One of the definitive poster cars from the 1980s has emerged from a 37-year slumber. A black-on-black 1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole just hit Bring a Trailer, and it’s the kind of time capsule that rarely surfaces. With just 3,300 km (~2,100 miles) showing, this example spent nearly four decades with its original owner’s family before finding its way to market. This is the final form of Marcello Gandini’s revolutionary wedge design before Lamborghini introduced the more heavily revised 25th Anniversary model later that same year.
The Sweet Spot
When Lamborghini finally brought the Countach stateside in 1985, U.S. lawmakers had spent years keeping the Italian icon off our roads. The 5000 QV — Quattrovalvole, meaning four valves per cylinder — was engineered to satisfy both regulatory demands and performance expectations. The Bizzarrini-designed 5.2-liter V12 got bored and stroked from the earlier LP500S, but the real breakthrough for American buyers was the switch to Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. Those twin humps on the engine cover is how you differentiate a fuel-injected U.S. model from European versions with their single-hump downdraft Weber carburetors.
Output landed at 420 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, channeled through a five-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. Lamborghini also upgraded to Kevlar for the front and rear deck lids, shaving weight while maintaining structural integrity. Only 610 Countach 5000 QVs were built worldwide between 1985 and 1988, with just 66 destined for the U.S. market — this is one of them.
Time Capsule Credentials
Chassis LA12234 left Sant’Agata in September 1987 finished in Nero Tenebre over Nero leather with gold-finished 15-inch Ruote OZ wheels. All the iconic Countach signatures are present: scissor doors, pop-up headlights, NACA ducts aft of the doors, and that aggressive V-shaped rear wing. Inside, you’ll find fixed-back bucket seats, a leather-wrapped Raid steering wheel, a dogleg-pattern gated shifter, and an Alpine AM/FM cassette stereo.
Delivered new through Il Cavallino in Dix Hills, New York, the car was purchased by a young commodities broker who kept it until 2024. After light use through the early 2000s, it was stored among a curated collection before reemerging at the 2025 Greenwich Concours de Sport, where it won its class.
Spec Sheet
Model: 1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole
Engine: 5.2-liter quad-cam V12 (Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection)
Power: 420 hp / 369 lb-ft torque
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Drivetrain: RWD with limited-slip differential
Production: 610 worldwide / 66 U.S.-spec
Mileage: 3,300 km (~2,100 miles)
Pricing & Availability
After going unsold last summer at Broad Arrow’s Monterey auction, this low-mileage 1988 Lamborghini Countach got its second chance over at Bring a Trailer, where it concluded today with bidding reaching $715,000. The car includes manufacturer’s literature, tool kit, and its Greenwich Concours award.
Recap
1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV Auction
A nearly untouched 1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV with just 2,100 miles just sold on Bring a Trailer for $715,000 after spending 37 years with its original owner. This is one of only 66 fuel-injected U.S.-spec examples ever built, representing the final iteration of Gandini’s iconic wedge design before the more heavily revised Anniversary model arrived.
