Lamborghini's Holy Trinity, the Countach, Diablo and Murcielago, reigned supreme for almost four decades. Taken together they virtually define Sant' Agata's early history. This is the first book that examines this supercar triumvirate as a single discrete entity. Here, two passionate Lamborghini enthusiasts, who have owned their Countach for a quarter of a century and their Murcielago for a decade, meticulously describe the conception, development and production of Lamborghini's Holy Trinity, and each of the models' sub-variants. Uniquely , the authors also elaborate on the evolutionary golden thread that weaves its way between and through these three supercars. Automotive evolution is a key theme that runs throughout this book - simply because it was an unceasing series of innovations and developments that kept Sant' Agata's Holy Trinity, and indeed Lamborghini S.p.A. itself, alive over a thirty-nine year period starting in 1971. Equally, evolutionary forces were wholly responsible for this dynasty's death in 2010 - when external forces dictated that this bloodline could no longer adapt to be the fittest , and therefore no longer deserved to survive . This is also the first book that looks at how technological innovations, inter-manufacturer rivalry, and irrepressible socio-politico-economic pressures drove the Holy Trinity's evolution forwards. This ground-breaking book, with almost a hundred drawings, illustrations and colour photographs, also investigates those highly disparate factors - air pollution legislation, climate change pressures, driver, passenger and pedestrian safety laws, wars and revolutions, economic crises and global recessions, fuel availability and prices, and Central Bank interest rates - that forced Sant' Agata to transmute the revolutionary Countach first into the Diablo and later into the Murcielago. This book advances the unorthodox view that Lamborghini's Holy Trinity transcend mere vehicular transport and are works-of-art and historical artefacts, and proposes that this bloodline tells the story of the zenith of the internal combustion engine and motoring itself. AUTHORS: Dr Thillainathan Pathmanathan's fascination with Lamborghinis was spiked at the age of eight by the Marzal concept car and has never waned since. His primary interest is in the wedge-shaped, longitudinal mid-engined, spaceframe-chassised, Bizzarrini-engined, Lamborghini flagships. He has authored the world's first stand-alone books on the KTM X-BOW and Lamborghini Murcielago, and has written books on the Countach and Diablo as well as a dodecalogy of travel inspired socio-politico-economic essays. Dr Pathmanathan boarded at Cheltenham College, then obtained his medical degree from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, with a degree in Physiology from the University of London en-route. He trained as an eye surgeon in London, Southampton and Liverpool before undertaking a specialist Glaucoma Fellowship at the University of Toronto and was appointed a Consultant Eye Surgeon in 1999. He has nurtured Countach Chassis JLA12399, a totally factory standard Rosso Siviglia 88 1/2 5000 QV - one of only 14 such right-hand drive cars in the world - since 2001, and Murcielago Chassis 1564 - an unaltered Arancio Atlas 2005 Roadster - since 2014. His most precious automotive memories are of interviewing Paolo Stanzani, Giampaolo Dallara, Umberto Marchesi, and Marcello Gandini. Dr Anne Christina Reck's every visit to Sant' Agata, and every encounter with the people who conceived, developed and built Lamborghini's Holy Trinity, uniquely mesmerised her. Dr Reck has co-authored books on the KTM X-BOW, Countach and Diablo and a dodecalogy of travel inspired socio-politico-economic essays. Dr Reck graduated from the University of Copenhagen, trained as an eye surgeon in London and Southampton, and did a specialist Retinal Fellowship at Moorfields before being appointed a Consultant Eye Surgeon in 1999. Her most abiding car memories include the Murcielago factory launch, watching the last Diablo being built, and first setting eyes on the spaceship-like Countach. 80 colour illustrations
