Countach vs. Cessna

The Lamborghini Countach was everywhere in the 1980s. It was so often presented as the ultimate car, photographed with celebrities, and generally placed in the spotlight that even your grandmother could've recognized it. Because of its vaunted status, the Countach is an aspirational car that you might purchase to celebrate a milestone in your life. Oregonian Marlowe Treit spent two years tracking down the perfect Countach as a way of marking 60 years on the planet.

In May of 2006, Marlowe's 1985 Countach had an unfortunate meeting with an FBI-leased Cessna 206 at the Aurora, Oregon airport where Treit owns a business. The NTSB has investigated the incident and blames both the plane's pilot and Treit for not noticing each other. Nevertheless, the shredded Italian exotic will cost a considerable amount to repair or replace, and Treit is suing the United States for $105,500, claiming that the Cessna pilots had a clear view of his vehicle, and should have yielded the right of way. We can understand the heartache that having your dream car mangled must cause, but it looks like an uphill battle for Mr. Treit, with the NTSB essentially declaring the event as a "no-fault" accident. The big question we've got is will Mr. Treit replace his Countach with a Diablo, Gallardo, or Murcielago should he win? We'd probably go for an Islero, Jarama, or Series III Espada. Check out a video interview of Treit after the jump.

[Source: The Oregonian via All Cars All The Time]

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