The guys at Auto-Links in Scarborough has been trusted with the car audio in every vehicle in the Demaras Racing garage. Owner John and master installer Cody don’t play favourites when it comes to car audio brands. They choose the right equipment for the job, not just whatever has the biggest price tag. And that’s exactly why their latest project caught our attention.
Recently, the shop installed a modern touchscreen stereo into a 1986 Lamborghini Countach, then posted about it on social media.
Did we just ruin a legend or save it?
The iconic Lamborghini Countach 🔥 Poster car for a generation. But let’s be honest: the original 1980s factory audio system left a lot to be desired.
We retrofitted this absolute legend with a modern ZZ2 MPPLAY, single-din aftermarket head unit + discrete back-up camera, so the owner can finally enjoy seamless Bluetooth, modern audio and safety on a weekend cruise. And not to worry – the entire install can be reverted back to 100% stock!
Nothing brings out the self-appointed guardians of automotive history faster than someone putting a touchscreen into a classic car. Never mind that Auto-Links specifically said the entire installation was reversible. No Countachs were harmed in the making of this upgrade.
Look, if that’s your Lamborghini, do whatever makes you happy. Put a big fricken’ touchscreen in it. You do you. But there’s something funny about installing a $299 ZZ2 brand car stereo in a classic Countach that could be worth a million bucks. And not putting Alpine Car Audio into Lamborghini’s former poster girl? That seems like an automotive crime.
Back in the 1980s, Alpine stereos were practically automotive jewellery. Rows of tiny buttons, elaborate graphic equalizers and glowing green displays made the dashboard look like the cockpit of a fighter jet. Alpine even advertised its equipment using the mighty Lamborghini Countach. That’s not an association you throw away lightly.
The idea of an oversized ‘infotainment system’ sticking out of the single-DIN opening in an old Porsche 911 or brutalist ’80s Corvette just seems wrong. Apparently, somebody at Pioneer understands that classic cars don’t need to look like rolling iPads. Their answer is the new Pioneer SXT-C10PS, a retro-modern stereo with illuminated green buttons that would look right at home in a 1980s supercar.
The SXT-C10PS is a single-DIN stereo with AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, 4×50-watt maximum output, and USB connectivity cleverly hidden behind a fake cassette door. It’s all the modern convenience without the touchscreen taking over the dashboard. At roughly $700 CAD, it’s more than twice the price of the ZZ2, but that’s hardly going to bankrupt somebody driving a million-dollar Lamborghini.
So, did Auto-Links ‘ruin a legend’? Absolutely not. The customer got the modern features they wanted, and the whole thing can be returned to stock. Hard to argue with that, even if the internet tried its best. But given the choice between a touchscreen and a Pioneer with those glorious green lights, I’d take the Pioneer every time. After all, a Lamborghini Countach already looks like something from the future. There’s no reason its dashboard can’t stay in the past.
