The legendary Miura was always going to be a hard act to follow, so the extent to which its successor eclipsed the greatest of 1960s supercars came as something of a shock to all.

The sensation of the 1971 Geneva Salon, the Countach was styled, like its predecessor, by Bertone's Marcello Gandini.

The production version would not be seen for another two years, with deliveries commencing in 1974.

As used in the Miura, Lamborghini's four-cam V12 engine was retained for the Countach, though this time installed longitudinally.

To achieve optimum weight distribution, designer Paolo Stanzani placed the five-speed gearbox ahead of the engine between the seats, and the differential - driven by a shaft passing through the sump - at the rear.

The result was a delightful gearchange and a better-balanced car than the Miura.

When production began in 1974, the Countach sported an improved spaceframe chassis and the standard 4.0-litre - instead of the prototype's 5.0-litre - engine.

Even with t...