The Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S from 1979, chassis number 1121112, is known to many as the star of the 1981 action comedy "All Hell Breaks loose on the Highway" (original title "The Cannonball Run"). Exactly 40 years after the release of the film, which is considered one of the most legendary car movies of all time, the Countach goes down in history as one of the main characters and is included by the National Historic Vehicle Register of the US Library of Congress under the direction of the Hagerty Drivers Foundation in the list of just 30 vehicles to date that are considered to be of national significance for the United States of America.
To celebrate this historic moment, the Countach will be on display this week in a glass showcase on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., one of the most historic sites in the U.S. capital that is also home to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
As of now, all information about the vehicle, its history, a 3D scan, and a copy of all pertinent documents are housed at the Library of Congress, the oldest cultural institution in the United States that officially serves the United States Congress and functions as the U.S. National Library.
When the action comedy "All Hell Breaks loose on the Highway" flickered across the screen in June 1981 with a plot based on the Cannonball Run, an illegal car race that had been taking place for several years between the American East and West coasts, few predicted its enormous success and significance for American cultural history. It was a time when the speed limit in the US was 55 miles per hour (88 km/h) and the dream of speed - even just over the limit - was harshly suppressed by law enforcement.
At the same time, a group of passionate drivers decided to challenge the system and cross the continent from the center of Manhattan in New York to the pier at Redondo Beach in California in the shortest possible time. It goes without saying that such an action did not go unnoticed by Hollywood screenwriters. For the film, they chose the most iconic vehicles of the time and the crème de la crème of the acting world, with actors of the caliber of Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Farrah Fawcett.
The winner of the race in the film was the Countach LP 400 S from 1979 in black with mustard-colored leather interior, chassis number 1121112. From the more than three-minute intro, which is dedicated exclusively to it and was filmed in the desert east of Las Vegas against the soundscape of its V12 engine and six carburetors, the Countach became one of the biggest stars of the film and made the audience dream. The vehicle was delivered new to the then Lamborghini distributor SEA Auto in Rome, exported directly to the USA and sold in Florida.
In 1980, its owner, a friend of film director Hal Needham, made it available for filming. For the film, the car was fitted with a front wing, two spotlights, three aerials and twelve exhaust pipes. On set, it caught the eye of Ron Rice, founder of the sun cream brand "Hawaiian Tropic", known for its sponsorship activities in motorsport, who promptly fell in love with it and bought it on the spot. He kept it until 2004, when he sold it to the lawyer and Lamborghini fan Jeff Ippoliti from Florida, who still owns it today.
"The Hagerty Drivers Foundation," says Vice President Diane Parker, "is helping to shape the future of car culture by celebrating our automotive history. We provide programs and financial support in three focus areas: Car Culture, Education and Innovation. Each September, we celebrate automotive culture with our event showcasing historically significant automobiles on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Since 2009, 29 vehicles have been added to the National Historic Vehicle Register, a program created in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Library of Congress. We are now very proud that our car number 30 is the 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP 400, which starred in the 1981 movie 'All Hell Breaks loose on the Highway'."
Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S 1979 data sheet
- Engine: longitudinally mounted V12 mid-engine with a displacement of 3929 cc (bore x stroke: 82 x 62 mm) and a compression ratio of 10.5 : 1
- Supply: 6 Weber twin carburetors 45 DCOE
- Transmission: 5-speed + reverse gear
- Maximum power: 353 hp at 7500 rpm
- Chassis: tubular frame with steel tubes of different diameters
- Suspension: independent parallelogram suspension front and rear with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers (double at the rear)
- Brakes: 4 ventilated 267 mm discs with four-pump brake pistons
- Tires: Pirelli P7 205-50/15 front; 345-35/17 rear
- Wheelbase: 2450 mm
- Track width: 1492 mm front, 1606 mm rear
- Dimensions (L x W x H): 4140 x 2000 x 1070 mm
- Dry weight: 1200 kg
- Top speed: 285 km/h (178 mph)
