead owned Lamborghini Countach LP400(S) Targa racing at Wanneroo Raceway in Perth in the early 1980’s.

Those were the days!

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Info by John Leaman: 1120040 (Giallo / Tobacco) my pictures (4-9) were taken at Maltin Car Concessionaires in 1978 / 1979. The car spent many months there - both in the showroom and in the rear storage area. I am still trying to trace which car (red with bianco) was registered on the 1979 Texas plate 'AZIZ2' - and parked next to 1120040 in Maltin's storage area. Any ideas ? John Leaman is the author of the book 'lambo!' See www.stradabiz.com

Victor: The red car should be 1120268, was later bought by Hervé in Texas in 1985.

Herve Rodolfo Gachon: My first Countach!

After a restoration in Toulouse in 1987, I was the lucky owner of this LP400 #268 for several years....

1992 At the Palace of Congress - photo Stéphane Bussiere.

In 2007 this car was pictured by Pierre Plummet in Monaco  in 2007, now back to LP400, all white.

Then the car was owned by collector Albert Spiess for a moment.

Easy to recognize, she runs out of side blinkers and still has the S badge on the back.

In the mean time, the car is restored again, now back to original Rosso/Bianco, still in Switzerland..

Jan 2023 by Raymond Stofer: I found LP400 0268 at Lamborghini St. Gallen, belonging now to the branch owner's collection
 

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January 26, 2010 Vaugirard-Parc des Expositions, Paris - photo's by Benoit Djardin

Also by Thomas Bersy / www.numeroschasistb.com

2010 1120262 by Mardikian, Retromobile (Paris) - photo's by Bruno Dugauquier. 

Nice article about this car from the fantastic website Supercar Nostalgia here:

https://supercarnostalgia.com/blog/rod-stewarts-custom-lamborghini-countach-lp400-chassis-1120262

Picture #18 is from Supercar Nostalgia

For sale by Artcurial at Salon Rétromobile, Paris, 07 February 2020.

German title 
Chassis n° 1120262 
Engine n° 1120262 

- Bought new by Rod Stewart 
- Fascinating known history 
- Recent work carried out by the best specialists 
- Superb condition, matching numbers 

This car has a fantastic history. It is also the highly desirable " periscopio " model, named after the channel cut into the roof for a 'periscopic' rear-view mirror. This particular car was delivered new to Rod Stewart, the rock star who rose to fame during the 70s and 80s and became as popular as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. His hits "Da Ya think I'm Sexy" and "Sailing" were played around the world, bringing success and a lavish lifestyle that included owning some of the most powerful sportscars of the day. It was a time of fun, parties and huge global success. Rod Stewart has always been keen on Lamborghin and over the years has owned two Miuras and a Diablo, and more recently a Murcielago and a Gallardo spider. In 2016, Stewart was knighted by Prince William. 

The Countach on offer has been delivered by the factory directly to Rod Stewart in Australia on 14 June 1977, painted red with tobacco leather interior and in right-hand drive. He was based in Australia at the time, and the car was exported to Sydney. This was where he recorded Blondes have more fun, released the following year. He explains in his autobiography that he actually kept this car inside the recording studio for two weeks ! There is a photo in the book showing the car surrounded by a group of people partying. 
When Rod Stewart moved to the US at the end of the 1970s, he took some of his supercars with him, including the Countach. In order to enjoy driving the car in Hollywood, he had it converted to left-hand drive. This was how he became acquainted with Albert Mardikian, the importer of high-end European cars based on the west coast. Mardikian had a reputation for importing Lamborghini without taking too much notice of the regulations. He would have inspired the part played by Tom Cruise in Rain Man, a film he starred in with Dustin Hoffman, which starts with a scene where he is importing Lamborghini. 
Al Mardikian was also renowned for preparing and customising cars. He transformed certain Ferrari models into spiders, and was given the job of transforming a few cars for the series Miami Vice. He also employed his skill on Rod Stewart's Countach, taking off the roof, strengthening the body and modifying the doors and side windows. At the same time, the wheel arches were widened in the style of the LP 400 S but in a more integrated, flowing style, so that they looked less 'added on' than the factory version. The suspension was adapted to allow wider wheels and tyres. This work was carried out in collaboration with Giacobone of Executive Coachcraft. Albert Mardikian would have built three such spiders, called the " Countach SS ". They were all red, one was for his personal use and the third would be Rod Stewart's 

The car then went to England, where it remained until 2002, registered RMK 651R (R for cars delivered between August 1976 and July 1977). In 2002, it was bought by the second owner, who had the engine restored but otherwise kept the car as it was, as it had been driven very little. The odometer then stood at 11 800 miles, in all probability the original mileage. 
A few years later, this extraordinary Countach passed into the hands of a Parisian dealer, who sold it to the current owner during the Retromobile Salon in 2013. Conscious of its special provenance, he decided to restore the Countach to its original coupé configuration, while keeping it as a left-hand drive car. He entrusted the work to the best Italian marque specialists : the Battaglia e Bolognesi workshop in Ferrara for the coachwork, Bruno Paratelli for the upholstery and Top Motors in Nonantola for the mechanical work. The red paintwork conforms to the original and it has its original engine. The car is presented with its " periscopio " roof styling. It will be delivered with a second, smaller steering wheel that allows a more comfortable driving position, and has covered just 161 km since the restoration. 

When talking about the Lamborghini Countach, it's hard to avoid superlatives, as this is a truly amazing car. Ferruccio Lamborghini designed it to be faster, more radical and more advanced. The mid-engine is mounted longitudinally (hence the initials LP for Longitudinale Posteriore), with a gearbox positioned in front of the V12 engine, cleverly designed by Paolo Stanzani. Working for Bertone, Marcello Gandini, already responsible for the stunning Stratos Zero, drew a continuous arc from the front tip to the rear tail, giving the car its overall shape. The doors were in elytron, a method that hadn't been used before. Light and powerful (with a 4-litre 375 bhp engine), and capable of 315 km/h, it wowed visitors at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971 when it appeared as a prototype. The definitive version appeared in 1973 and the car went into production the year after that.  

With such prestigious provenance and special history, the example on offer is one of the most desirable Countach LP 400s on the market. 

Participating in the auction on this lot is subject to a special registration process. If you would like to bid on this lot, please get in touch with the bidding office or the motorcars department at least 48 hours before the sale. 

Photos © Peter Singhof 

Estimation 800 000 - 1 200 000 €

A nice article about the car can be found here at Silidrome: https://silodrome.com/lamborghini-countach-periscopio/?fbclid=IwAR2g_9vfLQqGRu0TG_jR-O9jPGDaSSwJeg9J2wBUal2htHhsyA_hk7A9m_I 

Note; This article and its contents are protected by copyright, and may only be republished with a credit and link back to Silodrome.com - ©2020

ROD STEWART’S LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH LP400 “PERISCOPIO” IS FOR SALE

All surviving examples of the Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopio” are valuable, just 157 were made and today they’re seen as among the purest expressions of Marcello Gandini’s original design.

This car is perhaps a little more special than most because of its first owner, British rock ‘n roll legend and pronounced Lamborghini  aficionado Rod Stewart.

Interestingly, Stewart bought this car on a whim while touring Australia. It left the factory in May of 1977 in right-hand drive configuration with Rosso paintwork over a tobacco interior, and it was imported into Australia for delivery to the country’s Lamborghini concessionaire, Tony De Fina.

By this time Rod Stewart was already well-known for his love of Lamborghinis – he had previously owned three Miura's. After buying the car you see here he parked it in the Sydney recording studio he was using for the album Blondes Have More Fun, and there are photographs from this era showing the car in the studio.

After recording was completed he had the car flown air freight back to his home in Los Angeles where it was road registered. As a Brit, Stewart was more than comfortable driving a right-hand drive car, however it likely presented some challenges in the United States.

LP400 was the model designation used for the first version of the Countach, unlike the Miura it was powered by a longitudinally mounted engine and unusually, the transmission was mounted to the front of the engine almost between the driver and passenger.

The “LP” nomenclature stands for “Longitudinale Posteriore”, due to the fact that the engine is mounted longitudinally in the posterior, or rear of the car.

The clean Bertone-wedge styling was at its most pure on the LP400 with future versions being fitted with various body additions that significantly changed the car’s styling.

The LP400 Countach is powered by a 375 bhp V12 producing 266 lb ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. Induction is via carburetors and the engine has a compression ratio of 10.5:1.

Performance specifications were remarkable by the standards of the era, the Countach could do the 0 to 62 mph dash in 5.4 seconds, on to a top speed of 192 mph or 309 km/h.

ROD STEWART’S COUNTACH – THE MODIFICATIONS

Over the course of his life Rod Stewart has owned several examples of the Countach, this car was his first and over the years he had it modified several times to keep pace with the changes being made at Lamborghini to new iterations of the Countach.

These changes would become increasingly extreme over time, initially the car had wide Gotti wheels fitted and a mini spoiler mounted behind the air boxes, later it was given a full wide body conversion to emulate the Countach LP400 S with Campagnolo “Teledial” wheels.

This wasn’t the limit to the work done on the car, 1984 Albert Mardikian Engineering converted the car to their own “SS” specification. This conversion included changing the car into an open-top targa configuration and a full width rear wing was fitted.

Stewart would later ship the car back to Britain and road register it there, he would end up keeping it until 2002 which is perhaps a good indication of how much it meant to him.

The second owner of the car would keep it in its modified form and modify it further, by changing it to right-hand drive. It was then acquired by its third and current owner in 2013 who made the decision to have the car returned back to its factory-original condition with just one exception.

The team at Battaglia e Bolognesi of Ferrara restored the body back to original specification, Top Motors of Nonatola took care of the engine and drivetrain rebuild, and Bruno Paratelli took care of the upholstery.

The only non-factory modification that was left was the switch from right to left-hand drive – which was kept to make the car more practical in left-hand drive countries.

With the restoration now complete the car looks just as it did when Rod Stewart saw it on the Sydney showroom floor all those years ago. It’s now due to cross the auction block with RM Sotheby’s on the 13th of February with a price estimate of €750,000 to €900,000.

Images: Remi Dargegen ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Sold For €775,625

Inclusive of applicable buyer's fee.

July 2024 - Bring a trailer USA:  Ex–Rod Stewart 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio

Seller: SandboxMotors

Location: West Los Angeles, California 

This 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 is one of approximately 150 Periscopio examples manufactured during the first four years of the Countach model’s production. Chassis 1120262 left the factory in right-hand-drive configuration and was purchased new by best-selling British pop musician Sir Rod Stewart while on tour in Australia. The car later moved with Stewart to Los Angeles, where it was modified with a wide-body kit and a targa-style roof panel before being relocated to the UK and remaining in Stewart’s private collection until 2002. It was converted to left-hand drive under the stewardship of its second owner before being purchased in 2013 by an owner who commissioned a refurbishment returning its bodywork to factory configuration while retaining the left-hand-drive configuration. Further refurbishment work reportedly carried out in 2022 by Lamborghini Polo Storico is said to have included servicing of the powertrain, brakes, and steering system as well as a return of the interior to LP400 specifications before the car was purchased by the selling dealer in 2023. Finished in Rosso over Tobacco leather, the car is powered by a 3.9-liter quad-cam V12 that is equipped with six Weber carburetors and twin-distributor ignition. Additional features include a five-speed manual transmission, a limited-slip differential, four-wheel coil-sprung independent suspension, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, Campagnolo 14” alloy wheels, Stewart-Warner gauges, and air conditioning. This LP400 Periscopio is now offered by the selling dealer in Los Angeles with a binder of registration documents and service records dating back to 1990, invoices from the work performed in 2022 and 2024, and a clean Montana title.

This example’s bodywork was reportedly modified in the 1980s by Costa Mesa-based Albert Madikian Engineering with front and rear spoilers, wheel arches, and removal of the roof to create a targa configuration. A refurbishment initiated in Europe in 2013 included the installation of a replacement factory-look periscope roof panel and removal of the body extensions as well as a repaint in the original shade of Rosso. The door seals, trunk seal, and engine compartment seal were replaced during a service completed in June 2024. Closeups of the finish, trim, and lenses are shown in the photo gallery below. The seller notes that the photos were taken prior to the replacement of the seals.

Replacement Campagnolo five-bolt alloy wheels are said to have been sourced from France and are wrapped in Michelin XWX tires measuring 205/70VR14 up front and 215/70VR14 at the rear. Dual-circuit Girling ventilated disc brakes are said to have been refreshed during the 2022 refurbishment.

The cabin was re-trimmed in 2022 and features Tobacco leather over the fixed-back bucket seats, console, sills, and rear bulkhead with color-matched upholstery over the door panels. Additional features include beige carpeting, brown brushed suede over the dash and boxed instrument binnacle, a gated shifter, black shoulder belts, a passenger-side footrest, a lockable glovebox, roll-up side-window vents, and air conditioning.

The three-spoke steering wheel is wrapped in black leather and sits ahead of an aluminum bezel hosting Stewart-Warner instrumentation including a 320-km/h speedometer, a 9k-rpm tachometer, and gauges monitoring voltage, amperage, oil pressure, coolant temperature, fuel level, and oil temperature. The vertically aligned five-digit odometer shows 562 kilometers (~350 miles), and true mileage is unknown.

The mid-mounted 3,929cc V12 features an aluminum block with a 60° angle between cylinder banks, dual-overhead camshafts, six sidedraft Weber 45 DCOE carburetors, twin Marelli distributors, and twin coils. Factory-rated output was 370 horsepower at 8k rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque at 5k rpm. The engine was reportedly overhauled in the 2000s, while further mechanical and electrical freshening is said to have been performed in 2022. Service completed in June 2024 by Fast Cars of Redondo Beach, California, included fluid changes, replacement of the spark plugs, installation of stainless-steel fuel pickup screens, and the installation of a replacement ANSA muffler. Invoices from the work totaling close to $30k can be viewed in the gallery.

Auction Result

Winning Bid USD $714,444 by OSGallery

Auction Ended Thursday, 2024 July 11 at 7:49pm

2026-01 RM Sotheby's Arizona USA

1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 'Periscopio' by Bertone 

$700,000 - $900,000 USD

Offered from The Longhorn Collection

• Delivered new to singer Rod Stewart while touring Australia; retained by the musician for 25 years
• One of approximately 150 examples of the first-series LP400 “Periscopio” model produced, per the Countach Register
• Converted to targa-style, open-top configuration in Stewart’s ownership; later restored to original “Periscopio” specification
• Benefits from restoration work by Lamborghini Polo Storico in 2022

The Countach offered here, chassis 1120262, was built in right-hand drive for export to the Australian market, where singer Rod Stewart purchased it while on tour there. It left the Sant’Agata Bolognese production line in June 1977 finished in Rosso with Tobacco trim and later followed Stewart, relocating to Los Angeles. While in the United States, Stewart had the Lamborghini modified with a full wide-body kit and open-top “targa” roof. In 1987, he brought the car to the United Kingdom, where it would stay in his ownership for the next 25 years.

The Lamborghini changed hands in 2002 and is believed to have been converted to left-hand drive during this owner’s tenure. Upon being sold in 2013, the new owner is said to have commissioned extensive work to return the LP400 to its factory specification. The modifications made during Stewart’s ownership were reversed, while it remained in left-hand-drive configuration.

In 2022, the Countach reportedly benefitted from servicing at Lamborghini Polo Storico, with work said to have been carried out on its braking system, engine, electrical components, gearbox, and steering rack. Cosmetically, the exterior is said to have been polished and the cabin returned to LP400 specification.

Exceptionally desirable and rich in provenance, this Countach LP400 offers the special opportunity to own a genuine piece of automotive—and rock—history.

Great photos by Patrick Enzen 2025 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.

Arizona 2026, Lot 141

To be offered on Friday, 23 January 2026

Former owner Mark Jansen: My old car was 1120260.

It is indeed a factory LP400 that like a few others here in Australia was modified to ‘S’ spec by Henry Nehrybecki in Sydney ‘back in the day’. This was perhaps the first one Henry converted and it was done with the Wolf style guards. This is how I purchased the car back in around 2005. I immediately had it converted back to LP400 guise (it was a very simple conversion.

RM | Sotheby's - PARIS 4 FEBRUARY 2015

1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 'Periscopio'

€1,130,000 - €1,450,000

Chassis No. 1120260

Engine No. 1120260

According to the factory records, chassis 1120260 was completed on 2 June 1977 and finished in Rosso with a Tobacco interior. The car currently has a Nero interior, which is understood to be original and how the car was delivered new.

This Periscopio was ordered through Australian importer Tony de Fina, who organised for the first owners to collect it directly from the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese. It has a rich and fascinating history file, with documentation dating back to November 1976, when the original owners of the car got wind of the imminent release of the LP400S and wanted to cancel their order for the LP400! This did not happen, and the owners collected their new car on 2 June 1977, immediately got behind the wheel, and proceeded to go on a grand tour of Europe. Two weeks later, the car returned to the factory for a routine service with 3,449 kilometres on the odometer! Its first owners continued to enjoy the car in Europe and the UK for several months, and after a service in June 1978 in the UK, with 16,276 kilometres showing on its odometer, the car was shipped to Australia, where it would call home for the next 36 years.

Shortly after returning to Australia, the car was converted to LP400S specification by the local New South Wales Lamborghini distributor by flaring the wheel arches and fitting LP400S Bravo style wheels, a front spoiler, and a rear wing. The car’s current and fourth owner purchased the car in September 2005 and immediately commissioned the car to be returned to its original LP400 guise, save for the upgraded rear suspension.

The car was repainted in its correct shade of Rosso, whilst the engine was rebuilt almost two decades ago. However, the car remains in remarkably original condition, retaining what is understood to be its original interior. Today, the car presents and drives magnificently, and it would be one of the finest surviving examples of the early Countach. The car is not a trailer queen and has been driven and enjoyed on the road throughout the last 10 years, although its condition would suggest otherwise. Attesting to the car’s quality and condition, it was invited to be part of the Lamborghini 50th Anniversary display at Motorclassica in Melbourne in October 2013, where it was an award winner. The car is accompanied by its tool roll and an extensive history file, including its owner’s manual, original warranty card, and delivery documents, which only add to the provenance of this extraordinary Countach.

The LP400 Periscopio, undoubtedly the most collectible model of the entire Countach family, was a legend in its own time when it was introduced, and it remains amongst the most historically important supercars ever built. It proved that Lamborghini was not just a one-hit wonder after the Miura, and it could continue to evolve and compete alongside more established sports car manufacturers, like Porsche and Ferrari, establishing the company’s place in the market for years to come. Perhaps Ray Hutton of Autocar magazine summed up the brutish charm of the Countach most accurately in his article on the car in 1974: “The people who live in the outskirts of Modena are used to seeing exotic cars ‘on test’. But this one still makes them stop in their tracks, smile, and wave in encouragement".

Boasting known ownership history from new, as well as the provenance of being one of only a handful of right-hand-drive LP400 Periscopio cars ever built, this is a Countach to be treasured.

Fabrice Descombes: I saw her in february 2015 in Paris at RM auction.

20 feb 2016 Royal Victoria Dock, London, England.

30 Oct 2016 Classic & Sportscar Show London, England.

Photo's by Makecars, thanks! 

May 2020 for sale by The Ashtray Collection, England:

Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio 1977

1 of only 150 cars produced in total and one of believed to be 22 RHD examples made. Complete with its tool roll and extensive history file, including owners manual, original warranty card and delivery documents. 

The LP400 Periscopio is the most desirable Countach. This stunning example has a fascinating history having travelled only 35000 miles from new and is a factory RHD, delivered new to Australia.

By arrangement the first owner collected the car directly from Lamborghini factory and proceeded to go on a grand tour of Europe. Two weeks later, the car returned to the Lamborghini factory for a routine first service. Its owner continued to enjoy the car in Europe and the UK for several months and after a service in June 1978 in the UK, the car was shipped to Australia, where it would stay for the next 36 years.

The car is presented and drives magnificently and must be one of the finest surviving examples of an early Countach. 

VARIOUS FINANCE PACKAGES AVAILABLE.

Price on Application

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2012 Essen Techno Classica, Germany - photo's by Dietmar Götz, Marcel Wallenburg, Peter den Biggelaar and Bruno Dugauquier.

November 2, 2022 by Kidston SA on IG:

We’re really happy to be overseeing a second Countach LP400 ‘Periscopica’ restoration just a few months after starting another one.

This is the 127th Countach produced and was delivered in “Giallo Fly” with “Champagne” interior to John Casti, an American mathematics professor in Vienna. We travelled to Austria to meet the man in person and learned that this eccentric academic was a Lamborghini enthusiast and a Miura and Urraco owner before ordering this new car. Through Hollywood contacts, Casti had a side business helping Lamborghini sell and export cars to California, which helped him gather the funds to order a brand new ‘Periscopica’, his dream car.⁣
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Casti later became a writer and sold the Countach in the late 1980s to support him in publishing his first book. The car then found its way into a large Lamborghini collection in the Middle East. It has never been restored but had been painted red earlier in its life. We’ve found it to be a very healthy base for restoration, so much so that the car will be paint-stripped by hand and much of its original fibreglass understructure will be preserved. Our very own @topmotorssalvioli are charged with overhauling the mechanics⁣
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It’s great that these cars are finally getting proper recognition, and we’re convinced that future generations will look at the Countach as one of history’s landmark designs.⁣

2025-06 Top Motors Salvioli - Countach Italian Job - photo's by Pietro Bianchi.

2025-10 Top Motors Salvioli - Our first stand at Auto e Moto d’Epoca Bologna has been a great success.

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