The World's Only Amphibious "Lamborghini Countach" Is for Sale on eBay
Most Lamborghini Countachs on the market demand outrageous amounts of money. Most Lamborghinis, it must also be said, are not very good seafaring vehicles.
This makes the world's only amphibious Lamborghini Countach* a steal at any price. And an absolute, why-haven't-you-already-bought-it-and-gone-bass-fishing-with-it-you-dingus bargain at an asking price of just under $27,000.
Okay, so this item, listed on eBay UK for £18,995, is actually just a replica, built on a tube chassis. "Build cost was horrendous!" the listing says, in what is almost certainly an understatement.
But as far as Countach replicas go, this one is impressive. The proportions are spot-on, the details-like the horizontally split door windows-are perfect. The listing says the body panels were molded from an actual Countach 5000QV, with the nose and tail styling updated to Anniversary spec. Panel gaps and door operation are described as "superb," which is more than can be said of most real-deal Countachs.
And, c'mon. Your Sant'Agata-built Countach doesn't have a power-take-off for twin propellors, dual rudders, and a front hydrofoil. I guarantee it.
The Amphiborghini (the actual name seems to be Z1A, which is decidedly un-evocative) was built by Mike Ryan, founder of England's SeaRoader Amphibious Vehicles and the man who helped build all of those amphibious project vehicles for BBC's Top Gear. "A nightmare to build! But the end results were worth it," Ryan says of his amphibious Lambo.
There's some astonishing engineering going on here. The four-wheel pushrod coilover suspension is fully adjustible, with hydraulics to compress the suspension and pull the wheels into the wheel wells for water travel. Also, it's got a smoke screen button. Yes, just like James Bond's Aston Martin.
As you'd expect with a one-off so delightfully bizarre, the Amphiborghini has led a strange and unusual life. Built as a right-hand drive for U.K. roads, it was at some point shipped to the U.S. and converted to left-hand drive, used in Hollywood, then returned to the U.K. and converted back to right-hand drive, as it sits today. The eBay listing says after its return to the U.K., the car was sold 15 years ago and never again used to its full amphibious potential.
Therefore, the Amphiborghini will need plenty of tinkering before it's roadworthy again. The fuel system, tires and brakes all need work, and the listing says the interior carpeting and seats have both gone missing. One wonders what they may have smelled like.
If you aren't yet convinced that you need the world's only amphibious Lamborghini Countach in your garage, I don't know what to tell you. As of this writing, it's still, inexplicably, unsold on eBay U.K. asking £18,995 or beset offer. Buy it, and live your best life.
