The car from 'The Cannonball Run' is now immortalized.
If you grew up in the Seventies and Eighties, you may remember a 1981 film called The Cannonball Run. It was an action comedy centered around the iconic but illegal cross country race of the same name that is still a hot topic today. In the film, one of the standout cameos was of a black 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S. A new Aventador-based version has just launched, but the original is the one we're interested in today. Already a legend in its own right, the Countach now joins movie-car royalty like the DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future by being included in the National Historic Vehicle Register, a list of historically significant automobiles.
In the film, the Countach was not actually the main attraction or hero car, as the main protagonists get around in a Dodge ambulance. Nevertheless, the black Countach appeared in key shots like the opening scene with two women occupying the Italian leather seats. The car was also featured on the film's poster, and even with its limited time on screen, it left a lasting impression. According to the Hagerty Driver's Foundation that runs the Register, the original car from the film was restored back to film spec in 2009. Fortunately, there wasn't much to change as the movie car only had a few extras like antennae, additional lights, and far too many exhaust tips.
The interior of the car was more of a challenge as it had been changed to maroon, but that was soon restored to the original tan color. Besides the fact that the car was in the film, the example itself is attractive in its own right thanks to just three owners using it for a combined total of a little over 16,000 miles. As much as that new Countach is sure to turn heads, this classic piece of Hollywood history is guaranteed to be stared at longingly. If you'd like to kill some time taking in all the details of this beauty, it'll be displayed at the National Mall in Washington DC from the 24th-30th of September.
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