Lamborghini

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of expensive sports cars, headquartered in the commune of Sant’Agata Bolognese, near Bologna. The company was founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who at the time already owned a large tractor-manufacturing company.

Founding history

Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) was a successful entrepreneur who owned a tractor manufacturing business. By the early 1960s he could afford to buy expensive cars: a Mercedes 300SL, a Maserati 3500 GT, a Jaguar E-type, various versions of the Ferrari 250 GT. But he found faults in every one of them.

Several versions exist of why he decided to start his own car company. The most popular version, told by Ferruccio’s son, holds that Lamborghini went to the Ferrari factory to complain about the clutch quality in his Ferrari 250 GT. Enzo Ferrari sent him away, telling him to stick to tractors, since Lamborghini understood nothing about sports cars. Back home, Ferruccio took apart the Ferrari’s transmission and discovered that many of its parts were made by the same supplier as for his own tractors. Finding suitable parts in his own warehouses, he fixed the problem himself.

The first models

To build the engine, Lamborghini brought in the talented engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who had previously developed a 12-cylinder engine for Ferrari. A V12 configuration was chosen for economic reasons.

The Lamborghini 350 GTV prototype was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in October 1963. In March 1964 the first production car, the Lamborghini 350 GT, was shown. Sales were a success – 123 units were produced between 1964 and 1966.

The 350 GT was followed by the 400 GT (1966–1968), which raised enough funds to develop the legendary Lamborghini Miura. That car was unveiled in November 1965 in Turin, with a working version shown in March 1966 in Geneva. The Miura was a huge success – 111 cars were sold in 1967 alone.

Iconic models

Change of ownership

Ferruccio Lamborghini owned the company until 1972, when he sold his stake to Swiss investors Georges-Henri Rossetti and René Leimer. The 1970s oil crisis hit sports-car sales hard, and in 1978 the company declared bankruptcy.

After that, Lamborghini changed hands several more times:

Technical features

Lamborghini has traditionally used in-house V12 and V10 engines. The company is known for embracing advanced technology:

• Materials: Heavy use of carbon fiber for bodywork
• Aerodynamics: Complex aerodynamic solutions, including active elements
• Transmission: Robotized gearboxes, all-wheel drive
• Design: A recognizably aggressive style, often with vertically opening doors

Famous designers

Outstanding designers worked on the look of Lamborghini cars:

Production figures

Lamborghini has always been a maker of exclusive cars. Annual production rarely exceeded a few thousand units:

Motorsport

Ferruccio Lamborghini originally set a rule that his cars would not race. But after the change of ownership the company got into motorsport:

• 1989–1993: Supplying engines for Formula 1 (Larrousse, Ligier, Lotus, Minardi teams)
• 1991: Its own Formula 1 team (one season)
• 1996–1999: The Diablo Supertrophy series
• 2000s: Competing in the FIA GT championship with the Murciélago R-GT

The lineup as of 1997

In 1997 the Diablo, in its various trims, was Lamborghini’s main model:

Other ventures

Besides sports cars, Lamborghini pursued other projects:

The Lamborghini Museum

In 2001 the Lamborghini Museum (Museo Lamborghini) opened in Sant’Agata Bolognese, displaying the company’s historic models. In 2016 the museum was fully renovated with new exhibits.

The company’s standing in 1997

In 1997 Lamborghini was under the control of the Indonesian Megatech group. The company was producing around 200–300 cars a year, mostly various versions of the Diablo. It was a transitional period – a year later, in 1998, Lamborghini would be sold to the Audi group, marking the start of a new era for the marque.