Lamborghini Countach: 50 years of pure passion and thrill behind the wheel

The Lamborghini Countach is celebrating its 50th anniversary and although the legendary model is turning fifty, the new Lamborghini models continue to draw inspiration from it. To mark this landmark anniversary, the luxury car manufacturer will release four videos. The first of these shows Marcello Gandini explaining the design lines of the legendary model.

The team at Lamborghini had a difficult task designing a revolutionary model that could replace the Lamborghini Miura. This new model featured a rear-mounted longitudinal engine. Gandini moved the Lamborghini Countach away from the rounder designs of the 1960s and surprised the world with a very sharp profile and a wedge shape that marked a before and after in the industry.

This is the Lamborghini Countach

Gandini has stated that “form must follow emotion and nothing else.” Another standout feature of the model is its scissor doors, which made getting in and out of the vehicle easier. The first version of the Lamborghini Countach was the LP500 prototype in 1971. This was followed by the first-generation Lamborghini Countach LP 400 in 1973.

The 4.0-litre V12 engine of the Countach LP400 produced 375 CV and allowed the model to reach a top speed of nearly 300 kilometres per hour. It is worth noting that only 152 units were built until 1977. Gandini has added that “people were not used to seeing images so raw and brutal.”

https://youtu.be/1PKN2JsJrw8

In 1978, the Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S arrived with much wider Pirelli P7 tyres, more pronounced wheel arches and an optional rear wing. In 1982, the Lamborghini Countach LP 5000 S arrived. This model featured a new interior and a 5.0-litre engine. Three years later, the Lamborghini Countach LP 5000 Quattrovalvole arrived with a 5.2-litre V12 engine. This version featured Bosch KE-Jetronic electronic fuel injection, and power rose to 460 CV.

In 1988, the 25th anniversary model was introduced, offering greater aerodynamic downforce. Fifty years on, the model remains very much alive.