The distinctively contemporary lines of the Lamborghini Countach, a legendary model celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, shaped the design of all subsequent Lamborghinis even up to today’s models, including the Aventador, Huracán, Sián, as well as the Urus.
“There are works of art that always remain relevant, and the form of the Countach is one of them.” These are the words that Mitja Borkert, Head of Design at Lamborghini, uses to describe the style of this automotive icon. “Its design,” adds Borkert, “is comprised of perfect proportions, characterized by a very pure and essential approach. Its distinctive feature is the single longitudinal line that visually connects the front and rear parts. From a stylistic point of view, it’s a perfect inspiration because, even when the rest is modified, the line is an element of visual continuity between past and present. It’s the epitome of the DNA in all Lamborghini design, the tradition of the stylistic language from the origins to the present day.”
Low and wide, the front view of the Countach is characterized by diagonal lines on the hood, which are also repeated on the engine compartment, making it immediately recognizable even from a distance. The shape of the passenger compartment, low and squared, combined with the typical slope of the windscreen, influenced the design of the various models that have followed the Countach. It is precisely these shapes that have remained unchanged over the years, along with the particular and characteristic cut of the side windows, which make a Lamborghini easily identifiable at first glance.
The Countach introduced a futuristic style ahead of its time during the 1970s, an era of explosive creativity and one of the most significant moments for design. These were years of important social achievements, which are reflected in significant changes that would inspire designers and creatives around the world. The space race; the advent of high tech with the development of modern computers; the trends in fashion linked to geometric patterns, extravagant choices and the explosion of bright colors; the advent of individualism and the Jet Age; are all elements that influenced the stylistic choices of the Countach’s designer, Marcello Gandini. The Countach is also due to the vision of Ferruccio Lamborghini, who believed right from the start in the revolutionary project, that today is still influencing the style of future Lamborghini models.
