Project Lamb
/As a Bajan, I attest to the fact that if there was a really interesting car ever made in the world, there’s probably one in Barbados. This little gem in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is home to some incredible car enthusiasts.
Does anyone remember when the screenshot of this image went viral in all the car groups in Barbados a few years ago? Everyone claimed they knew the person that made it, and a ton of discussion was started about where it came from, if it was real, and basically who had the sauce on this iconic machine. Well, along with SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc. Sleeper Forest was given the opportunity to serve up the much-desired sauce on this very spicy topic.
Yes, by the way, if you’re asking if it's a kit car you’d be right. No, if you think that just because it's a kit car it loses all validity and purpose of discussion, let’s get that out of the way to start. I think the fact that this is a kit means a lot more than if it was a real Countach, and at the end of this series of articles I am hoping you would feel the same way too.
The Dream
All great projects start with a dream, in fact, the brand Lamborghini started with a dream when the owner of a Ferrari was not given the dream car he wanted. So he built it himself. This is my first point of argument regarding this car being a kit car, and why that matters. Kit cars are made with similar if not the same passion as the original car it’s based on. There are many levels that are ultimately determined by budget at which to pursue replicas but at the end of the day, the joy spans from building, and driving. We have examples in California where resto-mod cars are being recreated by Singer Vehicle Design, which specializes in Porsche.
Let’s take a look at this car here though. The kit was created by a UK company called Mirage. Legend has it that it was made through very nefarious means. A Countach was rented and all the panels were copied and molds were made of them, the Countach was then returned after the deed was done. This means that the standard of replication was incredibly high. I am sure the designer of the Countach was rubbing his ears all weekend when that happened, however, this cannot be confirmed. The production of this clone was definitely different from what was standard at the point of time, where a Pontiac Fiero was used as a donor car, it was extended and random panels slapped on it, and it was shipped off as an “Umborghini Countach”
This specific kit was imported to Barbados in 1996 by Evolution Cars in Six Roads. Specializing in Moke conversions, specifically the Suzuki Maruti moke and the fiberglass-bodied mokes. They even had one that was dubbed the Limoke as it was a stretched version. This Kit utilizes Lambo OEM parts, and in definite Lambo fashion, those parts came from other car companies. As you can see…. A Lamborghini is a kit car itself, assembled in Italy. Indicators and headlights from Fiat, locks from Mercedes, you get the idea. Knowing this goes a long way when building or repairing the kit. When the Kit was fully assembled it was presented to its first owner, he would drive it once or twice and then it sat. He sadly took ill and passed away eventually. The car was in storage for many years until it was found again, and the opportunity to restore it came up.
The powerplant of this kit car used an American 350 cubit small block V8. It was carbureted. This was mated to a Renault UN15 gearbox, something you would find in a Lotus Espirit, another rear-mid-engined car. After its maiden voyage with new ownership, it was clear this car was going to need some work and lots of it. It was definitely no Lamborghini. The suspension was shagged! And with windows that don’t go down more than a crack air-conditioning was imperative. The small block V8 left much to be desired to feel like a supercar, shifting gears felt like stirring soup and with those ultra-wide tires, steering was going to need some kind of mechanical assistance.
These fundamental points needed to be addressed if this car had any hope of being anything enjoyable to drive. Now that we have introduced you to “Project Lamb”, we will finally go in-depth, on how this project was reimagined, into someone’s dream car. The next article is coming soon, so stay tuned! Happy Motoring!
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