Lamborghini Countach in Paris
Actualitzat: Nov 1
For many of us who were children in the 1970s, the Lamborghini Countach was the car of our dreams. For most of us, the closest we ever got to owning one was through Fournier car trading cards, Guisval miniature models or the posters we proudly pinned to our bedroom walls.
The Countach was the card everyone wanted. It graced the cover of the collection and effortlessly outperformed all its rivals on paper. Back in those days, we would press our noses against the windows of tourists' cars just to see how far their speedometers went. The thought of a car capable of reaching 300 km/h seemed almost as extraordinary as the space race itself. We should remember that this was the age of Concorde, and that man had set foot on the Moon only a few years earlier.
The Countach's unmistakable wedge-shaped body and scissor doors were the work of Marcello Gandini, Bertone's chief designer at the time. He was also responsible for masterpieces such as the Alfa Romeo Montreal. Its silhouette bears similarities to other Gandini designs, including the Alfa Romeo Carabo and the Lancia Stratos.
Unveiled in 1974, the Countach became the supercar of the 1970s and 1980s, with production continuing until 1990. The car shown in these photographs is an LP400, from the original series, whose lines are the cleanest and purest, remaining closest to Gandini's original prototype.
As the years went by, subsequent versions acquired increasingly swollen wheel arches, wings, air intakes and spoilers seemingly attached to every available surface. The final edition, launched to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary, was arguably the least successful aesthetically. Among all those added appendages, it even gained a rear bumper that rather spoiled the flowing lines of the original design.
The example on display at this year's Rétromobile in Paris was in virtually as-new condition. Even the tyres, carefully treated with silicone, had that unmistakable 1970s appearance.
These days, the Countach's wheels look almost comically small. Even an ordinary modern supermini comes with larger diameter wheels and wider tyres. Yet, on the Countach, those modest-looking wheels undoubtedly help preserve the balance of its original proportions.
A closer inspection reveals plenty of details that betray its hand-built nature. The interior, for instance, is entirely trimmed in leather and various fabrics, while the instruments and switches seem to have come from a variety of different suppliers. Even the rear lights, brilliantly integrated into the tail of the car, look as though they might have been borrowed from a bus.
But there is more to it than just looks. This particular version, powered by a four-litre V12 inherited from the Lamborghini Miura and fed by half a dozen carburettors, was capable of reaching 315 km/h and accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just over five seconds.
For most of us mere mortals, however, the Countach will remain a dream for a little while longer.
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