Internally known as Project 112, the Lamborghini Countach was designed by Marcello Gandi, who was impassioned by the Space Race and the historic first step on the Moon. Therefore, Marcello wanted to create something truly special, futuristic, space-like. I believe many of you will agree with me that he definitely achieved remarkable success.
Once the first Countach prototype was revealed to the public, it instantly became not just a car, but a true idol of pop-culture and a symbol of the ‘80s. Now, more than five decades have passed, and yet Marcello Gandini’s marvel still captivates many people all around the world, and I am no exception.
Back in November, when I caught a very strong flu, I was confined at home for two weeks. Somehow that brought me back to one of my biggest passions that I took from my grandfather – painting.
I came up with an idea to continue my CAVE series, just this time using a brush instead of my camera. The subject had to be the one and only Lamborghini Countach in Arancio Miura. I had been mesmerised by this car for quite some time, and since I couldn’t take photos of it at the time, I decided to paint it.
Once the painting was finished, I didn’t feel right about simply sharing it on social media. I wanted something much more meaningful, so I contacted Mario Escudero, the fortunate owner of this extraordinary work of art. He graciously agreed to give me an interview.
Today, I’m truly happy and grateful to not only share with you my recent painting but, more importantly, the wonderful story behind this remarkable car. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Could you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Mario Escudero. I was born and raised in Lima, Peru where I started a corporate career focused on marketing and general management that took me around the world, first to Venezuela and the US, and then to Russia, Kazakhstan, Italy and London where I currently spend a significant amount of time focusing on two start-ups, one of them I am happy to say is related to cars.
When and what brought you to the automotive world?
I have always been fascinated by cars and how their (internal combustion) engines work. Growing up in Peru during the 1980s it was usually VW Beetles and Toyota Coronas on the streets, but every time my dad and I would spot a Mercedes 190E or a BMW 316i, it would be exciting. That triggered my curiosity about what else was there that we were not seeing in Peru. I found out there was actually a lot more to discover in terms of cars, and something called ‘super cars’.
What was your dream car when you were a kid?
Besides the white Ferrari Testarossa (Monospecchio and Monodado) driven by Don Johnson in Miami Vice (and the occasional Countach on the same show), I didn’t have a particular dream car as a kid. I admired the cars I saw in American TV shows, and some of the supercars I read about in magazines like Car & Driver and Road & Track, but they felt too far away, almost from a different galaxy. This all changed in my late teens with the arrival of the first Ferrari F355 to Peru. I remember spending hours looking at it at one of the first auto shows organized there in the mid-1990s devouring its shape, trying to memorize its every contour. So that’s it, the Ferrari 355 was my first dream car, the car I wish I owned one day.
Now you own a truly special one, astonishingly beautiful Lamborghini Countach in Arancio Miura. Could you tell a bit more about the history behind this unique car?
Thanks for asking. This is truly a very special car as it’s the only one Countach 25th Anniversary painted in Arancio Miura (Miura orange), a color code that had been long discontinued when my car was made in 1990.
Turns out that the first owners of my car already owned an LP 400 Countach ‘Periscopo’ in the same color. For many years Lamborghini Portman, the London dealer, tried to persuade the owners to buy a second Countach without much success until 1990, the last year of production of the Countach. The owners agreed to buy a second Countach as long as it was delivered in the same color as their earlier example.
Lamborghini Portman first told them that wouldn’t be possible to which they were met with a very clear ‘no color, no car’ reply.
After a few phone calls the factory acquiesced and confirmed they would deliver only one more Countach in this beautifully creamy orange hue. The exact color name is actually ‘Arancio 1120106’ in reference to this car chassis number.
My car then spent 16 years in storage after which it was sold to a gentleman that kept it for around a year before I bought it.
What makes this car so exceptional to you? What do you like the most about it?
First, I love the way it looks. I find the combination of its shape, unique exterior color and cream interior simply mesmerizing.
Then there is the engine and the sound it makes. At high revs it shrieks like a 1960s Formula 1 car. The period correct Ansa sports exhaust certainly helps.
How would you describe the feeling of driving it?
Good question, and no easy way to describe it.
On one hand it makes you feel like a rockstar every time you drive (after all a few celebrities used to own Countachs), it is full of drama and theatre, especially when you need to sit on the sill of the car with half a body out the door just to be able to see over the roof and reverse safely. It’s a supreme exercise in showing off, and at the same time, there is no better way to manoeuvre the car when parking. People point and smile at it when they see it coming down the street.
Operating the gear lever is hard, especially when the gearbox is cold, the steering is unassisted, and the clutch pedal in traffic will make you wish you didn’t skip leg day. You quickly remember that Ferruccio (Lamborghini) started building tractors.
But cars like this were not made for the city. Drive it on the motorway, the autostrada or better yet, a German Autobahn, and the car transforms, the steering now perfectly weighted for high speeds, the delightful engine noise caressing your ears while the car remains perfectly stable at high speeds.
It’s simply epic!
What was the most special moment you had with this car so far?
I have two very special moments.
The first one is joining the Countach Rally in 2023 with almost 30 other Countachs, driving from London to Sant’Agata d’Bolognese in Italy where the Lamborghini factory is.
Amazing roads and driving, but the best part was meeting amazing people and making new forever friends.
The second one, is participating in the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este earlier this year. It was incredible that the car was chosen to participate, especially a car that is quite new for this concours standards. It was also super special because, I believe, this one is the only 25th Anniversary to ever be admitted in this show. The best thing however was the preparation to the show, re-reading the story of the car to be prepared for the judges, collaborating with Mark Smiley from Total Perfection, Finn Hansvold from Cura di Automobile and Kai Morita from Kamikaze Collection who joined forces to detail the car and even travelled from Northern Ireland, Norway and Japan to be with me on the shores of Lake Como and take care of everything. I found amazing how this car brought the best out of many people, and the amount of good vibes and good wishes we got while there.
How would you describe your taste in cars?
I love cars with soul, which is not easy to define, but it’s not difficult to recognize when you find one (the Countach is a certainly car with soul).
I also love beautifully shaped cars from all eras, and supercars from the 90s and 2000s mostly. I tend to gravitate to Italian cars, but not only, and I love special colors that bring out the best of a car design and even better if they have cream, champagne, cognac interiors (life is too short for black interiors!).
Given this, I love a wide array of cars, from 1960s Maseratis (I have one in blue over tan) to supercars like the EB 110 and Porsche Carrera GT.
I also admire cars that were for different reasons at the pinnacle of technology in the past, cars like the Mercedes SL R129 (I want one!) and the Lancia Delta S4 Stradale (I used to have one).
What is your favourite car event/-s and why?
I like Villa d’Este for its glamour and fairy tale location. I like both Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Revival, because you get to see amazing cars being actually used, moving around and even racing.
What do you think of the evolution of automotive design? What are the advantages and what’s missing?
I feel current automotive design lacks the soul and beauty of past eras. Perhaps is driven by safety and fuel efficiency regulations, or perhaps is that cars nowadays are usually the fruit of consensus and design by committee rather than the artistic expression it used to be. Perhaps this explains why so many modern cars draw inspiration from the past.
If we talk about supercars, I see beauty is now a secondary point after maximum performance. New super cars are amazing feats of engineering with mind-boggling performance, many are striking, even showy, but few are truly beautiful.
In the past if you were to buy the fastest car, it was likely it would also be the most beautiful car as well… this is no longer true.
I think is good to remember that great cars are not necessarily the ones that lap the Nürburgring the fastest, or the ones that generate more downforce, but those that make you smile more often.
What are your thoughts about the future of classic cars?
I think are here to stay because they offer things that are rarer and rarer in modern cars: beauty, soul, authenticity, engagement, and enjoyment at any speed (not just when driven above 9/10ths).
// All the photos were taken from Mario Escudero personal archive.
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Interview • MARIO ESCUDERO
Internally known as Project 112, the Lamborghini Countach was designed by Marcello Gandi, who was impassioned by the Space Race and the historic first step on the Moon. Therefore, Marcello wanted to create something truly special, futuristic, space-like. I believe many of you will agree with me that he definitely achieved remarkable success.
Once the first Countach prototype was revealed to the public, it instantly became not just a car, but a true idol of pop-culture and a symbol of the ‘80s. Now, more than five decades have passed, and yet Marcello Gandini’s marvel still captivates many people all around the world, and I am no exception.
Back in November, when I caught a very strong flu, I was confined at home for two weeks. Somehow that brought me back to one of my biggest passions that I took from my grandfather – painting.
I came up with an idea to continue my CAVE series, just this time using a brush instead of my camera. The subject had to be the one and only Lamborghini Countach in Arancio Miura. I had been mesmerised by this car for quite some time, and since I couldn’t take photos of it at the time, I decided to paint it.
Once the painting was finished, I didn’t feel right about simply sharing it on social media. I wanted something much more meaningful, so I contacted Mario Escudero, the fortunate owner of this extraordinary work of art. He graciously agreed to give me an interview.
Today, I’m truly happy and grateful to not only share with you my recent painting but, more importantly, the wonderful story behind this remarkable car. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Could you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Mario Escudero. I was born and raised in Lima, Peru where I started a corporate career focused on marketing and general management that took me around the world, first to Venezuela and the US, and then to Russia, Kazakhstan, Italy and London where I currently spend a significant amount of time focusing on two start-ups, one of them I am happy to say is related to cars.
When and what brought you to the automotive world?
I have always been fascinated by cars and how their (internal combustion) engines work. Growing up in Peru during the 1980s it was usually VW Beetles and Toyota Coronas on the streets, but every time my dad and I would spot a Mercedes 190E or a BMW 316i, it would be exciting. That triggered my curiosity about what else was there that we were not seeing in Peru. I found out there was actually a lot more to discover in terms of cars, and something called ‘super cars’.
What was your dream car when you were a kid?
Besides the white Ferrari Testarossa (Monospecchio and Monodado) driven by Don Johnson in Miami Vice (and the occasional Countach on the same show), I didn’t have a particular dream car as a kid. I admired the cars I saw in American TV shows, and some of the supercars I read about in magazines like Car & Driver and Road & Track, but they felt too far away, almost from a different galaxy. This all changed in my late teens with the arrival of the first Ferrari F355 to Peru. I remember spending hours looking at it at one of the first auto shows organized there in the mid-1990s devouring its shape, trying to memorize its every contour. So that’s it, the Ferrari 355 was my first dream car, the car I wish I owned one day.
Now you own a truly special one, astonishingly beautiful Lamborghini Countach in Arancio Miura. Could you tell a bit more about the history behind this unique car?
Thanks for asking. This is truly a very special car as it’s the only one Countach 25th Anniversary painted in Arancio Miura (Miura orange), a color code that had been long discontinued when my car was made in 1990.
Turns out that the first owners of my car already owned an LP 400 Countach ‘Periscopo’ in the same color. For many years Lamborghini Portman, the London dealer, tried to persuade the owners to buy a second Countach without much success until 1990, the last year of production of the Countach. The owners agreed to buy a second Countach as long as it was delivered in the same color as their earlier example.
Lamborghini Portman first told them that wouldn’t be possible to which they were met with a very clear ‘no color, no car’ reply.
After a few phone calls the factory acquiesced and confirmed they would deliver only one more Countach in this beautifully creamy orange hue. The exact color name is actually ‘Arancio 1120106’ in reference to this car chassis number.
My car then spent 16 years in storage after which it was sold to a gentleman that kept it for around a year before I bought it.
What makes this car so exceptional to you? What do you like the most about it?
First, I love the way it looks. I find the combination of its shape, unique exterior color and cream interior simply mesmerizing.
Then there is the engine and the sound it makes. At high revs it shrieks like a 1960s Formula 1 car. The period correct Ansa sports exhaust certainly helps.
How would you describe the feeling of driving it?
Good question, and no easy way to describe it.
On one hand it makes you feel like a rockstar every time you drive (after all a few celebrities used to own Countachs), it is full of drama and theatre, especially when you need to sit on the sill of the car with half a body out the door just to be able to see over the roof and reverse safely. It’s a supreme exercise in showing off, and at the same time, there is no better way to manoeuvre the car when parking. People point and smile at it when they see it coming down the street.
Operating the gear lever is hard, especially when the gearbox is cold, the steering is unassisted, and the clutch pedal in traffic will make you wish you didn’t skip leg day. You quickly remember that Ferruccio (Lamborghini) started building tractors.
But cars like this were not made for the city. Drive it on the motorway, the autostrada or better yet, a German Autobahn, and the car transforms, the steering now perfectly weighted for high speeds, the delightful engine noise caressing your ears while the car remains perfectly stable at high speeds.
It’s simply epic!
What was the most special moment you had with this car so far?
I have two very special moments.
The first one is joining the Countach Rally in 2023 with almost 30 other Countachs, driving from London to Sant’Agata d’Bolognese in Italy where the Lamborghini factory is.
Amazing roads and driving, but the best part was meeting amazing people and making new forever friends.
The second one, is participating in the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este earlier this year. It was incredible that the car was chosen to participate, especially a car that is quite new for this concours standards. It was also super special because, I believe, this one is the only 25th Anniversary to ever be admitted in this show. The best thing however was the preparation to the show, re-reading the story of the car to be prepared for the judges, collaborating with Mark Smiley from Total Perfection, Finn Hansvold from Cura di Automobile and Kai Morita from Kamikaze Collection who joined forces to detail the car and even travelled from Northern Ireland, Norway and Japan to be with me on the shores of Lake Como and take care of everything. I found amazing how this car brought the best out of many people, and the amount of good vibes and good wishes we got while there.
How would you describe your taste in cars?
I love cars with soul, which is not easy to define, but it’s not difficult to recognize when you find one (the Countach is a certainly car with soul).
I also love beautifully shaped cars from all eras, and supercars from the 90s and 2000s mostly. I tend to gravitate to Italian cars, but not only, and I love special colors that bring out the best of a car design and even better if they have cream, champagne, cognac interiors (life is too short for black interiors!).
Given this, I love a wide array of cars, from 1960s Maseratis (I have one in blue over tan) to supercars like the EB 110 and Porsche Carrera GT.
I also admire cars that were for different reasons at the pinnacle of technology in the past, cars like the Mercedes SL R129 (I want one!) and the Lancia Delta S4 Stradale (I used to have one).
What is your favourite car event/-s and why?
I like Villa d’Este for its glamour and fairy tale location. I like both Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Revival, because you get to see amazing cars being actually used, moving around and even racing.
What do you think of the evolution of automotive design? What are the advantages and what’s missing?
I feel current automotive design lacks the soul and beauty of past eras. Perhaps is driven by safety and fuel efficiency regulations, or perhaps is that cars nowadays are usually the fruit of consensus and design by committee rather than the artistic expression it used to be. Perhaps this explains why so many modern cars draw inspiration from the past.
If we talk about supercars, I see beauty is now a secondary point after maximum performance. New super cars are amazing feats of engineering with mind-boggling performance, many are striking, even showy, but few are truly beautiful.
In the past if you were to buy the fastest car, it was likely it would also be the most beautiful car as well… this is no longer true.
I think is good to remember that great cars are not necessarily the ones that lap the Nürburgring the fastest, or the ones that generate more downforce, but those that make you smile more often.
What are your thoughts about the future of classic cars?
I think are here to stay because they offer things that are rarer and rarer in modern cars: beauty, soul, authenticity, engagement, and enjoyment at any speed (not just when driven above 9/10ths).
// All the photos were taken from Mario Escudero personal archive.
2 replies to “Interview • MARIO ESCUDERO”
Manuel Rodrigues
Nice!!
oceansdesire
thank you so much! 🙂