Lamborghini History: Countaches

You may remember the Lamborghini Countach. Often hailed for single-handedly jump-starting the poster industry more than 25 years ago, it's also one of the most misunderstood supercars of all time.

It's often lambasted by those who have never driven one and dismissed as a toy for poseurs during a midlife crisis. But this Lamborghini's time has finally come. Its place in history as the ultimate high-performance car of its era is now secure.

The Countach lived a long life, remaining in production from 1974-'90 through some very tough years at Lamborghini. But its appeal as the ultimate fantasy car remained undimmed. You can't help but admire a model created with just two very clear aims: to go faster than all others, and keep Ferrari out of the spotlight.

The Debut
Rolling out the original Lamborghini LP500 prototype at the Geneva auto salon in March 1971 might have seemed premature, especially since it shared the limelight with the Miura SV. Although the LP500's transition to production car was far from assured when it was built at Bertone's studios in Turin, the amazing styling and avant-garde mechanical layout assured that potential buyers would be clamoring for the new sports car.

New Chief Engineer Paolo Stanzani decided to improve on the Miura's flawed weight distribution by mounting the LP500's engine longitudinally and then placing the gearbox between the front seats. This was a brilliant reversal of conventional thinking, and meant that the prototype was shorter in wheelbase and length than the Miura.

It was nominally more powerful, too, with a claimed 440 horses, though, of course, it didn't matter whether that figure was true or not. This was a showcar, and it needed big numbers to match its amazing Gandini-penned styling.

Making Its Way to Production
In the wake of the model's debut, Stanzani and Kiwi test-driver Bob Wallace turned the LP500 into a production reality. In short order, the plan for a larger engine was dropped and development concentrated on turning the surprisingly capable prototype into a usable supercar. Cooling was the major issue and, as development continued, bulky air scoops aft of the side windows replaced the original car's elegant gills. NACA ducts were added to the scissor doors, and the rear flanks gained slatted grilles. It was a wedge with attitude.

Two years after the original showing of the LP500, a more production-ready Countach LP400 was previewed. Despite the onset of global economic meltdown and downward pressure on speed limits, it still attracted huge attention. Lamborghini claimed a maximum speed of 198 mph, which made the Countach the world's fastest car. On paper, at least.

Any criticisms leveled at the LP400 by Balboni are tempered by a single sentence: 'But it's a Countach!'

When the production car appeared in 1974 it was soon abundantly clear to seasoned road testers that, as impressive as the Countach appeared, it was never going to get close to 200 mph. But then, when it looked this good, who cared?

And that's all part of the continuing myth of the Countach. Exaggerated top speeds became the car's calling card — figures that were as dramatic as the ever-widening wheels, expanding engine capacities and Walter Wolf-inspired aftermarket wings that adorned the '80s cars.

But which of the Countaches is the best? The pure LP400 Periscopo, the wide-bodied S or the fearsomely powerful Quattrovalvoles? Lamborghini's own test-driver Valentino Balboni will help us decide.

The Original: 1974 LP400
Although some think that the LP400 looked cluttered next to the original LP500, when compared to the later Countaches the 400's design has an appealing delicacy. In glorious yellow with a contrasting black Alcantara and leather interior, it's the most striking of our quartet — and the one that all our assembled testers want to drive first.

Valentino Balboni echoes everyone's feelings when they see this car. "This is the real Countach," smiles the ever-helpful test-driver who, while he wasn't part of the original development team, played a role in the model's evolution in its later years. And it's hard to disagree. What was once oversize and extravagant now appears dainty and perfectly proportioned — an impression that remains intact from behind the wheel.

"This is much lighter than the other cars here," says Valentino. "You feel it in the suspension, the steering and the tires. The steering is more precise, but you lose some stability because of the small tires; the car follows the camber of the road. It's very nice, but it's much more demanding."

On the track, you can also feel some flexibility. The suspension on early examples demands respect, especially when you load lateral forces into the rear tires. The car tends to oversteer constantly, but it is also the most controllable here thanks to the narrow 70-Series Michelin XWXs, and a softer suspension setup that allows a degree of body roll denied by the later cars.

The LP400's performance isn't quite as impressive as years of expectation would have you believe. Long gearing blunts its claimed 375 horsepower, and the car takes some winding up to start delivering — no bad thing given its epic soundtrack. Explains Valentino: "It was all about Lamborghini wanting to go fast. The Countach team wanted to break speed records for a production car. During development, this model — a standard prototype — was homologation-tested at Nardo at 202 mph."

But there are reminders that this car is nearly 40 years old. The brakes are weak and prone to fade if you're driving hard. You also need to pump the pedal to get the best out of them which, as Valentino explains, is down to the flexibility of the rear hub.

It's hard not to love the purity of the LP400. Look at its younger siblings gathered here and you'll conclude that Lamborghini got it right the first time — as long as you can live with the low levels of lateral grip and less-than-perfect brakes. Yet any criticisms leveled at the LP400 by Balboni are tempered by a single sentence: "But it's a Countach!" A perfect qualifier if ever we've heard one.

The Lean Years: 1984 Countach LP500S
Lamborghini was all but bankrupt during the mid-1970s. In the post-fuel crisis world, sales had slowed to a trickle, leaving the company with very little in the way of development resources. So when it came to partnering the Countach with Pirelli's impressive new 50-Series P7 low-profile tire, it was actually F1 team owner and Lamborghini customer Walter Wolf who invested the money to make it happen — initially on his own cars.

Chassis changes to accommodate the rubber (which were 345/35VR15s on the rear!) included revised suspension mounting points, along with new uprights and hubs. Although nowhere near as obvious as the tacked-on wheel arch extensions, these were significant modifications and it was only right that, when the revised car went into production in 1978, it was badged LP400S.

But the additional rubber allied with the unmodified engine had a negative effect on performance. Frontal area increased and maximum speed dropped.

In 1982 the situation was addressed with the LP500S (actually badged 5000S). The V12 increased in size to 4,754cc. Power remained at 375 hp but was delivered at a lower engine speed of 7,000 rpm. More telling was the torque, which rose from 266 pound-feet to 303 lb-ft. Combined with lower intermediate gears, it made for a much punchier drive.

"The first thing you notice over the LP400 is the difference in power and torque — it's much easier to drive quickly without the disadvantage of the older car's long gearing," Valentino says. The LP500S is definitely less peaky, with a much more linear delivery. Maximum acceleration involves running to 7,000 rpm as opposed to 8,000 in the LP400, making it a less aggressive drive. In terms of engine note, it's much the same: The volume of the bellowing has been turned up a notch, and sounds just a little more deep-chested and purposeful."

The major difference between the LP400 and LP500S is in the handling, thanks to all that extra rubber on the road. "These wide tires give really grippy road-holding," Valentino says. "The ultimate limit is much higher, and the responsiveness on the road is much improved, but the main difference is the additional confidence the new setup gives — even if it means that the steering effort is much higher."

We know what he means. When attacking the test track in the LP500S it's a case of having to really muscle into the tighter, slower corners. Some might say needlessly so, but it's all part of the Countach character.

One thing we're all agreed on is the way this car looks. White with a white interior should be a visual disaster, but instead the '80s color scheme looks absolutely fantastic here. It's suitably over-the-top for an extreme supercar. The rear wing, never officially offered as standard (or optional) equipment by the factory but instead sold via the back door, really sets off the lines of the LP500S — even if Valentino reckons it robs the Countach of about 12 mph from its maximum speed.

The Performer: 1987 Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole
The old rivalry with Ferrari showed no signs of abating as the 1980s continued. So when the Prancing Horse unveiled the 390-hp Testarossa in September 1984, Lamborghini immediately countered with a move to get more power from its long-serving V12. With a degree of financial security given to the company by the Mimram family (who had owned Lamborghini since 1980), and an engineering team now headed by the brilliant Giulio Alfieri, the route to extra power was more straightforward than it had been in the cash-strapped '70s.

Alfieri actually started the Quattrovalvole program after the arrival of the Testarossa. Valentino smiles and tells it like it is: "We wanted this engine to be more powerful than Ferrari's." Alfieri aimed for 450 hp and cleaner exhaust emissions — and achieved them using brand-new four-valve cylinder heads and centrally mounted downdraught carburetors (which required a vision-robbing, reprofiled engine cover). On the test bed, the 5,167cc engine produced 480 hp, but that was throttled back to 455 hp for the production version. Torque, too, was up substantially to 369 lb-ft.

On the road, Valentino reckons this Countach is perfect. He says: "This was the engine that finally delivered enough power to give this beautiful car the performance it deserved. In terms of driving sensation, it's not too far away from the previous car's; it's just smoother, more powerful and generates so much more torque." It's mightily impressive on the track, too, sounding almost identical to the LP500S, but from 4,500 rpm it pulls with so much more conviction, delivering a killer punch that still manages to place the QV near the top of the performance car tree today.

Dynamically, the Quattrovalvole is only subtly changed over the LP500S. The steering is heavier than on the older car, yet Valentino confirms that this could well be down to its grippy new Toyo front tires: "It's a subtle difference, but the steering on a Countach has always been quite heavy, yet still reasonable." We'd argue with that — yes, it has bags of feel in sweeping bends, but power steering would transform this car when the going gets tighter.

Valentino also confirms changes to the gearshift: "A new synchromesh has been fitted, and the change action has a very short travel, which makes things a little bit harder. It's more precise than the previous one, and is very quick." The soft-feel gear knob looks a little cracked in places — which has probably happened because of the sheer effort it takes to slot the lever in repeatedly, especially during downshifts.

But overall, the QV represents a massive leap over its predecessors. It's much faster — it's still quick in modern terms — plus it has the smoothest-responding engine, the most grip and the best brake/handling package. In objective terms it's easily the best so far — and Valentino doesn't pull his punches, either: "This, in my opinion, was the greatest Countach when new, the best-looking and the best performing. I like its character and temperament, and it remains a pure Countach to this day."

The Refined Countach: 1990 Anniversary Edition
By the time this edition was unveiled to celebrate Lamborghini's 25th anniversary in 1988, the company was well on its way to launching the Countach's replacement: the Diablo. That car would be, in effect, a massive modernization of the entire concept, with — as Valentino admits — one or two compromises, such as the move away from a tubular steel structure.

But the Anniversary was also a reflection of how times were changing for the marque in the boom-time late '80s. It received a fairly substantial face-lift, effected by a brand-new body kit with styling input from Horacio Pagani (a man who'd move on to create the Zonda). It has a smoother, friendlier look, with better-integrated cooling ducts than before, and the individualistic NACA ducts are now body-colored.

Inside, the Anniversary reflects the buoyant mood of the time. It loses the original car's appealing "deck chairs," and gains more lavish trim, climate control and electric operation for its laughably small side windows. It also feels much more tightly screwed together than the QV, although that could be down to the lower mileage of our test model (which was supplied by the Lamborghini museum).

The Anniversary initially feels almost Lexus-like after the other cars, and slightly at odds with the Countach's usually uncompromising nature. Yet, on the road, the smoother-looking Anniversary is almost identical to the QV.

"There were some minor changes to the rear suspension geometry, due to the fitment of shorter wishbones, but beyond making the car easier to drift there's little difference," Valentino says. Those modifications were necessary due to the tires rubbing on the new fenders, and also resulted in a slightly narrower rear track. But much more important from a technical view is the improved cooling system, which finally laid to rest one of the car's major Achilles' heels: its less-than-perfect hot-weather running.

The Anniversary certainly feels just as physical as the QV to drive on the track, with the same familiar set-in-concrete — if communicative — steering, brakes and clutch. Nonetheless, Valentino praises its low-speed ability. "There is no jerking when trickling along," he says. "It's smooth and there is a lot of clean torque, considering it's a multi-carburetor, old-school car. I think with the Anniversary we got the best compromise with what we wanted from a Countach."

Despite its divisive styling (which suffers for being less extreme than the QV's), there's something very likable about the way the Anniversary feels. It has all the poise and ability of its fearsome ancestors, yet it's just friendly enough that you can sit in it and not feel completely intimidated. Perhaps that would explain why the run-out model sold so well during its two-year stint, which led up to the arrival of the altogether more modern Diablo. The Anniversary represents the end of an era — but, luckily for the engineers at Lamborghini, it's also the best of the lot to drive.

The Verdict
Each generation of Countach drives just a little bit better than the last. So does it follow that the youngest is the most desirable? Not a bit.

The stunning beauty of the original LP400 makes it an almost irresistible proposition, and the lower limits of those XWX tires add a naughty charm that's lost from the later cars. Valentino puts the LP400 into great context: "This car turns a page in sports car history. It was everyone's dream to have one. I wouldn't want to change anything on this model."

And that brings us to the S and QV. Of these cars, it's the four-valve that offers the most of everything — performance, road-holding, even its soundtrack. With the QV you can still run rings around all but the most powerful modern hypercars.

Valentino loves the QV and has no reservations about declaring it the best of all. "It's still clean and pure Countach. I think it's the best compromise. In terms of power and drivability, for me it's the best. This is the one which has the most charisma, I would say. Pure Countach: the right engine in the right car."

But is the best car necessarily the one Valentino would take home? "Keys on the table, I would definitely, without a doubt, take home the LP400, because of its history, because here was a world-changing machine. This is the model that made Ferruccio Lamborghini a star. I love these cars, I love the company — this is the symbol, something special."

Thanks to Valentino Balboni, car owners Andrea Nicoletto, Albert Reich and Harry Metcalfe, and the Museo Lamborghini.

by InsideLine