From Countach to Combat: The Lamborghini LM002 and Gaddafi’s unrealised battle plan

Powered by a V12 engine from the Countach, boasting a top speed of more than 200km/h, the Lamborghini LM002 4×4 wasn’t just the world’s first super SUV, it also came dangerously close to becoming the late Muammar Gaddafi’s ultimate desert patrol weapon.

Lamborghini was struggling financially in the 1970s, and its usual business of building low-slung supercars like the Miura and Countach wasn’t enough to keep the lights on. In a bold pivot, the company decided to chase military contracts, dreaming up an all-terrain vehicle that would appeal to armies (and deep-pocketed rulers) in the Middle East.

Its first attempt, the Cheetah (1977), was powered by a rear-mounted American V8 but was so unstable it never made it past testing. Its successor, the LM001, met the same fate. Finally, Lamborghini realised it had to think differently – so it dropped its legendary 5.2-litre V12 from the Countach into the front of the chassis. Thus, the LM002 was born.

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Of course, the idea of shoving the powertrain from the Countach into the front of the LM002 wasn’t a difficult decision at all, given the fact it was the only engine Lamborghini had at the time.

Unbelievably, Alfieri also developed a 7.0-litre V12 for the LM004 that never saw the light of day because it was simply going to be too expensive to build.

Colonel Gaddafi, who ruled Libya from 1969 to 2011, was infamous for his unpredictable tastes and ambitions. Reports suggest he was intrigued by Lamborghini’s prototype and saw the potential for a high-speed, all-terrain military vehicle – perfect for patrolling Libya’s vast deserts or showing off his military might.