Florida man found 'holy grail' best surviving Lamborghini Countach just sitting around in Japan

Everyone loves a good barn find, and this time it happened with a Lamborghini Countach LP400S… in Japan.

Hidden away for decades, one of the rarest and best-preserved examples of the iconic supercar has surfaced.

The discovery was made by John Temerian, founder of Miami-based Curated, who has handled hundreds of Countaches but says this one eclipses them all.

With its originality, rarity, and preservation, he calls it nothing less than the ‘Grail Countach.’

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This Lamborghini Countach looks almost brand new

It’s not a stretch to say that the Lamborghini Countach changed the world of supercars forever.

In fact, the supercar is so influential that Lamborghini recently released a new version of the Countach, which is something the brand doesn’t normally do.

But what makes this particular model so unique?

Well, the car in question is a 1978 Lamborghini Countach LP400S Series 1 ‘low body’, finished in stunning Blue Tahiti with gold Bravo wheels.

This is one of just 27 early examples fitted with rare small-gauge Stewart Warner instruments.

Even more remarkably, it retains its original paint, interior, carpets, and trim, looking almost factory-fresh despite being more than 40 years old.

Temerian explains why this particular car is so special:

“Most early Countaches don’t age well. The paint cracks, the foam collapses, the dashboards fall apart.”

According to him, this supercar looks like it’s just a year or two old, which is pretty remarkable.

The chase for the LP400S

The LP400S was the first Countach to adopt the flares and wide Pirelli tires that gave the model its poster-car presence.

Inspired by one-offs built for Canadian entrepreneur Walter Wolf, the Series 1 cars defined the outrageous look that made the Countach legendary.

Of the 50 early examples, only a handful survive in such untouched condition.

Originally delivered to a California businessman who reportedly ordered four of them at once, chassis #1016 eventually made its way to Japan in the late 1990s.

There, it sat for decades in a small dealership, covered in dust but shielded from wear.

Spotters knew of its existence, but the owner refused to sell.

That changed when Temerian’s team pursued the car through months of negotiations.

After a deal was struck, respected inspector Chip Davis gave it a rare glowing review, calling it a potential Pebble Beach preservation-class winner.

When the car finally arrived in Miami, the Curated team was stunned by its preservation, which is pretty significant, given that it wasn’t the first time they’d seen a vintage Countach.

Rather than restore it, the plan is to carefully service the mechanical parts, while leaving the paint and interior untouched.

For Temerian, the mission is clear: get the car up and running again for its future owner.

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