The Lamborghini Countach is a car Jay Leno knows intimately. He’s owned a 1987 example since new, and over the almost four decades the car has been in his possession, he’s managed to rack up more than 70,000 miles. That’s impressive for a man with a car collection as vast as the one owned by Leno.
Leno has now featured a Countach 25th Anniversary Edition on the latest episode of his online series “Jay Leno’s Garage.” The car is a 1989 example finished in a similar shade of red to Leno’s Countach, and with a black interior.
The Countach 25th Anniversary Edition was launched in 1988 to mark Lamborghini’s 25th birthday, and had a production run that numbered 658 examples in total.
It’s distinguished from the earlier Countach Quattrovalvole (QV), which Leno owns, by unique front and side spoilers and modified air vents, some of which was designed by Pagani CEO and founder Horacio Pagani, who was working for Lamborghini at the time.
Drive comes from a 5.2-liter V-12 delivering 455 hp, and capable of carrying the car to a top speed of 183 mph. The tires fitted were the widest fitted to any production car of its time, measuring 225/50 at the front and 345/35 at the rear.
The Countach 25th Anniversary Edition came at the tail end of the Countach’s run. The car’s successor, the Diablo, entered production in 1990. Incredibly, the Countach had a production run that lasted almost two decades. The first prototype, designed by Marcello Gandini, was shown as early as the 1971 Geneva auto show. It was a hit, and the start of production followed in 1974.
Lamborghini in recent years used the iconic design of the Countach for a modern iteration based on the platform of the Aventador. The car debuted in 2021 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Countach prototype’s debut, and just 112 were built, the number referencing the LP 112 model designation used during development of the original Countach.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com
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