A pair of very striking Lamborghinis were among the many stars at this year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Lined up side by side, they underlined the rapid evolution in design from the curvaceous lines of the 1960s to the angular wedge shapes of the 1970s.
The brightest of the two was this Countach LP400, built to special order of Albert Silvera. Among the things the wealthy Haitian specified for the 28th Countach off the line, were a silver bumper, an antelope suede leather dashboard cover and the 'periscope' rear-view mirror. The car was also fitted with an engine that reportedly produced as much as 60 or 70 bhp more than the standard V12. Having been handed the keys by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself, Silvera first drove the car from Sant'Agatha to Paris and subsequently from New York to Miami. He sold the car to make room for another Countach in 1975 and after passing through various American hands, the customised Countach is now in Dutch ownership. After carefully piecing its history back together, the highly original machine was carefully returned to its original specification. The spectacular result can be admired in this 18-shot gallery.
Silvera also owned one of just a handful of Miura SV/Js built, of which a sister car was shown at Villa d'Este on behalf of the owner by legendary Lamborghini test-driver Valentino Balboni. Inspired by Bob Wallace's unique Miura Jota, the 'SV/J' boasted a revised body and a slightly more powerful engine, which had the benefit of a competition inspired open exhaust system. Our feature car had been originally sold to an enthusiast, who resided on the French island of Corsica. Now in Italian hands, the car was recently completely restored with the exception of the beautifully preserved interior. Finished in a deep purple, the very rare Miura P400 SV/J provided a great visual and aural display on the shores of Lake Como.

Enjoy the links:

1974 - 1978 Lamborghini Countach LP400 - Images, Specifications and Information

1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV/J - Images, Specifications and Information