1-of-1 Arancio Miura 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

Raging Rarity - Some cars are born to fill a gap in the market. Others are born to make a statement. The 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary somehow managed to be both — conceived as a stop-gap before the Diablo was ready, yet refined and distinctive enough to become one of the most captivating Countach variants ever made. Over three decades later, one particular example — the only one painted in Arancio Miura from new — remains a living snapshot of Lamborghini’s rebellious spirit.

The 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, chassis KLA12958 with its sole factory Arancio Miura finish, stands as a vivid emblem of the marque’s rebellious spirit. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

When Chrysler took the reins at Lamborghini in the late 1980s, they had hoped to unveil the Diablo for the marque’s 25th birthday. But with delays in development, Lamborghini decided to give the Countach a final, spectacular send-off. They brought in rally legend Sandro Munari to fine-tune the suspension and a young Horacio Pagani to reshape the aerodynamics and integrate carbon-fibre elements. 

The 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary emerged when Diablo delays led Chrysler to enlist Sandro Munari for suspension tuning and Horacio Pagani for carbon-fibre aerodynamic upgrades. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

The result was a car that was not just more aggressive in appearance, but also more comfortable, better balanced, and easier to live with than any Countach before it. Its timing couldn’t have been better. In the wake of the 1987 stock market crash, investors turned to high-end collectibles, and exotic cars became speculative gold. Models from Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini were sometimes resold within days for multiples of their original price. The Countach 25th Anniversary rode that wave, with 657 examples built, just 67 of them in right-hand-drive.

The 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, chassis KLA12958 and the only one finished in factory Arancio Miura, features a spotless light caramel leather cabin with clean seats and panels, a crisp three-spoke steering wheel, clear gauges, and an immaculate center console. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Among those rare cars was chassis number KLA12958, delivered to the UK in May 1990 through Portman Lamborghini. Ordered by co-owners Richard Earl and Brian Morris, it came in a truly singular specification — Arancio Miura paint to match their earlier LP400 ‘Periscopio,’ beige upholstery, and no rear spoiler. It was the only 25th Anniversary finished this way. 

All 25th Anniversary models carried the 5.2-litre V12 from the LP5000 QV, but while most U.S. versions used less potent fuel injection, the Arancio Miura Countach’s “Downdraft” setup kept carburettors above the engine to deliver the full 455 horsepower. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

All 25th Anniversary models were powered by the 5.2-litre, 4-valve-per-cylinder V12 from the LP5000 QV, though most U.S.-bound cars used less powerful fuel injection. The Arancio Miura Countach is a “Downdraft” model with carburettors mounted above the engine, delivering the full 455 horsepower.

The 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, chassis KLA12958 and the only one finished in factory Arancio Miura, featured deep body-colored side skirts along the wheelbase, complemented by large NACA side ducts and pronounced rear wheel arch flares. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

For its first five years, it was used sparingly and diligently maintained before being stored in 1995 with around 5,400 km on the clock. In 2017, after over two decades of slumber, the car was recommissioned by Colin Clarke Engineering with an extensive service, including an engine-out overhaul and carburettor rebuild. Still showing only about 8,000 km, it remained in exceptional condition — the vivid paint untouched by time, the beige leather virtually flawless, even the original delivery tyres intact.

The 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, chassis KLA12958 and the only one finished in factory Arancio Miura, was acquired in 2021 by Mario Escudero, CEO of Garagisti&Co., who is pictured posing with his special car. (Picture from: ClassicDriver)

Its second chapter began in 2021, when it was acquired by its current custodian, Mario Escudero, CEO of Garagisti&Co., as cited by ClassicDriver. Escudero wasted no time in putting the car back on the public stage, showing it at events like Italian Car Day at Brooklands, the London Concours, and securing it a place at the prestigious Concours d’Elegance at Hampton Court. Remarkably, within a year, he tripled the car’s mileage — proof that this was no static museum piece but a machine meant to be driven. | 0v0NAccOayw |

The Countach 25th Anniversary may have been born out of necessity, but chassis KLA12958 stands as proof that it was also the definitive evolution of one of the most iconic supercars ever built. Wrapped in a one-off color that captures Lamborghini’s fearless character and now in the hands of an owner who actually enjoys driving it, this Arancio Miura masterpiece continues to roar into the present, turning every journey into an event and every sighting into a memory. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARNOSTALGIA | CLASSICDRIVER | LAMBOCLUB IN X ]

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