A single 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S finished in Oro Sahara, the only one ever built in this warm, dusty gold out of a production run of just 321 examples, is heading to auction at RM Sotheby’s with an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,100,000. Completed in February 1983 with a Champagne leather interior and six Weber carburetors, this European-specification car was built for the Saudi Arabian market and carries roughly 20 more horsepower than its fuel-injected American counterpart. Among Countach variants, that Weber setup is exactly what collectors want. This is, in every measurable sense, a singular machine.
The Countach arrived as Lamborghini’s answer to the question nobody had asked yet – what if a supercar looked genuinely dangerous standing still? Introduced in 1974, the LP400 evolved through the LP400 S, the 5000 S in 1982 and ultimately the 25th Anniversary edition before production ended in 1990. Each iteration grew wider, louder, more theatrical.
The 5000 S brought a near five-litre V12, flared fenders and those unmistakable Ozzeta Electron wheels, and today clean examples trade anywhere from $500,000 to well over $1 million depending on specification and provenance. Special-colour, low-mile survivors push toward the top of that range and beyond.
This particular car’s history is where things get strange. After changing hands in Riyadh in 1989, its new owner, a British expat working for Saudi Arabian Airlines, simply hated the gold. He had the car resprayed white, bolted on a rear spoiler and fitted matching white wheels, effectively burying one of the rarest colour specifications in Lamborghini history beneath a coat of paint. The car later moved to the UK and then Belgium, leading a quiet life before an Italian collector purchased it in 2005 and brought it home.
A flood in 2016 turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Rather than a simple repair, the owner commissioned a full restoration under the guidance of Lamborghini Polo Storico, with the work carried out by Caiarti of Milan. By 2022 the car had its Oro Sahara back, its Champagne interior, its original soul. It appeared that year at the Polo Storico 60 Giro and has been carefully preserved since.
