This historic vehicle is getting the recognition it so richly deserves…
The 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S famously used in the movie The Cannonball Run has been inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register. It’s the 30th vehicle to receive the honor, with the last one being the 1981 DeLorean from the Back to the Future franchise. This version of the exotic Italian supercar is perhaps the best-known around the world, so news of the accolade has been well-received.
Learn about the man who built a Lamborghini Countach in his basement here.
Chassis #1121112 is one of only 105 Series 2 Countach LP400 S cars built for the 1979 to 1981 model years. In other words, even if this particular Lamborghini hadn’t been used for the filming of The Cannonball Run, it’s still a rare and highly desirable collectable.
This particular car wears Nero for the exterior, giving it a sophisticated, sinister appearance. That contrasts sharply with the Senape (mustard) interior. During the restoration, the interior color was changed to burgundy, but it has since been restored to the original color. Nestled behind the driver and passenger seats is a 4.0-liter V12 with 353-horsepower on tap.
While the Lamborghini Countach is well-known for gracing bedroom walls and Trapper Keepers belonging to many youth back in the day, the supercar also fascinated many adult gearheads. It helped to truly put Lamborghini on the map and solidified the design language which has continued into this century.
The Cannonball Run Countach will be joining the lineup for the upcoming Cars at the Capital event, which is set for September 3-30. Visitors of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. will see it and the other vehicles added to the National Historic Vehicle Register last year as well as so far this year.
Back in 2013 the National Historic Vehicle Register was created with the help of the U.S. Department of the Interior as a way to single out and thoroughly document some of the most historically significant cars and motorcycles in the country.
