When Countach officially went into production as Countach LP400 in 1974, it no longer had an actual periscope attached to its rearview mirror to aid rearward visibility, but still retained the viewing slot in its roof where drivers would have originally peered back through.


Sitting on a lightweight and extremely strong tubular space-frame chassis, the striking alloy bodywork comprised numerous vents and distinctive side NACA ducts in order to cool not only the engine and the brakes, but the cabin, too. Those scissor doors – responsible for catching the imagination of just about every schoolboy at the time – weren’t just cosmetic, either. The car was so wide that, with conventional doors, occupants would have been trapped inside in all but the widest of spaces.

The LP400 moved the game on from the Miura mechanically, too. In a bid to satisfy Ferruccio Lamborghini’s wish for less cabin noise, its 4.0-litre, 375 Hp V12 engine was mounted longitudinally (‘LP’ denoting ‘Longitudinale Posteriore’), unlike the Miura’s transversely mounted unit. The gearbox was unusually positioned 'twixt driver and passenger, improving gearbox connection and vehicle balance and, without the later models’ comically wide wheels, flares and spoilers, the LP400 was the quickest Countach of them all, reportedly capable of nudging 200 mph.


Just 150 (or so) ‘Periscopos’ were built, so named because of the small periscopic mirror installed in the original prototype’s roof to aid the frankly appalling rear visibility. Though the mirror was done away with (it beggars belief as to why), the rooftop tunnel remained on the early LP400s, and is one of our favourite design touches on the whole car.