The amazing Lamborghini Countach was the poster car on every bedroom wall in the 1980s showing the pure performance car build we still love.

This car delivered a wedge shape that looked cool, unlike the early versions of the Toyota Prius, and it gave us amazing performance and power. Considering the Countach first went into production in 1974, it’s difficult to fathom that it produced 748 horsepower with a turbocharged engine(a version that was never put into production). Nothing else on the road compared to what this Lamborghini brought to the market. Here’s a look at some things you might not have known about this glorious supercar.

To Say the Name is to Utter a Swear Word

We think of most Lamborghini models with names from fighting bulls, but not the Countach. This car has a name that is a swear word in the Piedmontese dialect because it was what the head of the Bertone design house said when he saw this car. Little did he know this Lamborghini would go on to be one of the most acclaimed models in the brand’s history.

We Don’t Often Talk About the Designer

The Countach is easily one of the greatest cars to wear the raging bull logo. Marcello Gandini designed this car. Gandini wasn’t only responsible for this car, but for many others, including the Miura and Diablo. When you think of these three names alone, you recognize the brilliance and quality Gandini put into the cars he brought to life. His legacy is in more than fifty amazing cars he designed throughout his career.

Oh, Those Sweet Lamborghini Countach Doors

One of the most distinctive features of this Lamborghini supercar was the set of scissor doors that appear to lift up and away from the car. It’s as if these doors come off the car completely, even though they don’t. The scissor doors became a signature item in the brand lineup thanks to Gandini, who created the design that brought us drama in every aspect of the Countach.

The Top Speed Left Something to be Desired

The battle between Ferrari and Lamborghini became legendary. Both companies wanted to wear the crown of fastest cars on and off the track, but only one could. Early estimates of the Countach top speed were overstated at 186 mph. This listing was an attempt to shake the Ferrari Daytona from its high horse, although the Daytona had only recently taken down the Miura. Eventually, individual tests showed the Countach’s top speed to be 170 mph, which isn’t shabby at all.

The Most Powerful Version Never Saw Production

We, the public, are outraged that we never got to experience the sheer power of the Lamborghini Countach. This car produced 748 horsepower from a turbocharged V12 In its most powerful form, which was truly insane. Lamborghini only built two prototypes, and the safety concerns around such a powerful car in the hands of mere mortals were too much to bear for the brand. Still, it would have been awesome to have that much power just once.

This Lambo Could Truly Race

Other supercars tell you about their top speed and potential cornering ability; the Countach had them all beat. This car is one of the best street-legal racing machines ever built. The aluminum body mounted over a tubular frame allows this speed demon to race down a windy road without batting an eye. Even though this car became a reality in the 1970s, the build and technology still baffle us to this day.

It’s Impossible to Drive in Reverse

The gearing and mechanics are present to drive the Lamborghini Countach in reverse, but you can’t see anything. This car has a huge back end and a tiny rear window. With no rearview cameras to aid the driver, the best way that owners found to back out of a parking space was extremely unorthodox. Many would simply open the door, hang halfway out, and work the pedals until out of the spot.

U.S. Models Wore Ugly Bumpers

The United States is known for being one of the strictest countries in the world with regard to regulations. The Countach models shipped into the U.S. required bumpers that stuck out like a sore thumb. Those bumpers found their way to the front and rear of these supercars, severely hampering the car’s overall style. What’s worse, these bumpers weren’t useful or functional, simply a way to appease the tight-shirt regulators in Washington.

A car Engineered for Function

Some cars on the road shouldn’t wear the vents, spoilers, or scoops they have on them. When a car doesn’t have much power, it doesn’t need aerodynamic or performance parts, but the Countach told a different story. Every vent, scoop, wing, or fold in the build of this amazing car had a purpose. The goal was to create a Ferrari killer, and the Gandini team created the ultimate supercar to take a run at the prancing horse brand.

Horacio Pagani Build the 25thAnniversary Edition

Celebrating 25 years of a car is always fun, but the legendary Lamborghini Countachheighted the fun. This car was on posters, in movies, and the talk of the world. Horacio Pagani created the car with more than 500 changes to celebrate the quarter-century mark, including building it completely out of carbon fiber. While this worked well for the Countach celebration, Pagani soon left Lamborghini because the higher-ups didn’t agree that carbon fiber was the future of supercars.

The Countach had a Long Run

Manufacturing of the Countach ended sixteen years after it began. Lamborghini ensured the final model would remain in pristine condition by placing it in the Lamborghini corporate museum, where it remains today. The date of this final production was July 4th, but that date doesn’t mean much to Italians, only to Americans. Once this car was put to pasture, the new Diablo, another Gandini production, took over and was the flagbearer for the brand.

The Lamborghini Countach is one of the most famous supercars ever built. This car still garners attention wherever it’s seen, especially if one drives past you in traffic.