Lamborghini Countach design review – AutoWeek

In the past, it was quite normal for a car manufacturer to use the services of an external design house to develop a new model. The DMC Delorean is an example of this. The first Volkswagen Golf was also signed by Giugiaro.

Even Lamborghini’s Countach was designed according to this method of operation. Now that the days of Italian design houses are numbered – almost without exception, every car is designed by in-house automotive design teams – we can no longer expect a Pininfarina-designed Ferrari or a Bertone-signed Lamborghini to appear again. Of course, some other studios are always available for once…

A revolution in automotive design in every way, the Countach was shown more than fifty years ago at the Geneva Motor Show as the LP500 Concept.

This yellow prototype makes its debut at the Carrozzeria Bertone booth. The decision to unveil the Countach LP500 in Bertone’s space was motivated by the fact that the Miura SV was offered on the Lamborghini platform. Nice car. But also it is still by no means seen as important enough to filter down – even subtly – into modern production models! The Countach is very important, and very distinctive.

The design was so radical that it immediately defined the future of Lamborghini on a stylistic level. For existing designers, this is a great source of inspiration and headaches. After all, how much could the new design deviate from this 1970s monoblock? Lambo’s newest member, the Revuelto, is clearly the grandson of the extreme supercar that appeared in 1971.

The Countach’s design could not be compared to any other production car of the time. It is a statue that one cannot help but admire. Regardless of personal opinions about the outstanding design. This review is not about taste, but rather about design facts. The Countach has been completely developed from a technical perspective. Powerful proportions and muscular volume, not to mention the active surface. The car may be a bit rough and clumsy in today’s world, but that can be forgiven – especially given the spirit of the 1970s. The design is very attractive, due to its extreme dimensions and design language.

Bertone understood better than anyone that to make a new major statement, a dramatic design that was reduced to the extreme must be created. The Countach, especially in its purest early form, is a clean design.

The folds and signature lines informed by the design of the work serve a clear stylistic purpose. The result is a supercar that, given its relative simplicity, is extremely exciting. And a supercar can therefore get away with very extreme paint colours.

Too much shouting within the design only creates noise, a cacophony of sound. It’s a problem that currently affects the designs of many supercars (hello Pagani!). The Countach consists of powerful, focused tones that are striking and therefore more effective – they live in an environment of silence.