50 years since the Lamborghini Countach became the poster child for wedge-shaped supercars.

Fifty years have passed since the Lamborghini Countach, a wickedly angular, ridiculously fast, and notoriously difficult to drive supercar, continued to stimulate the thoughts and desires of all who laid eyes on it.

It was at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 11, 1971, that the covers were first taken off the prototypes of the Countach, especially those finished in bright yellow. The Countach prototype, finished in bright yellow, was such a hit that Lamborghini rushed it into production, and just three years later the first customer model was produced at the Lamborghini factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese.

The Countach had a major hurdle to overcome. The Countach was to replace the legendary Miura, often described as one of the most beautiful supercars of all time. Fortunately, the Countach's design team was led by legendary designer Marcello Gandini of Bertone, who had worked on the Miura. Gandini also decided to use scissor doors, which became a distinctive element of Lamborghini's V-12 models.

The Countach remained in production until 1990, and Lamborghini celebrated its long run with a 25th anniversary model created by Horacio Pagani. Over the years, nearly 2,000 Countachs were produced.

Early models had a 4.0-liter V-12, but later versions raised the displacement. In both cases, the engine was mounted longitudinally and mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

As mentioned above, the Countach is a difficult car to master. According to veteran Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni, it is prone to oversteer because of the large engine positioned in the back. For Balboni, the challenge is part of the Countach's joy.

It may surprise you to learn that the name Countach is not taken from a Spanish fighting bull, as is common with Lamborghini names. In fact, it is taken from a Piedmontese word that has both positive and negative meanings.

Interestingly, there are rumors that Lamborghini may celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Countach with a special model. Lamborghini plans to unveil two new V-12 models this year, one of which may be inspired by the Countach.