The Lamborghini Countach Vs. The Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer 512

1. Exclusive and Limited
2. Fun Fact
3. Customized
4. High Maintenance
5. Bottom Line for Lamborghini and Ferrari

One thing that Lamborghini and Ferrari have in common is their exotic car status. To be fair, the term “exotic” when describing cars covers a lot of ground, so some cars may fall into the category that others don’t agree with. As a general rule, exotic cars are:

• Exclusive and Limited – meaning that the manufacturer only made a specific number of vehicles
• Customized – cars that are extremely altered or built by hand
• High Maintenance – these cars require specialized mechanics, something that might seem impossible in most situations

Let’s test out this theory on two extremely interesting models – Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari BB512.

Exclusive and Limited

What does it mean to be exclusive and limited? When a manufacturer limits the number of vehicles that will be produced for any given line, it is considered to be exclusive and limited. Here is where auto aficionados will argue that a specified “number” makes for exclusive and limited. We disagree, especially when you look at the number of vehicles manufactured and compare it to mass-produced models of automobiles.

Fun Fact

Leonardo Fioravanti claimed that he, Angelo Bellei, and Sergio Scaglietti nicknamed the car after Brigitte Bardot due to the prototype being exceptionally beautiful like the actress. Later Ferrari officials adopted the Berlinetta Boxer name stating that it was unprecedented for a Ferrari to be named after a woman.

Take a look at the Lamborghini Countach – this car was manufactured from 1974 to 1990. During these 16 years of manufacturing, 1,983 vehicles were produced, which equals approximately 124 per year. The Ferrari BB512 was manufactured from 1973 to 1976, and during those three years, only 929 BB512s were produced, which is approximately 310 per year.

Considering that the Ford Mustang manufactured almost 400,000 cars for that specific model in 1974 alone shows that the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari BB512 can certainly stake their claim in the exclusive and limited territory.

Customized

In terms of customization, most car enthusiasts require that the car be built by hand or be extremely altered to be considered exotic. Even those cars that were built from or used unique or unusual materials might be considered exotic to some. What do we consider customized in terms of classifying the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari BB512 as exotic?

First of all, the Countach was the first production car to incorporate scissor doors. Who needs normal doors when you can have a car with scissor doors. If you look at the types of cars that incorporate this style of doors, you will see many exotic names – Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, and so on. The shape of the car was also a bit extraordinary as well. The nose was tapered to a thin grill with retractable headlights. The use of trapezoidal shapes could be found throughout the entire model.

Finding the customized feature of the Ferrari BB512 required a little more digging. At face value, the BB512 looks a lot like some of the other models that Ferrari had released at the time. Then you learn that when the Berlinetta Boxer was constructed, it was the first time that Ferrari had even fathomed putting the engine behind the driver – further engaging customers with the overall design.

There was also so controversy about the meaning behind the “BB” name. Journalists dubbed the “Berlinetta Boxer” from the acronym due to the “boxer” engine style. Mauro Forghieri, an engineer for Ferrari, said that the name was initially BB for Berlinetta Bialbero (dual camshaft).

High Maintenance

The hardest part of owning a truly unique and exotic car is the fact that taking it to your local mechanic is probably not going to be an option. Unless your mechanic has years of experience with exotic and foreign cars like the Lamborghini Countach or the Ferrari BB512 – you are probably looking at taking it to a dealership for repair.

Try doing a Google search for “Lamborghini dealership near me” or “Ferrari dealership near me.” What do you come up with? Not a whole lot, right? Unless you live in a really populated area in California or Florida, otherwise it is hit and miss on whether or not you are in the vicinity of one of these dealerships.

Sure, there are some things you might be able to repair on your own without the help of a licensed mechanic. Unfortunately, most of your auto parts stores don’t accommodate your car’s make (trust me, I tried). If you look on eBay, you might be a little surprised what you find. Many of the parts available for these vehicles want you to convert them to fit a different part.

If you are lucky enough to find OEM parts, you better expect to pay for them. A set of engine cylinder camshafts for the Countach will run a penny shy of $2500. Plus an additional $80 in shipping. Next, look up the camshaft for a Ford Mustang. These are on sale for less than $100. It sounds pretty high maintenance to us!

Bottom Line for Lamborghini and Ferrari

When it comes to pitting the Lamborghini and the Ferrari against each other, hands down, both exotic vehicles would be a treasure to own. You can expect to pay a decent amount for one of these historical relics, so if you do get your hands on one of these limited production vehicles, make sure you don’t let it slip away.

Exotic cars are something you have to think about, though. Can you keep up with the necessary maintenance? Do you plan on driving the vehicle? If you want to set it on a pedestal and admire it, then you may not even care about maintenance other than keeping it in beautiful condition.

Whatever you are looking for, and no matter what you decide – Lamborghini Countach or Ferrari BB512 – both are truly unique and beautiful in their own way. Also, everyone likes an exotic car, and what cooler way to drive around town than to show off your awesome taste in cars than to drive in one of these exotic beauties!