RETRO LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH Review by David Gidman
In 1970 , Ferruccio Lamborghini tasked Paolo Stanzani and his staff with creating a successor to the widely acclaimed Miura . The project was code named “ LP112 ”. From the beginning of the project Stanzani ’ s collaborators included test driver Bob Wallace , assistant engineer Massimo Parenti and designer Marcello Gandini of Bertone . Stanzani and Ferruccio agreed that the Miura ’ s successor required a mechanical design that enabled the greatest possible performance as well as a body that was both aerodynamically efficient and aesthetically daring . These principles were first introduced in the Miura ’ s development and enabled the commercial success of that model . Despite Ferruccio ’ s preference for comfortable grand tourers , he recognized the commercial value of a more uncompromising sports car like the Miura and gave Stanzani ’ s team permission to further push boundaries with the LP112 project . The resulting design incorporated successful aspects of the Miura , such as the rear mid-engine , rear wheel drive layout along with many new engineering and styling innovations . Lamborghini ’ s engineering team addressed several flaws in the Miura design . Improving highspeed stability and reducing lift-off oversteer as well as addressing the limited maintenance access , uneven weight distribution and cooling issues endemic to the Miura ’ s transverse engine layout . After a year of intensive development work , the first prototype designated LP500 was shown to the public at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show . Subsequently the Lamborghini engineering team spent three years refining this radical prototype into the production-ready LP400 Countach , which debuted in 1974 .
The Countach name originated in late 1970 , near the beginning of the LP112 project . Previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names are associated with famous bulls and bullfighting , but the Countach broke with this tradition . The name originated from the word “ contacc ” an exclamation of astonishment in the Piedmontese language from the north western region of Italy . Lamborghini used a system of alphanumeric designations in order to further distinguish Countach models . This designation begins with “ LP ”, an abbreviation of the Italian “ longitudinale posteriore ,” meaning “ longitudinal rear ”. This refers to the engine orientation or position . For the prototype and early production models , “ LP ” was followed by a three digit number designating nominal engine displacement , “ 400 ” for 3.9-litre engines and “ 500 ” for 4.8 and 5-litre engines . Therefore , the full name of the first production Countach was the Lamborghini Countach LP400 . As in the Miura , “ S ” was added for later high performance variants . This naming scheme was disrupted by the 1985 LP5000 Quattrovalvole equipped with a 5.2-litre engine , also called the 5000QV . The LP- designation was dropped entirely for the 1988 25th Anniversary Edition , also called the Anniversary . This alphanumeric designation is still used today but the engine displacement has been changed to the power output from the engine commonly known as BHP .
At the start of the LP112 project in 1970 Ferruccio commissioned Gandini and his team at Bertone to develop a body for the then-unnamed prototype . Chief engineer Paolo Stanzani supplied the design team with chassis information so that body design could proceed while the mechanical details of the prototype were finalized . Shortly before the 1971 Geneva Auto Show , the finished chassis was shipped to Bertone where the prototype bodywork and interior was installed . The resulting Countach LP500 prototype was unveiled at the 1971 Geneva Auto show , where it ’ s unconventional design drew great public interest and extensive press coverage . The LP500 prototype had a crisp , wedge-shaped design that compared to the Miura was wide and very low but shorter in overall length . The nose of the prototype tapered sharply to a thin grille . The uninterrupted slope was enabled by headlights in retractable housings that flipped down inside the body when not in use . The prototype ’ s body lacked bumpers , aerodynamic spoilers , side mirrors and any other addition that would have interrupted the lines of Gandini ’ s design . Trapezoidal shapes appeared throughout the body , including in the windshield , side windows , door openings , hood and engine covers and taillights . Air was supplied to the engine and side-mounted radiators through louvered vents immediately behind the side windows , although road testing quickly demonstrated these vents alone were inadequate to control engine temperatures .
The interior of the prototype was equally notable to contemporary audiences as the exterior , as it incorporated new technologies and bold styling decisions . Gandini initially sketched a dashboard with all-digital