When launched at the Geneva motor show in 1971, the Lamborghini Countach was like a vision of the future, with its incredibly radical styling by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini. Through various evolutionary stages, the Countach remained in production from 1973 to 1990 and during that time 1,997 examples were manufactured, making it exceedingly rare as well as highly desirable. Subsequently, the magnificent Countach has risen to almost mythical status among collectors and enthusiasts. Now, as the model approaches its 50th anniversary, two passionate and deeply knowledgeable Countach co-owners have written an authoritative new book — the first English-language study of the car for 30 years — to celebrate this fabled Italian supercar in all its glory. The Lamborghini Countach: a remarkable supercar, a car of extreme and timeless appeal is the protagonist of this new monograph. The book opens with the long period of gestation in which Marcello Gandini – then head of design at Carrozzeria Bertone – defined the futuristic lines of a car that, to many at first sight seemed to have come from another planet thanks to the taut, sharply creased lines of its bodywork and its muscular mechanical specification, with the V12 engine located behind the driver’s shoulders. When it progressed from a concept to a production model (LP 400), the Countach successfully maintained its charisma, becoming one of the most enduring supercars of all. The thorough text draws on the direct testimony of many of the figures who contributed to the creation of the Countach: from Marcello Gandini to Giampaolo Dallara and through to the invaluable insights provided by the daughter of Paolo Stanzani. The book covers all the principal versions of the Countach: from the first LP 500 to the LP 400, from the 48-valve to the monstrous 5000 QW through to the 25 Anniversario that in 1990 represented the final chapter in the history of this unforgettable car.
