Lamborghini Countach
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vehicles · Italian Thoroughbreds
Lamborghini Countach · 1974–1990
A Bertone-styled, longitudinally mid-engined V12 supercar with scissor doors, the Countach defined the wedge-era exotic and ran in evolving form from the LP400 through the 25th Anniversary. Collectors prize the earliest LP400 'periscopio' above all: it is the lightest, cleanest and rarest variant, before wheelarch extensions and wings altered the shape.
The one to have: An early LP400 'periscopio' (1974–1978, roughly 150 built): the 3.9-litre carbureted longitudinal V12 in the purest, lightest form of the wedge — no fender flares, no rear wing, on factory five-hole Campagnolo wheels. It is the most valuable and most collectible Countach.
Specification
Engine
3.9L V12
3,929 cc DOHC 60-degree V12, longitudinal mid-mount, six Weber 45 DCOE carburettors
Output
375 PS
276 kW / 370 hp at 8,000 rpm; ~361 Nm (266 lb-ft) at 5,500 rpm (LP400)
Weight
~1,065 kg
dry; the LP400 is the lightest Countach, on narrow Campagnolo five-hole wheels
Gearbox
5-speed manual
gated shifter; gearbox mounted ahead of the engine, driveshaft passing back through the sump
The market
Verified sales on file
6
Nov 2021 – Feb 2025
Median sale
$826k
all tracked results
★ Early LP400 'periscopio'
$940k
median of 4 target-spec sales
Top result
$1.07M
RM Sotheby's · May 2023
Benchmarks: driver $650k – clean $900k – concours $1.3M+ · Trend: strong; early periscopio cars command a large premium over later flared/winged variants
Know the real one
The 'periscopio' nickname comes from a recessed channel in the roof for a periscope-style rearview mirror, a feature of the earliest cars; total LP400 production was only about 150 units (sources cite 150–157) built 1974–1978.
The LP400 wears no fender flares and no rear wing: the flared wheelarches arrived with the LP400 S in 1978, and the trademark V-shaped wing was an option from the S onward. A genuine early car is a clean, unflared, wingless wedge with the roof periscope recess.
Later Countachs grew larger and heavier: the LP400 S (1978) added wide Pirelli P7s and telephone-dial wheels, the LP500 S (1982) took the V12 to 4.8 litres, and the LP5000 Quattrovalvole (1985) to 5.2 litres with four valves per cylinder and roughly 455 PS, ending with the 25th Anniversary (1988–1990).
Verifying a periscopio: look for the roof channel, the narrow unflared body, factory five-hole Campagnolo wheels and LP400-range chassis numbering; beware later LP400 S/QV cars and replicas fitted with flares and wings, as periscopio values run well above the far more numerous QV cars.
Verified sales · ★ = target spec · foreign results converted to USD as noted
| Date | Venue | Year | Spec | Miles | Price | Loc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2025 | RM Sotheby's | 1975 | LP400 'periscopio' ★ | — | $849,000 | — | Paris 2025. Sold for EUR 820,625 (approx $849k at ~1.035 EUR/USD). |
| Aug 2024 | Broad Arrow Auctions | 1987 | LP5000 Quattrovalvole | — | $802,500 | CA | Monterey. Later 5.2L four-valve variant; strong money for a low-mileage QV. Included to show the spread between periscopio and later cars. |
| Jul 2024 | Bring a Trailer | 1977 | LP400 'periscopio', RHD ★ | 349 | $714,444 | CA | Rod Stewart's RHD car, delivered new in Australia; 562 km (349 mi) shown, TMU. Los Angeles, CA. Appears to be the Villa Erba 2023 chassis, resold online at a softer figure. |
| May 2024 | Mecum | 1988 | LP5000 Quattrovalvole | — | $484,000 | IN | Indy 2024. Representative of the more common late QV market, roughly half a periscopio. |
| May 2023 | RM Sotheby's | 1977 | LP400 'periscopio', RHD ★ | — | $1,073,000 | — | Villa Erba (Cernobbio, Italy). Delivered new to Rod Stewart while touring Australia and kept by him ~25 years. Sold for EUR 989,375 (approx $1.07M at ~1.085 EUR/USD). |
| Nov 2021 | RM Sotheby's | 1975 | LP400 'periscopio' ★ | — | $1,032,000 | — | The Guikas Collection, Circuit Paul Ricard, France. Sold for EUR 905,000 (approx $1.03M at ~1.14 EUR/USD). |
Where to hunt
Bring a Trailer — Countach resultsModel auction history and live listings
Classic.com — Countach LP400 marketAggregated sold prices and trend
Glenmarch — Countach LP400 resultsGlobal auction result database
Research file — market data verified through July 18, 2026.
Sources: individually observed results via Classic.com feeds, BaT, Cars & Bids, Mecum, RM Sotheby's,
Broad Arrow, Gooding, Collecting Cars, PCARMARKET and venue coverage, plus marque registries and factory press material.