The Countach Engine Inside a Car Even Collectors Have to Look Up

Monte Carlo Automotive made just 16 Centenaires, and one is now headed to auction with a possible price of $1.35 million. Under the bodywork is the engine from the Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, so the mechanical half of the car is already familiar. Most people who spot one will walk past it, but the few who know the 5000 QV will stop. That suits Florida. In Miami, a car gets noticed for how it looks. In Palm Beach, it gets noticed for being right. In Naples, nobody comments, and they write it down. With only 16 built, plenty of serious collectors in any of those towns have never seen a Centenaire in person. The $1.35 million figure is a top estimate, not a sale. Even so, a nameplate this scarce carrying an engine this well known gives anyone who cares about well-built cars a reason to look the name up and follow the bidding.

With reporting from Robb Report.