1982 Lamborghini Countach LP 500

The Lamborghini Countach was a cacophony of futuristic styling elements coupled with a daring wedge shape design, and a seemingly endless array of engineering achievements. The creation of its design began around halfway through the lifecycle of its predecessor, the Miura, as Ferruccio Lamborghini abandoned the goal of keeping up with rival marques and instead blazed a new trail. The success of the earlier Miura inspired the mid-mounted V-12 platform, and Lamborghini engineers worked tirelessly to siphon every ounce of power while maximizing every possible aerodynamic advantage with the body. It would remain in production for nearly two decades, and even when its lifecycle ending, it remained one of the most modern and draw-dropping vehicles on the road.

Paolo Stanzani, working alongside Massimo Parenti and test driver Bob Wallace, spearheaded the project. Marcello Gandini of Bertone penned the design, and a prototype was displayed in 1971 at the Geneva International Motor Show. After the show, designers and engineers returned to the drawing board, making adjustments as needed. The basic shape of the prototype shown in 1971 remained virtually unchanged over its nearly two-decade lifespan.

A second Countach prototype wearing a red paint scheme was shown to the public at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show, and then was repainted green and shown at the Paris Motor Show (1973). The third Countach prototype was shown at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show and had the finalized production LP400 body style. The first production model of the Countach was the LP400, produced from 1974 until 1978, with a total of 157 examples built.

Engine
Due to durability issues, the first production Countach models were equipped with the tried-and-true 3.9-liter (3,929 cc) V12 engine(Type L 406), as used in the Miura. It had a 60-degree cylinder bank angle, two valves per cylinder, and double overhead camshafts. Powering the 1974 Countach LP400, the 3.9-liter unit developed 370 horsepower at 8,000 RPM, which was less than that of the Miura SV. The Miura used down-draft carburetors, while the engine in the Countach received side-draft Weber 45 DCOE carburetors. Displacements grew to 4,754cc (4.8 liters) in the 1982 LP500S, and then to 5,167 cc (5.2 liters) with four valves per cylinder in the 1985 LP5000 Quattrovalvole. Six Weber carburetors were used until the introduction of the LP5000 QV model, which used Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection to comply with US emissions regulations. Examples that remained in Europe continued to use carburetors.

Specification
The Lamborghini Countach had a wheelbase size of 96.46 inches, a length of 162.99 inches, a height of 42.13 inches, and initially a width of 74.28 inches. After the LP 400, the width increased to 78.7 inches.

During the prototype and testing phase, many revisions were made to the chassis design. The first prototype used steel sheet and square tube construction, but the second prototype entirely disregarded this setup in favor of a full space frame constructed of welded round-section steel tubing. The updated design was stiffer and weighed less but involved a more complex welded assembly of cross-braced tubular frames. The full space frame chassis used in the second Countach prototype was used on subsequent production cars (basically unaltered). Chassis construction was handled by Marchesi of Modena, who had produced chassis for earlier Lamborghini models.

The LP400 wore Michelin XWX tires, with the front measuring 205/70R14 and the rear 215/70R14. The LP400 S received Pirelli P7 tires measuring 345/35R15, the widest tires available on a production automobile at the time. The wheel arches grew accordingly to cover the wider tires.

The LP400 S
The LP400 S was introduced in 1978 with wider tires and fiberglass wheel arches, and a slightly detuned engine now delivering 350 horsepower. A V-shaped rear wing was optional which improved high-speed stability but reduced the overall top speed by approximately ten mph. Approximately 237 examples of the LP 400 S were built through 1982. The first fifty examples, known as 'Series One,' wore Campagnolo 'Bravo' wheels with protruding hole edges and had a lowered suspension ride height. The 'Series Two' cars (105 examples built) had concave wheels, and the 'Series Three' examples had a higher suspension ride height than that of the Series I and Series II cars.

The LP500 S
In some markets, the LP500 S is known as the 5000 S. Produced from 1982 through 1985, a total of 321 examples were constructed. These were powered by a 4,754cc, carbureted V-12 engine with 9.2:1 compression (lower compression than the LP 400 S of 10.5:1) and delivering 370 horsepower and 308 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 RPM. It delivered the same amount of horsepower as the LP400, but with more torque (42 more lb-ft of torque). Compared to its predecessor, the LP400 S, it had 20 more horsepower and 45 more lb-ft of torque.

The LP5000 Quattrovalvole (5000 QV)
In 1985, engine displacement once again grew, now measuring 5,167cc. It received the name quattro valvole, Italian words referencing its four valves per cylinder. The repositioning of the carburetors from the sides to the top of the engine resulted in better cooling but required a hump on the engine cover, which reduced rearward visibility.

Six hundred and text examples were built with carburetors and sixty-six examples with fuel injection. With six Weber carburetors installed, the engine output was rated at 449 hp at 7,000 RPM and 369 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 RPM. With Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, the engine delivered 414 horsepower.

The 25th Anniversary Edition
The last evolution of the Countach was the '25th Anniversary' model, built to celebrate the 25 years of the marque. Bertone's iconic styling was elevated to new heights by Horacio Pagani, with the front bumper receiving integral brake-cooling ducts, the nose raised slightly, and a new rear bumper added. There were body-color air intakes, leading-edge air strakes to the scissor doors, and lower-body cladding. Ventilated discs with 4-piston calipers delivered stopping power, the competition-style, fully independent suspension improved handling, and the new Pirelli P-Zero tires enhanced grip. The interior gained power windows, a new steering wheel, improved air conditioning, and new power-adjustable seats.

These silver anniversary models were produced until 1990 before being superseded by the Lamborghini Diablo. A total of 657 examples were built. A total of 1,983 cars were built during the Countach's sixteen-year lifetime.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2008