UniqueONES Who does not know the Italian raging bull logoed premium car brand, Lamborghini. The Italian sports car manufacturer is not only known for its car products with high speed, high prices, but also for its elegant and dynamic designs. Evermore recently the manufacturer had launched the Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae and said to be the last Aventador breed promised the best looks and performance.
50 years ago, a wedge-shaped sports car dubbed Lamborghini Countach debuted at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show and changed car culture for good (in pictured from right to left, 1976 Countach LP400 Periscopio in Marrone Metallizzato, a red 1979
Countach LP400 S, a 1984 Countach 5000 S in Bleu Acapulco and a black
1990 Countach 25th Anniversary Edition). (Picture from: ClassicDrivers)
And for a moment we return to the past, when 50 years ago 'the raging bull cage of Italy' released one of the iconic models called the Lamborghini Countach. As qouted of Countach.ch, the Countach model is debuted at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show appeared at the stand of the Italian coachbuilder company, Carrozzeria Bertone as the party entrusted by Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. to make the appearance of the V12 engined sports car become iconic and stylish.
1971
Lamborghini Countach LP500 Prototipo is designed by Marcello Gandini of
Carrozzeria Bertone, intended as the Miura successor and debutted at
the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. (Picture from: Motor1.id)
Maybe you're wondering why the Countach isn't displayed at the Lamborghini's booth and instead it is on display at the Bertone's place? Due to at that time Lamborghini showed off the Miura SV model in its booth. Indeed the Miura was the main model of Lamborghini at that time and the Countach was intended to be its potential successor.
1971 Lamborghini Countach LP500 Prototipo is powered by a Lambo's 4,971 cc V12 engine and built on the steel-made of chassis. (Picture from: Motor1.id)
Regarding to its name, it is very far from the Italian manufacturer habit in
the naming its cars, in which usually used the names or something
related to the bulls. Look at the Countach (pronounced 'kuntasch') it
has nothing to do with the bull at all. The word is taken from the
Piedmontese (a language spoken by most people in Piedmont, northwestern
region of Italy) for an exclamation of astonishment.
The Lamborghini Countach LP400 was the initial model and began to production from 1974 to 1978 as many as 150 units. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
The car development project was initiated by Ferruccio Lamborghini (the founder of the Automobili Lamborghini S.p.a.) who hoped the car could be the successor to the Lamborghini Miura. And another important figure behind the birth of the Countach was Marcello Gandini who was the Design Director of the Italian coachbuilder company of Carrozzeria Bertone then. Well, in the hands of him as a designer, so the Lamborghini Countach was successfully had its aggressive looks like it should be under the project name of LP112.
The Lamborghini Countach LP400 was the first production car to incorporate scissor doors and powered by a 3,929 cc V12 engine. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Just look, the firmly lines are found throughout its wedge-shaped 1970s typcal body with a scissor door design that eventually became the characteristics of this 12-cylinder engined Lamborghini supercar. Indeed, cars with this design were still rare in that era, moreover, at the exhibition the Countach was introduced with a Lambo's 4,971 cc V12 engine. In addition, the dashboard is also looks futuristic at that time and also equipped with various electronic indicators such as tire pressure control. So the Countach prototype successfully caught the public's attention when it was first shown in Geneva.
The Lamborghini Countach LP400 S is began to production from 1978 to 1982 and consisting of three series with the total of 237 units ever built. (Picture from: Artebellum)
When exhibited in the expo, the Countach was still as a prototype under the name Lamborghini Countach LP500 Prototipo (LP stands for 'Longitudinale Posteriore' due to the engine is mounted in a longitudinal position at the rear of the car), this is very different if compared to the Miura whose engine is transversely mounted.
The Lamborghini Countach LP500 S was the first production in the 1982 to 1985 with the total of 323 units ever built. (Picture from: ClassicDriver)
Eventually, the engine placement style like this has became a mecca for the next Lambo's supercar coming out of its plant in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. But unfortunately the fate of this prototype model after the exhibition did not last long and destroyed in the 1973 when it was used in a crash test to meet the homologation requirements of the car production.
The rarest Lamborghini Countach LP500 Turbo S is built in the 1984 as many as 3 units ever made and consisted 2 unit in black while the rest painted in red. (Picture from: FastestLaps)
Three years later, the first production version of the Lamborghini Countach was exhibited at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show is known as the Lamborghini Countach LP400, the change is related to Ferrucio Lamborghini's desire that the Countach's cabin be less noisy, so the production version uses a smaller engine, namely a V12 engine with a capacity of 4,000 cc.
The Lamborghini Countach LP500 Quattrovalvole is built in the 1985 until 1988 with the total of 610 units ever made. (Picture from: Bringatrailer)
Besides that, the chassis used by the Lamborgini Countach LP400 series is made of aluminum which aims to reduce the car weight, instead steel as used in the LP500 Prototipo. As qouted of ClassicDriver, the LP400 series only produced as many as 150 units from 1974 to 1978 and although it has a number of differences with the prototype, the presence of the Lamborghini Countach LP400 has been eagerly awaited, no wonder if the Countach's orders boomed.
The Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversario is built in the 1988 until 1990 in total production as many as 657 units ever made. (Picture from: Lambocars)
After that, several series, such as the LP400 S, LP500 S, LP500 Turbo S, LP500 QV, 25th Annoversary, Evoluzione Prototype and several limited production series were made by Lamborghini then at its production facility in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. And these models also use different engines such as the LP400, LP400S using a 4.0 L (3,929 cc) engine, then the LP500 S embedding a 4.8 L engine (4.754 cc) and the 500QV carrying a 5.2 L engine. (5,167 cc).
The one-off Lamborghini Countach Evoluzione is designed and built in 1987 under the direction of Horacio Pagani, intended to be a test-bed car for new ideas and said as the strangest looking Countach ever. (Picture from: Lambocars)
Due to the difference in the engine carried by each series of Countach, thus making the running speed also vary, ranging from 288 kph to 298 kph. And it is known during the production period of the Lamborghini Countach which lasted from 1974 to 1990, it has produced a total of 2,042 units scattered around the globe. After the Countach's production period ended, the Italian manufacturer launched the Lamborghini Diablo as its successor.
We make dreams come true. We did it with the classic Countach in the 1970s. And we’re doing it again. The new Lamborghini Countach is coming. #Lamborghini#Countachpic.twitter.com/nXctgIuyqe
Due to the difference in the engine carried by each series of Countach, thus making the running speed also vary, ranging from 288 kph to 298 kph. And it is known during the production period of the Lamborghini Countach which lasted from 1974 to 1990, it has produced a total of 2,042 units scattered around the globe. After the Countach's production period ended, the Italian manufacturer launched the Lamborghini Diablo as its successor.
