Lamborghini Countach History

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.