Discover the Vehicles | Supercars: A Century of Speed and Spectacle

1985 LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH LP 500S

Top speed: 182 mph (est.)

Horsepower: 375

Engine: 4.8-liter V-12

Number built: 325 (total Lamborghini LP 500Ss)

Production Years: 1982-1985

Just ten years after Italian tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini began producing his own cars, the debut of the wildly dramatic mid-engine Countach established his firm as the foremost producer of exotic automobiles. With its ultra-modern body designed to have a pronounced cab-forward, wedge shape, the Countach diverged from typical supercar design, raising the bar for every supercar manufacturer that followed. Released in 1982, the LP 500S, also known as the LP 5000S, had a larger engine and styling that featured wide fender flares and an optional rear wing.

Courtesy of Rhonda and Dr. Anthony Nobles and the Nobles Family Automotive Museum

The design of the legendary Lamborghini Countach is rooted in that of the 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo concept car designed by Marcello Gandini for Nuccio Bertone’s firm.

Courtesy of Bertone