To replace the iconic Miura, Lamborghini would once again throw the design rulebook out of the window. Employing Marcello Gandini once more, Lamborghini launched the spaceship LP400 at the Geneva motorshow in 1971. Three years later the first customer cars were delivered.

In 1974 the Countach was a trailblazer. Its design both pioneered and popularised the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high-performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularised by the Countach.

For the 5000 QV, the penultimate and most popular iteration of the Countach legend, the engine was bored and stroked to 5.2 litres (5,167 cc) and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — creating a "power bulge" on the engine cover. These engine changes meant that the car produces 455BHP @7,500rpm with 369lb ft @ 5,200rpm; some 70bhp up on its Testarossa rival and enough to propel the car from a standstill to 60mph in 4.1 seconds and on to 100mph in 10. The Downdraft 5000 QV was in fact the only Countach to be homologated for the FIAs Group B, intending to rival the likes of the 288 GTO and 959 before the cancellation of the series due to safety concerns. Such was the over engineering present with the Countach, even at peak production just three handbuilt cars a week were finished in Sant’Agata.

It is these facts and figures which make the downdraft QV the Countach to have, whilst the headlines have been grabbed the early Periscopica Countachs which have soared in value, peaking at auction as high as $1,800,000. In 2011, world-renowned period test-driver Valentino Balboni spoke the highest praise of the QV, ’It’s still clean and pure Countach. I think it’s the best compromise. In terms of power and drivability, for me it’s the best. This is the one which has the most charisma, I would say. Pure Countach: the right engine in the right car.”