LAMBORGHINI Countach LP 400 1973-1981 Photos, engines & full specs

The Countach was the car that put Lamborghini on the map of exotic supersport vehicles, and it was the classic dorm-boy poster all over the world.

After trying different recipes, Ferrucio Lamborghini employed Bertone Studios to design a mid-engined supercar, and that was the Countach, which the Italian carmaker unveiled in 1974. It was the cleanest from the entire 25 years history of this model and the longest production supercar in the world.

Marcello Ghandini designed the car when he worked for the Bertone Studios, and it was based on the prototype Lancia Stratos Zero, which the coachbuilder showcased in 1970. But Lancia didn't want that, and Lamborghini grabbed it. Its wedge-shaped and the unique angled cut for the rear wheels transformed it overnight into a status vehicle. The LP400 was the first released by Lamborghini and didn't feature any flared arches or flamboyant wings in the back. Its clean design with flat panels and angular shapes was unmistakable.

Inside, it was cramped even for two people. Lamborghini was not at its first car or first mid-engined vehicle, but this one was the first that featured a longitudinal, mid-mounted V-12 engine. Its predecessor, the Miura, featured a transverse-mounted V-12. With that little cabin room left, Ghandini managed to squeeze a pair of sport bucket seats. To ease the ingress and egress, he invented the unique door opening system. The rectangular instrument cluster hosted eight gauges and dials. On the center stack, there were another two just to complete the information. Since the car was costly, Lamborghini tried to provide more features, including leather seats and an AC unit.

Under the hood, it was the same engine as on the Miura P400 but installed longitudinally. Lamborghini paired it with a five-speed manual gearbox.