AUCTION ACTION: Before there were ugly Lambos, there was...
Before there were the Lamborghinis of today, who's styling is an acquired taste, there were cars that were universally acknowledged as strikingly handsome. Now, you can own a piece of Lambo history and get one of the last not-so-hideous Lambos before they put all their chips behind the Countach and it's successors. For those of you who love the Miura, we know that the Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa aren't quite the pinnacle, but they're still a darn sight better than the scissor doors, ridiculous scoops and space capsule styling of the Countach, which was sold alongside these cars. We're not sure how a development mule from an Italian manufacturer would end up in the frozen reaches of Alberta, but this is one very special Lamborghini. The Silhouette itself is rare, but this is a one-of-a-kind. The price right now is up to 55K, get your bids in now for Christmas!
Thanks to tipster Robert!
[Source: eBay]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
chris 12:06PM (12/07/2006)
ok, you guys might not like them but to call all the Lamborghini's built after the Countach and including the Coutach ugly isnt exactly fair. Plus if you're not a fan of the wings and such the Countach was available without them and the bumper guards for a while. And if I recall correctly the Countach was put in to production partially because of the hugely positive public response to its design.
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Louis Duran 11:47AM (12/07/2006)
Maybe it's just me but I think I prefer the styling of Lambos today than those of yesteryear.
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emor8t 11:57AM (12/07/2006)
The Lambos of today are designed by passion-less Germans.
Lambo without Lambo doors = VW Sell out.
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Matt 12:23PM (12/07/2006)
How dare you, Dan Roth.
Do not waste valuable electrons denigrating the Countach.
-Matt
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LegacyB442 12:22PM (12/07/2006)
These cars were so much more passion driven designs then the current "Vee Dub" owned German additions: cold, calculated, computer drafted look! I remember buying a poster at the car show that had all the Lambos up to late 80's and this car was one of my faviorites! There is something to be said for a paper and pen and an Itilian hand at work!I found some more info at Lambocars.com
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leon0911 12:49PM (12/07/2006)
@2 correction:
murcielago was designed by Luc Donckerwolcke (a Belgian), as the Gallardo. These models made it possible for the brand to make profit again.
This designer was also responsable for the Audi TT...
Dirk van Braekel, also Belgian, has designed the Bentley Continental Coupé and Flying Spur.
That shows a lot of passion, don't you think?
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JETSOLVER 12:38PM (12/07/2006)
Have seen the car, its a stunner. And as to how it ended up here in the Great White North, hint, oil sands. Many, many people are investing their gains in Barrett-Jackson type toys. At least until the boom busts again(which you ask? oil or boomer toys? stay tuned)
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pow 12:57PM (12/07/2006)
Are you kidding with that title,
today's Lambo's look way better than ever before.
for those old farts that cant see that, just go back in the 60's where you belong and allow us youngsters to decide what we want.
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TrueDis 12:44PM (12/07/2006)
Really, what's with the Countach hating? Now this car looks like it was designed by a retard.
Oh yeah, and how about some photo links rather than links to sparse wikipedia pages. Great journalism!
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Alex Nunez 12:57PM (12/07/2006)
First of all, as someone who grew up salivating over the Countach, I have to defend it, because it was the s**t in its day. Maybe the 25th Anniversary edition was a bit much (as were all versions in which owners installed a wing on the nose -- a travesty I have yet to see duplicated on any other car), but you get the point.
And the early Countaches make the Silhouette look like brick-like by comparison. Those are still sleek and spectacular.
Off topic, I can't see the word "Jalpa" and not think of Rocky IV and the immortal Robert Tepper song, "No Easy Way Out"...
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Kaveh 12:58PM (12/07/2006)
Still a good looking car, I remember seeing a red one 20 years ago. I think I got a pic of it still.
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Allan 1:13PM (12/07/2006)
Dan Roth is a moron. Calling the Countach one of the greatest sportscars ever designed "ugly" is about as accurate as describing Dan Roth as a journalist with an opinion that matters.
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Richard 1:39PM (12/07/2006)
Countach was a watermark in exotic car design there are no two ways about that. I don't think you could find any little boy in 1972 who didn't think the C was the most amazing looking think in the world - SR-71 excepted.
What it morphed into, well, ever been to Dallas, Vegas or LA and seen some former starlet who is trying to hide the aging process. Doesn't mean they weren't drop dead stunning in their day.
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rrr is a Moron 6:48PM (12/07/2006)
"Maybe it's just me but I think I prefer the styling of Lambos today than those of yesteryear."
Yeah, it's just you. The Countach was fugly and sucked, and the Diablo was a snooze to look at.
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Dan 7:51PM (12/07/2006)
Hey, what's with the ad hominem attacks? Let me go out on a limb here - the EARLY Countach was striking, sure. Without the geegaws and festoonery, there is a purity of form. What it became is a travesty.
ps - you should know by now that Autoblog isn't strict "just the facts" journalism. If you like the cars of today, cool, if you like the Countach, cool. I can live with that :)
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LegacyB442 11:32PM (12/07/2006)
WOW A Robert Tepper reference!
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Andy 11:58PM (12/07/2006)
The Countach doesn't look good. That's a fact.
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Adam Singer 4:41PM (12/08/2006)
Thanks for the unbiased post there Dan!
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Jon W 5:12PM (12/10/2006)
Very interesting to see this pop up on Autoblog and also to see the praise! I happen to own one of the two P118B's that the ebay auction here referrs to. One was the factory museum car (red) that is mentioned in the auction (which was sold and removed from the museum some years ago).
The other P118B, which I own, was Lamborghini's show car mule (white like the car here, but with a gray louvered engine cover and removable hard top and gray bias striped seats. My car also has a sillouette manual, but has Jalpa badging. It definitely shares more in common with the Jalpa, of which only roughly 400 made it to the US, and far fewer exist here today.
A wonderful example of Lamborghini's rarer V8's!
- Jon
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