readouts for the Countach. This dashboard design was not fully realized in
time for the 1971 Geneva Auto Show debut, the LP500 prototype instead
using a conventional analogue speedometer and tachometer. However, the
LP500 dashboard incorporated other innovations from Gandini’s original
sketches, including aircraft inspired warning lights placed centrally on the
steering column, within the arc of the steering wheel. Another innovation was
the inclusion of an on-board diagnostic “OBD” system (long before the OBD
Standardisation) that displayed the status of the car’s individual subsystems
on a schematic view of the entire car, located on the dashboard to the driver’s
left. Due to the poor rearward visibility inherent in the design, a periscope was
integrated into the passenger compartment roof, instead of a conventional
rear-view mirror. Gandini also used a single-spoke steering wheel and deeply
recessed bucket seats, which shared a stylized motif of segmented blocks. The
low seating position, prominent transmission tunnel and wide door sills all
contributed to the sensation of being inside a race car cockpit.
The scissor doors of the Countach prototype were a prominent design feature
which carried over to the production Countach and have become a major
feature of all the subsequent Lamborghini V12 models. Gandini incorporated
this door design as both a styling gesture and to facilitate entry. The car’s wide
chassis and high and wide doorsills made entry using conventional doors
difficult in narrow spaces. Due to poor rearward visibility many Countach
drivers park by opening the door, sitting on the sill and reversing into the
parking spot while looking over the back of the car from outside.
Following the LP500 public debut in 1971, the body design was progressively
altered during testing to improve aerodynamic performance, high speed
stability, engine cooling and ability to meet mandated safety requirements.
This resulted in many differences between the LP500 and the production
LP400. The most visible change was the addition of several vents to improve
engine cooling. These included ducts spanning the doors and rear fenders on
each side and protruding air intake boxes. These replaced the louvred vents
behind the side windows. The slope of the nose was made shallower to reduce
excessive front-end downforce that caused destabilized of the LP500 during
braking. The futuristic dashboard and diagnostic displays seen on the LP500
were replaced with a conventional styled dashboard using analogue gauges.
The single-spoke steering wheel was replaced with a three spoke wheel similar
to those used on other production Lamborghinis. Lamborghini created three
pre-production Countach prototypes prior to the introduction of the LP400
production model. The first prototype was the LP500, which was displayed
at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show and later used for pre-production testing
and development by the factory. The LP500 prototype was destroyed in crash
testing at the MIRA facility in England while gaining European type approval.
The second Countach prototype chassis number 1120001 was shown to the
public at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show painted red and at the 1973 Paris
Motor Show painted green. The bodywork of this car was much closer to that
of the LP400 production model, and now incorporated the side ducts and air
intake boxes tested on the first prototype. This car showed some styling details
from the first prototype that would not carry over into production, including
trapezoidal windows and a bumper less nose. The third Countach prototype
chassis number 1120002 was shown at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show and
was the first to be constructed entirely in the Lamborghini factory, except
for the chassis built by Marchesi. It is sometimes referred to as the first pre-
production or first production LP400 Countach. This car was painted bright
yellow and had the finalized production LP400 body style. The trapezoidal
side windows seen in the first prototypes were replaced with a three-panel
design, which was easier to manufacture.
The Countach entered production in 1974 as the LP400 with a 3.9 Litre engine
delivering 370 bhp. It had a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds and a top speed
of 179mph. The styling had become rather more aggressive than Gandini’s
original concept, with the required large air scoops and vents to keep the car
from overheating, but the overall shape was still the same. By the end of 1977,
Lamborghini had produced 157 of the LP400.
In 1978, a new LP400 S model was introduced. The engine was slightly
downgraded from the LP400 model at 350 hp consequently the 0-62 increased
to 5.2 seconds and the top speed reduced to 158mph.
The most radical changes were on the exterior with the addition of fibreglass
wheel arch extensions, giving the car the look it kept until the end of its
production run. An optional V-shaped rear wing was available following
the popularity generated from the rear wing of the “Walter Wolf” Countach,
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