40 years on, the Lamborghini Athon concept is still as futuristic as ever (with a stunning steering wheel).

In 1980, Lamborghini is going through one of the darkest periods in its history. The cash-strapped Sant'Agata Bolognese company was only able to survive thanks to an unlikely contract to assemble the Fiat 127 Rustica. And yet, it is precisely at this critical moment that an unexpected savior enters the scene: Bertone. The famous coachbuilder, a loyal companion of the brand since the Miura and Countach, decided to design a concept car to support Lamborghini. The result was the Athon, a daring prototype presented at the Turin Motor Show in April 1980.

The sun at the heart of a dark period

Its name, "Athon", refers to the Egyptian cult of the sun god. A significant choice for a roofless spider, imagined as a ray of hope in a period of economic darkness. For Bertone, it wasn't just a question of creating a show car, but of restoring Lamborghini's image as a forward-looking brand.

The project was entrusted to Marc Deschamps, a young French designer who had just succeeded Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The task was immense: to perpetuate the legacy of taut lines, geometric volumes and sharp silhouettes that had made the studio famous. The result is spectacular: a radical, monolithic, almost sculptural concept that still looks like something out of a science-fiction movie.

A timeless design

Based on the Lamborghini Silhouette, itself derived from the Urraco, the Athon takes its chassis and 3-liter V8 engine developing 260 hp. It is transversely mounted in a central rear position, and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Nothing mechanically experimental, but an avant-garde setting for this naturally-aspirated engine with its explosive temperament.

Visually, the Athon breaks the mould. Its low body (1.07 m) and sharp geometrical volumes reflect the rigor of Italian design at the peak of its art. The rear end is long, almost massive, while the passenger compartment is pushed forward to accentuate the feline stance. The wrap-around, smoked panoramic windshield blends into the body of the vehicle with astonishing fluidity. The glass surfaces are at one with the body, with a visual continuity that few modern cars can match.

Science-fiction interiors

But it's the interior that really takes the Athon into another dimension. Bertone, always ahead of its time, designed a digital dashboard with the help of Italian supplier Veglia. A totally electronic instrument in 1980! And that's not all: the controls for the windshield wipers, indicators and other functions are no longer found on conventional commodos, but in a small module within easy reach, to the left of the steering wheel.

And what a steering wheel! Monobranch, minimalist, it seems to float in the air, with a design halfway between a fighter plane and a space cockpit. More than 40 years after its unveiling, it remains an example of pure Italian creativity, to be discovered in action in the video at the bottom of the article.

A gesture of design... and solidarity

The Athon was not a gratuitous styling study: it was a gesture of friendship. Bertone had received no official order from Lamborghini. He simply wanted to remind the world that the brand still had a soul and a vision. A way of saying: "Lamborghini isn't dead, it's still dreaming."

This unique concept, built as a single example and never restored, has survived the test of time. Offered for sale by RM Sotheby's at the Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance in 2011, it sold for €347,200. An almost modest price for such a symbolic piece of history.

To look at the Lamborghini Athon today is to measure the extent to which Italian design already knew how to anticipate the decades to come. Its lines could still inspire a modern concept car. Its digital dashboard and driver-centric ergonomics are reminiscent of today's supercars. Forty years on, the Athon has not aged. And this steering wheel, a masterpiece of ingenuity and purity, reminds us that sometimes, the future takes shape in the darkest of times.