Scrap Lamborghini for 2 million? This way!

For the uninitiated, it is often difficult to understand why certain objects are so valuable to collectors. It should be a Lego knight’s castle today How be worth much? 8900 francs? Serious?

In the exclusive world of collector subcultures, ‘desirable’ is defined in a very different way than in our everyday regular lives. Criteria such as rarity, aesthetics and provenance trump practical considerations. The current case studies would be the Lego collection just mentioned…

…or this Lamborghini here:

On November 25, this vehicle – in the condition shown – will be auctioned by auction house Bonhams as part of the “On the Grid” auction in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated price: 1.5 – 2 million dollars.

No. No joke. And since this is a reputable auction house, you can expect this assessment to be justified.

Wow.

Okay, so why would a Lamborghini that has been completely destroyed be worth so much? Especially this model: a rare Countach from 1989 25th anniversary edition – is a sought-after collector’s item. But one such example in pristine condition was recently valued by Sotheby’s at $350,000 – $450,000. A lot of money – but not a seven-figure sum. Besides, it was a flawless To copy. Not about an accident vehicle.

The reason for the exorbitant estimate is: Origin. The provenance of an object is of great importance to collectors. If it can be proven that a painting had a historically prominent previous owner, or that a car can be driven by a prominent racing driver, then its value increases dramatically.

And this car is the Lamborghini “The Wolf of Wall Street”.

In Martin Scorsese’s hit 2013 film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays investment banker Jordan Belfort, whose life spirals out of control as a result of his exponentially increasing wealth and his drug and alcohol excesses.

In an iconic scene, DiCaprio wants to get in the car and drive about a mile home. But unfortunately, he just took Quaaludes, which means his body is only partially functional. The result is a grotesquely incoherent conversation on the car phone, followed by a chaotic drive through the city in which the vehicle is severely damaged.

The decision to use a real 25th Anniversary Edition Countach in the film was highly controversial, as only 657 examples of this model were made and they have a correspondingly high collector’s value.

The 25th Anniversary Edition of the Countach was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Automobili Lamborghini SpA in 1988 and was sold until 1990, when the Countach was replaced by the Lamborghini Diablo.

It is up to the buyer what he wants to do with the car. There is a good chance that it will be displayed in a collection in its current state, as most of its value comes from this history. However, a potential owner could very well want to restore it to its original, drivable condition (which would probably upset movie fans).

Oh yeah: the vehicle also includes a director’s chair and clapperboard – both signed by Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie – two original crew hoodies and two DVDs of the film.

Interested? Here you can bid! 😃