Lamborghini Countach History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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The Countach — named for an exclamation of astonishment in the Piedmontese dialect — debuted as the LP500 prototype at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, with a design so radical it appeared to have arrived from the future. The production LP400 arrived in 1974, retaining the scissor doors, low wedge profile, and Marcello Gandini's angular bodywork, though with a 3.9-litre V12 rather than the prototype's 5.0-litre unit.
Over a 16-year production run the Countach evolved through five main versions: LP400 (1974–1978, pure original form, widely considered the most beautiful), LP400 S (1978–1982, adding wide body arches and optional rear spoiler), LP500 S (1982–1985, 4.75-litre V12), LP5000 Quattrovalvole (1985–1988, 5.2-litre four-valve V12), and the 25th Anniversary (1988–1990, restyled to celebrate 25 years of Lamborghini). Total production reached exactly 1,999 examples.
The Countach's 'Rambo' era — wide arches, huge rear wing, outrageous dimensions — made it the definitive poster car of the 1980s, its image arguably defining an entire decade's idea of the supercar.
Generations
LP400
Original, pure Countach — narrow body, 3.9-litre V12. Considered the most elegant variant.
1975 Photo: “1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopo” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
LP400 S
Added wide wheel-arch bodywork and optional rear wing — the 'wing car' generation.
1980 Photo: “Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S (1980) (55082341214)” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1981 Photo: “1981 Lamborghini Countach LP400S (34876574330)” by Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1982 Photo: “Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S (1982) (52865640787)” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
LP500 S
4.75-litre V12 displacement increase for more torque.
1984 Photo: “1984 Lamborghini Countach (36350022943)” by Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
LP5000 Quattrovalvole · 5000 QV
5.2-litre four-valve-per-cylinder V12 — the most powerful classic Countach engine.
1987 Photo: “1987 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV” by MrWalkr / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1988 Photo: “1988 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
25th Anniversary
Horacio Pagani-revised aerobody; 658 examples built to celebrate Lamborghini's 25th year.
1989 Photo: “1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Body styles
- Coupe
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