He had to pay 1.2 million $ to get a Lamborghini... miniature with a lawnmower engine!

Steven D. Waldie, a New Jersey-based collector and seller of exotic cars, has just spent $1.2 million to get his hands on a Lamborghini Countach miniature. Yes, you read that right: a miniature. But not just any miniature.

It all began in 2001, at an auction in Hershey, where Waldie discovered for the first time this little Countach, barely knee-high. That day, it fetched $44,000, already an impressive sum for a "toy". Waldie, fascinated, confided to the owner:

"If you ever sell it, call me."

Twenty-four years later, the phone finally rings.

A dream at a golden price

The owner agrees to sell him the miniature... but on one condition. Waldie has to buy back several cars from his collection: a Messerschmitt, a genuine Lamborghini Countach, a Lamborghini LM002, a Ferrari 458 Spider and even a Fiat 500. In all, it cost $1.2 million to obtain the coveted toy.

The mini Countach in the lot is only estimated at around $85,000, but it remains the centerpiece of this unusual transaction. This model is no mere gadget: it's an Agostini Countach Junior, produced in Italy in the 1980s as a limited edition.

Built in 1984, the Countach Junior was offered in "open" or "closed" versions, the latter being the rarer. It featured a Briggs & Stratton 399 cm³ engine developing 11 horsepower, a two-speed automatic gearbox with reverse, hydraulic brakes, independent suspension and even functional headlights. All this on 10-inch wheels, with a Momo steering wheel and interior finish worthy of a true Lamborghini.

According to one source, at the time, in the 1980s, this little toy cost around $15,000, already a substantial sum for a child's vehicle.

A Lamborghini miniature apparently highly coveted

Today, the Countach Junior has become an absolute collector's item. Several buyers, in Germany, Brazil and Miami, have already offered Waldie more than $100,000 to buy it back. A very similar model, illustrated in this article, sold for €44,400 at auction in Paris in 2023.

"It wasn't a case, it was the end of a quest started over twenty years ago."

He now owns both: the miniature Countach and the full-size Countach. And he says he'd like to one day sell them together, as a duo, for $1 million. In short, if you ever see a miniature Lamborghini for sale, think twice - it could be an investment!