It was 50 years ago that the undisputed star of the event was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show: the Lamborghini Countach LP 500 in yellow. It was 10:00 a.m. on March 11, 1971, when this prototype first saw the light of day at coachbuilder Carrozzeria Bertone.
The success was so huge that a veritable race against time began in order to fulfill all customer requests and turn the pioneering "show car" into a production vehicle, albeit in small numbers. The decision to present the Countach LP 500 at Bertone's premises was justified by the fact that Lamborghini was currently exhibiting the latest addition to the brand with the bull: the Miura SV, perfected after 5 years of production. With this double presentation, the company communicated and reaffirmed its production strength, but above all its innovative power, so that the Countach LP 500, which made a stop in Geneva in the following months, was featured in all international motor magazines.
Image cultivation à Lamborghini
The Countach project with the internal code LP112, where LP stands for the rear longitudinal arrangement of the 12-cylinder engine, was the result of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's desire to consolidate the corporate image already demonstrated by the Miura with ground-breaking design and state-of-the-art technology.
The mastermind behind this mammoth task was the engineer Stanzani, who had been with Lamborghini since 1963 and General Director and Technical Director since 1968, who was responsible for the Countach's mechanics. The lines, however, which are still aesthetic, clear and forward-looking even after 50 years, were created by Marcello Gandini, Design Director of Carrozzeria Bertone. He is also responsible for the scissor doors that characterize Lamborghini's 12-cylinder models from this point onwards. The LP 500 differs significantly from the Countach, which went into production in 1974: a chassis made of sheet steel instead of a tubular steel frame, the 12-cylinder engine has a displacement of 4971 cm2 (a unique feature), the engine's air intakes are reminiscent of the gills of a shark and the interior features sophisticated electronic instruments.
Piedmontese expression lends its name
The name of the vehicle comes from an expression in the Piedmontese dialect. During final assembly, the vehicle was hidden in the agricultural machinery shed of a farm near Grugliasco (Turin) in order to prevent possible interruptions to production in connection with the labor unrest at the time. When it was finally "discovered" by a farmer, he exclaimed with astonishment and enthusiasm: "Countach". When the Piedmontese Marcello Gandini heard about it, he recognized the enormous communication potential of this word and also convinced Nuccio Bertone, Ferruccio Lamborghini and his colleague Paolo Stanzani.
After the success in Geneva, Lamborghini's chief test driver, Bob Wallace, began to put the LP 500, now equipped with a more reliable 4-liter engine, through its paces. The story of this extraordinary vehicle ends at the beginning of 1974 with the crash tests required for production vehicle approval, during which it is destroyed.
From 1974 to 1990, 1999 Countach were produced in 5 different series. The model not only adorned the walls of an entire generation and became a star of the silver screen in numerous films, but also enabled Lamborghini to survive the most difficult years in its history and finally achieve legendary status.
