Countach Prototype

The car was first shown at the 1971 Geneva Car Show and outdated all other cars on that Show.
As a show car it had obviously no common things like a windscreen wiper or heating or ventilation, nor was it yet road tested for performance and drivability, it was simply a running show car.

But to be politically correct we have to admit, the scissor doors were already showed some years before on the Alfa Carabo in 1968, another design of Marcello Gandini during his time at Bertone.

Response on the car was great and Ferrucio Lamborghinis little company was again the Star of the Show showing what a enthusiastic crowd of young people could do.
But now he had to think about turning the prototype into a production car which took in fact much longer than was previously thought.
He denied the demand of Bertone to produce another series of Miura SV-Chassis, because he feared nobody would buy Miuras after the Countach was pronounced to be produced. Another bad decission in the History of Lamborghini since they could have easily selled another 50-100 Miura SV's during the Years 1972-1974...

Odd than the production Countachs from 1972-1990 the Prototype had a steel plate Chassis like the Urraco/Silhouette/Jalpa, Jarama, Espada.
Also the Prototype had a steel body not Aluminium like the production cars.

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Countach Prototype

In fact the name Countach LP500 was a lie or more pleasant a plan, the car was equipped with a normal 4l engine, the engineers only planned a 5 litre engine and published the characteristics, values and technical specifications as well as the predicted output. There was not enough time, man power and money to develop a new engine with bigger bore and stroke, we had to wait some years before it occured.

The prototyp had a very futuristic dashboard with electronic indication of the cars state, tire pressure control and so on, things you can find 30 years later on production cars have already been thought of by Bertones designers.

On the left was display of the car showing where a fault was located, the colour indicated the seriousity.

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Countach Prototype

On the left was display of the car showing where a fault was located, the colour indicated the seriousity.

On the below picture you can see as well the vertical, longitudinal position of the water radiators.

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Countach Prototype

Now again it was the part of famous Bob Wallace to road test the prototype and determine the changes needed to turn it into a production car.

Soon they found the major problem, overheating of the engine caused by a low air flow through the engine compartment, bit by bit they cured this by installing air scoops and Naca Inlets on the beautiful body of the prototype.
Not visible was the change of the position of the water radiators, changing from a longitudinal to a transversal mounting position made the air scoops necessary. On top of the radiators were air snorkels to feed the engine with fresh air, also an improvement over the first layout where the engine sucked in the hot air of the engine bay.

As can be seen on the picture an Islero like oil cooler was installed on the front, air outlets on the back end of the wings, very much indicating the direction the LP400 will later look like.

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Countach Prototype

Below the revised engine bay, the chassis sheet under the engine disappeared, the radiators are located like on all production Countach, refuel cap on the right side and left the water expansion vessel.

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Countach Prototype

After the prototype did all the needed development and the first real LP400 #1120001 was produced, it had to proof the strength of the chassis and was destroyed in the barrier test at MIRA (GB).
So the first ever made Countach was destroyed and can never be restored again...

This second ever built Countach still exists, Countach Chassis #1120001 was first red and shown at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show, later repainted green and shown at the 1973 Paris Motor Show.

I refound this car in 2000 in Switzerland and thanks to my obstinacy it's now in the factory museum.

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