Immaculate 1988.5 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV Hits the Dyno, Lays Down 320 HP

Just over 1,980 examples of the breed were produced through the year I was born, the year that gave us Violator by Depeche Mode, X by INXS, the second album by Jane's Addiction, and the debut album by Alice in Chains. The very last version of the Countach is dubbed 25th Anniversary, and – believe it or not – a gentleman by the name of Horacio Pagani styled that bruiser.

Prior to its, Lamborghini produced 610 units of 5000 Quattrovalvole. Sometimes confused with the LP500 S, the Quattrovalvole sports a larger engine (5.2 liters rather than 4.8) and – obviously enough – four valves per cylinder. The superb-looking 5000 QV in the video below is a 1988 model that's considered a 1988.5 by connoisseurs due to updated automatic climate control and side skirts.

Chassis number JLA12302 is a well-maintained bull coming from 20 years of previous ownership. It sold for $138,850 in February 1988, a mountain of cash that means $361,995 adjusted for inflation. One of 13 units produced for 1988 in Bianco over Rosso, this awe-inspiring machine recently underwent a major service.

Why? In preparation for its next owner, that is. Currently going for 305,000 bucks on Bring a Trailer with 10 days of bidding left, JLA12302 received a new battery, fluids, filters, ball joints, bushings, silent blocks, fuel accumulator and hose, steering and axle components, and wiper blades.

Pictured on refurbished 15-inch Ruote OZ wheels mounted with Pirelli Cinturato P7 rubber, the car also had its brake calipers restored for extra piece of mind. After the described major service, the selling dealer had the undercarriage cleaned with dry ice. A concours-level detailing followed suit, and here we are today. Prior to listing the QV on Bring a Trailer, the dealer also had it strapped to a dynamometer.

More than 30 years ago, Lamborghini advertised the 5000 Quattrovalvole with 420 horsepower on deck. The DynoJet, however, indicates approximately 320 of them ponies making it to the rear wheels, resulting in a loss of 23.9 percent. A bit curious given the aftermarket exhaust system with no restrictive catalytic converters, but then again, remember that you're looking at a 36-year-old car.

And boy, does it sound glorious cracking into the 7,000s! Offered with a copy of the certificate of origin and a Carfax report highlighting a March 2010 mileage inconsistency due to clerical error, chassis number JLA12302 is a bonafide collector's item; a twelve-cylinder marvel that deserves a spirited blast on a winding road every now and then rather than sitting idle in a climate-controlled garage.

From a mechanical standpoint, one could also argue that the Countach will outlive Lamborghini's current flagship. An extremely complex and software-intensive affair that brings together three electric motors and a 9,500-rpm V12, the Revuelto is the Raging Bull's last free-breathing production model.