Digging In The Crates - Supercar Classics

Digging In The Crates has now reached our stockpile of old CAR magazines. yeah, thats CAR magazines, not car magazines.
CAR magazine was launched in 1962 under the wordy moniker of Small Car and Mini Owner incorporating Sporting Driver . It was renamed as CAR in 1965.
CAR magazine back in the 70's and 80's was a bit of a firebrand; it pulled few punches and took few prisoners; they said what was on their mind and the motor industry frequently didn't like it. They complained all the time, withdrew their adverts, and even stopped CAR getting hold of test cars on occasions.
CAR was far ahead of other motoring magazines for the quality of its content. The depth of its prose, Photography (Ian Dawson's work on this particular article is a good example) and artwork (an example being Bob Freeman's technical watercolours are a particular standout for me) made the likes of Motor and Autocar seem staid in comparison.
As well as fantastic photography and artwork, it had equally fantastic prose; significant contributors during the magazine's heyday included George Bishop (the original editor), Henry Manney III (who sprung to prominence with his witty and amusing articles in Road & Track magazine), Doug Blain (editor from 1964 to 1971, and the man who really created the CAR 'template', Ronald 'Steady' Barker (who ironically defected from Autocar, as he felt his writing style was being compromised by their editorial outlook), Ian Fraser, Mel Nichols (two more memorable editors and publishers), Steve Cropley (probably the best CAR editor of them all, and the man who later saved Autocar & Motor from oblivion, in my opinion), Russell Bulgin (a true original thinker who went way before his time), Phil Llewellin (another brilliant journalist). Also, there were contributors  you should be very familiar with: Alexei sayle and Rowan Atkinson were surprise gems and a certain James May also had a monthly column. And lastly, the legendary LJK Setright wrote for CAR for many years, in many insightful series of articles, linking the development and history of the motor car to many other contexts.
It was a magazine that pioneered a lot ideas that are now commonplace; in the '60s they pioneered the 'Car of The Year' (COTY) competition that was subsequently decided by motoring journalists on a Europe wide basis. In the 70's, they started the 'Giant Test' feature, which compared similar cars against each other in one test, an idea frowned upon at the time by other motoring magazines desperate not to make one manufacturer's car seem inferior to another's and there offend. And talking of offending car companies, CAR's other great 70's invention did that with great frequency: 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'. Billed as ‘your new car guide to make the salesmen shudder’, Gavin Green once said that it "pithily summed up every car sold in Britain."
CAR was also renowned for its 'scoop' photos and mockup pictures and took delight in the irritation it caused to car manufacturers by revealing significant new models ahead of time. Thanks to the talents of spy shot photographer Hans G. Lehmann, they were almost unparalleled in publishing spy shots of car manufacturers new wares still in development; another area where CAR innovated.
Sadly, although CAR magazine still exists, it is but a pale shadow of its former self. Now owned by Bauer Consumer Media, it may be a decent enough read, it is but a pale shadow of its once mighty self; it is indistinguishable from any other UK car magazine covering the new car market now, in my opinion.

Bu anyway, let us not tell sad stories of the death of kings, but celebrate them in full pomp. Witness this article from the April 1984 issue, about 1980's supercar icons (all ironically launched early in the 70's), namely the Ferrari BB512i, Porsche 911 Turbo, Aston Martin Vantage and Lamborghini Countach LP500.
Enjoy.


- Amazosan

1975 Countach LP 400 - An Early Exclamation

We're not going to patronise you with the origin story of the Lamborghini Countach, fascinating though it is.There are plenty of books that have gone into detail over the evolution of this landmark supercar, the best of them probably being Jean-Marc Borel's fine tome (good luck in finding a copy; It was published in 1985 and is currently out of print). It's an outstanding narrative on every step in the building process of the Countach. Other books are available of course, kids. 

What we'd rather do is cut to the chase and show you this rather spiffing example of an early LP400. How early? Try the 28th ever production Countach to be unleashed from Ferruccio's Sant'Agata grotto. Let the excerpt below (from here) tell the story. Enjoy.

'The 28th Countach off the line, chassis 1120056 was built to custom order of wealthy Haitian Albert Silvera. A personal friend of Ferruccio Lamborghini, Silvera had previously ordered one of the Miura SV/Js and would later commission another Countach. To accommodate for all his special requests, this Countach was not finished by Lamborghini but by Bertone, who were better equipped to complete the custom work. Among the unusual features were the silver bumper, an antelope suede leather dashboard cover and the 'periscope' rear view mirror. The car also received a tweaked engine with a reported 60 or 70 additional horses and an open exhaust system.'

'Finished in a striking 'Rosso Dino', the car was completed in January of 1975. It was personally picked up by Silvera and his wife Gladys from the factory where Lamborghini himself handed over the keys. Braving the winter conditions, the proud new owner drove his latest acquisition through Europe to Paris. The custom Countach was subsequently flown to New York for the next leg of the journey, which saw the Silveras drive down the East Coast to their Miami home. Unlike his Miura SV/J, Silvera never brought the custom Countach to Haiti.'

'Little over a year later, on April 5th 1976, Silvera sold 1120056 to an American enthusiast to make room for a new Countach. In the following years, the unique Countach passed through several hands including those of American journalist and photographer Winston Goodfellow. By the time the current, Dutch owner acquired the car, some of its original features like the silver bumper were lost. Eager to uncover the complete story of the ex-Albert Silvera Countach, he dove deep into the car's history and managed to speak to most of the previous owners, including Gladys Silvera. He has since returned the car to its original configuration, while carefully retaining its highly original condition.

The result of this labour of love was first seen at the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, where the striking Countach was fittingly displayed alongside a Miura SV/J. Although forty years old now, the Countach still looks futuristic and was accordingly awarded the 'Trofeo Auto & Design' by the jury for the most exciting design. It also received a Mention of Honour in its class.'