• A model perfected by Horacio Pagani and Sandro Munari • Present ownership in Switzerland since 2014 • Currently displaying 23,084 kilometres • Requires recommissioning 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.

Lamborghini's four-cam V12 was retained, 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 gear change and a better-balanced car than the Miura.

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