It’s the early 80’s and I’m standing in the local High Street staring at the first supercar I ever saw in the metal pulls to a stop in front of me. A red Lamborghini Countach 500S. The passenger door opens and the occupant slides out and walks across the road to the Newsagents whilst I remain motionless, wide eyed.
Fast forward 35 plus years and history is repeating itself. I’m once again staring at a another red Countach. A 25th Anniversary model. Only this time I will be driving it.
I‘m at Furlongers Sports Cars in Kent, where Matt Honeysett has kindly let me drive one of their two Countachs currently for sale. This one is £350,000 with a recent £50,000 refurbishment. Another two are in their workshop having some work done to them so they know the cars extremely well
I approach the car with excitement, tinged with trepidation. It was my bedroom wall companion for many years in my adolescence but the words “never meet your heroes” echo in my head. I did not want the Countach to join the list of disappointments in my life. The Lotus Esprit Turbo, Sir Patrick Stewart, Santa Clause, marriage!
I slip in to the Countach. Easier to get into than I though, but harder to get out with dignity attached as I found out later. Matt drives the Countach first whilst I ride shotgun, giving me a chance to acclimatise to the cabin. More ‘cosy’ than spacious, the narrow seats hug my body post lockdown body. The seats are electric, needed a strong push to make the buttons work. Rob, a friend who owns an earlier 500QV model, warned me about the lack of headroom as the electric motors under the seat rob you of a few inches. At six foot, it wasn’t a problem, although wearing a helmet for a track day may be.
The windows in the Anniversary are now electric now, replacing the window winder of previous models. All the more faster to open the 5” windows I suppose.
Following us in a 430 spider are two Drivers Union members who are helping out on the day. David Pearce who will be taking the photos and David Ball on driving duties. They get to hear the exhaust in all its thundering glory.
We pull over at an Indian restaurant where David P thinks would be a good setting for some photos. Whilst waiting I chat with Matt about the car.
This particular Countach is a 1989 model with just 12,100 miles on the odometer. The exterior colour exotically named as Rosso Siviglia. The original owner decided not to drive it and with values rising even in 1989, decided to put it into storage. Subsequently selling it 4 months later for double the purchase price. It spent another 7 years as a promotional display for a jeweller and rarely driven. The third owner drove it a little and the fourth owner put it in storage.
With such little use, it was decided that a sympathetic refurbishment was necessary which resulted in the engine being removed for a major service, as well as updating the A/C to modern specifications, new door, boot, bonnet rubbers and a host of other work.
Photos taken, it’s time for me to drive. Turn the key and the Countach erupts into life. I need to reverse and look down at the gearbox. It’s a dogleg gearbox, with the reverse protected by a metal safety gate. My previous Ferrari was also a dogleg so I’m hoping 12 years of memory muscle is still there. I wouldn’t want to put it into the wrong gear at the wrong time!
Clutch down. It’s a bit heavy. Into gear and the car slowly moves backwards. Fortunately I didn’t have to do the Countach reverse manoeuvre where the driver sits on the door sill looking backwards whilst stepping on the accelerator. With my luck I would have fallen out of the car.
Back into neutral. Checking the mirrors again. Time to drive!! To call the steering heavy would be an understatement. I struggle to turn it whilst Matt calls me various unflattering names about my manhood. But once on the move, it feels good. Connected in a while that modern cars can rarely match.
I’m about to pull into the road at a 45 degree angle. It should have been at 90 degrees at least then I could have seen oncoming traffic. The visibility out the side window is not very good, which is a bit like saying penguins are not very good at flying.. With a prayer and push of the throttle , I glide into the road. If I had to use one word to describe the first 10 minutes…. intimidating.
It feels big and it’s hard to place the front corners. Matt warned me about the not so good brakes, when he should have actually warned me about the lack of brakes!
As the minutes go by, the more comfortable it feels. Even the brakes don’t feel so bad anymore. I’m enjoying this!! The exhaust pops and bangs behind me. The two David’s following are probably enjoying the noise.
Feeling more comfortable, I push on a bit harder. The ca+r felt much faster than what was indicated on the speedometer. The gearchange, solid but very smooth. Surprisingly the ride was actually quite comfortable riding on 225/50 ZR15 tyres. Yes, 15” wheels. Any smaller and they would be on a Corgi model.
My time in the drivers seat over, I swap places with David P and follow the Countach back to the Furlonger showroom, giving me a change to see the car in motion. It’s loud. Popping and roaring from the sports exhaust. But the looks!! It’s a visual punch in the face. If Rocky Balboa was a car, he’d be a Countach! (Yes, I know he drove a Jalpa in Rocky IV)
In 2022, there is still nothing like it on the road. Even at standstill it looks like it’s doing 100mph. Just imagine what the reaction was when it was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971. That’s 50 years ago and I can’t think of another automobile that is sold today that looks as dramatic.
So did it live up to my expectations or was it a hero I should never have met? A hero left on my bedroom wall.
The Countach is a dinosaur. The T-Rex of dinosaurs, but still a dinosaur. Hard to drive, tiring after a long drive, not as fast as it looks and takes a Herculean effort to get the best out of it. But for me, that’s what makes it a supercar. It’s a car that you won’t want to drive everyday, but every time you do, you will look forward to it and savour it. The looks alone are enough for me, but the driving is so analogue. So real. Every gearchange a challenge, every braking manoeuvre to be celebrated.
The Countach was fabulous. Old school. A car that you can drive and enjoy without breaking the speed limit.
The Countach is still my hero!
Word by Syeed Ali
Photos by David Pearce
Following a Legend
David Ball goes behind the scenes of the Countach drive
I am of course referring to the legend that is the Countach rather than the legend that is Sy. Although both legends in their own way.
So there we were David and I. David sitting next to me surrounded by various cameras and me readying myself to follow the Lamborghini driven by Matt Honeysett of Furlongers specialist cars in my Black 430 Spider. We waited while Sy attempted to gain entry into the countach. We applauded silently as he finally fell in at the third attempt.
I pushed the red button on the 430 and the engine fired up. Matt turned the key (that’s a quaint word, key) and the sound of my 430 became a murmur as all twelve cylinders of the countach fired up. David stood up in my car to take his first snap, immediately collapsing back in the seat as I moved the car forward.
David murmured “Bit of warning next time please”. Then we were off and when I say off we were really off. The Countach spitting fire burps and farts as we left Furlongers.
Soon the open road known to the locals as the A20 was before us. The Countach was now in its element . Hissing banging and popping and scaring the locals in the process. We passed the village of Charing before coming to a halt outside an Indian restaurant.
We left our cars. When I say we left our cars. David ,myself and Matt left our cars, Sy fell out.
Many snaps were taken and we returned to our cars. David mentioned to me that Sy was getting in the wrong side of the car. We looked at each other in horror. Sy was going to drive. I decided not to fire up the 430 thinking that we could be sometime and couldn’t really afford to waste the fuel.
The silence was shattered by the lusty twelve cylinders firing up and moments later a tranquil silence returned as the Countach lurched backwards and stopped. “He’s stalled it” David chuckled. Eventually the car was pointing roughly in the direction it was supposed to go and we were off. Slowly at first and after a few moments slower. David and I suggested over the radio the we push on ahead and take some shots as the Countach passed. We overtook the Countach which to be fair wasn’t difficult. Not sure how fast the Countach goes in first gear. So we parked in a layby on the A20 and awaited the Countach. we waited a bit more and decided we should wait a bit longer. A bit later the same day the Countach appeared. David’s camera fired off like a first world war machine gun. Sy had spotted David so indicated to pull over into a side road next to where my 430 was parked. Cars coming towards Sy caused a slight problem because he had to stop. Sy blipped the throttle as the car readied itself to cross the road. A gap appeared in the traffic, this was the moment. More revs the clunk as first gear was selected. A dab on the throttle and the car leapt forward and then stopped straddling the westbound carriageway of the A20. Cars were approaching at speed. The Countach spluttered and farted and refused to start. I tried to restrain laughter but failed as did David still snapping away.
Eventually a slow moving tractor allowed the now restarted Countach to continue across the A20. Matt opened the passenger door and three or four gallons of sweat poured out although It may not all have been sweat. Matt re took the wheel and back to Furlongers we went.
On a serious note the car was fantastic, the sound, the experience and the fun.