The Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 was the Italian automaker’s attempt to bring back a legend. Some enthusiasts argue that the Countach is the birth of the “supercar.” However, the revival of the 80s icon was not well received by all. Recently, the designer of the original Countach, Marcello Gandini, made his true opinions of the “new” Countach known.

Original Countach designer distances himself from the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4

When the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 was launched, the automaker gave it enormous fanfare and celebrated the debut as the return of an icon. A series of videos were released showcasing the LPI 800-4’s retro-modern design and highlighted all the ways the new Countach paid homage to the original.

One of the videos included a discussion between Marcello Gandini, the designer who penned the original Countach, and Mitja Borkert, the designer of the Countach LPI 800-4. The video appeared as two designers speaking about their respective experiences with the Countach.

However, Gandini released a press release shedding light on his involvement with the new Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 and what really happened in that video. When Gandini sat down to film the segment, he was presented with a scale model of the LPI 800-4 as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the original Countach. Apparently, Gandini thought it was merely a nice gesture; he had no idea that Lamborghini intended to produce and sell the LPI 800-4 as a limited-edition vehicle.

Marcello Gandini wants to make it clear that he had no involvement with the Countach LPI 800-4

In the press release, which went viral on Twitter after Drew Meehan shared it, Gandini clarifies that he is distancing himself from the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 or the “so-called new Countach” as it is referred to in the release.

The release explains that the new Countach does not reflect Gandini’s “spirit and vision” for “breaking the mould” and striving to create something new and fresh.

This matches some of the criticism of the new Countach as relying too much on nostalgia and reliving the past.

“I have built my idenity as a designer, especially when working on supercars for Lamborghini, on a unique concept: each new model I would work on would be an innovation, a breaker, something completely different from the previous one. Courage, the ability to create a break without sticking to the success of the previous car, the confidence in not wanting to give in to habit were the very essence of my work,” explained Gandini in the press release. “It is clear that markets and marketing itself has changed a lot since then, but as far as I am concerned to repeat a model of the past, represents in my opinion the negation of the founding principles of my DNA.”

Lamborghini continues to pay tribute to the Countach

Despite Gandini pouring a bit of cold water on the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 debut, the Italian automaker is still pushing forward with the celebration of the model’s 50th anniversary.

Recently, Lamborghini’s design division was tasked with digging up specs and schematics of the original Countach LP-500 concept and recreating it in perfect 1:1 scale.

If Gandini’s reaction is any indication, perhaps Lamborghini should have just stopped there.