Lamborghini is a brand that appeals to the imagination, but the brand used to make tractors. However, the ardent desire to beat Ferrari was at the heart of the creation of one of the world’s most imaginative brands.
Enzo Ferrari vs. Ferruccio Lamborghini.
The Italian Lamborghini is an illustrious name in the car world that makes the hearts of many enthusiasts beat faster. The origin of Lamborghini is known, but the exact cause is not entirely clear. In any case, it is a good story: rumor has it that Ferruccio Lamborghini, who got rich with the production of tractors, was told in a conversation with Enzo Ferrari that he could drive nothing but tractors. This while Ferruccio Lamborghini already owned several Ferraris and Maseratis. It was Lamborghini a kick in the sore leg and this gave him the idea to build sports cars himself. Whether it went exactly like this cannot be verified, but it is at least the explanation that Ferruccio Lamborghini himself gave during an interview.
The first Lamborghini.
Ferruccio Lamborghini had done excellent business with the production and sale of his tractors and the running of some other companies. Before he was fifty, he was already well inside and could actually do whatever he wanted. What he wanted was to build a car that could rival Ferrari. At the end of 1962 the ideas took shape and just six months later in May 1963 Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini was born. Lamborghini settled in Sant ?? Agata, from where the brand still operates today (2010). As a successful businessman, Lamborghini had amply proven to know his business: he knew he had to surround himself with the best people from all fields. His first car had to be and would be a success, so he gathered a club of big names around him: the V12 was developed by Giotto Bizzarrini, who was also responsible for various Ferrari engines. Franco Scaglione was responsible for the design, while the production of the body came into the hands of two then still relatively unknown talents: Giampaolo Stanzani and Giampaolo Dallara. The first Lamborghini was already a fact in 1964: the 350 GT. 120 units were made and later the car would be further developed and equipped with an in-house developed gearbox: the 400 GT, of which 273 were built.
The arrival of a legend.
Lamborghini grew fast and owner Ferruccio involved himself in almost all developments. The Lamborghini complex in Sant ?? Agata was extremely modern and efficient and the passionate Ferruccio was in direct contact with the shop floor. In the mission to put the brand on the map in 1965 at the Turin motor show, a lot of work was done on the network. Dallara and Stanzani came up with an idea for a racing car for the public road. It should be equipped with the 4.0 liter V12 from the 400 GT but this time with the differential and transmission integrated. Lamborghini in Turin hired the renowned Nuccio Bertone for the design. Within his company, the plans ended up on the table of Marcello Gandini who designed the car: the Miura. The Miura was presented at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show and was a hit. The car was not quite ready for production yet, but Ferruccio Lamborghini capitalized on the hype by parking a bright orange Miura in front of the famous Hotel de Paris in Monaco during the grand prix of Monaco. Orders poured in. To this day, the Miura is almost unanimously regarded as one of the best and most beautiful sports cars ever.
Crisis.
After the success of the Miura, Lamborghini wanted more and soon came the four-seater Espada and a model positioned between the Miura and Espada: the Jarama. They turned out not to be Lamborghini ?? s most successful models and so they worked hard on new models. In 1971 the Miura was revived with the SV, an even faster version. The Miura SV didn’t get all that much attention and that was Lamborghini’s own fault. On the same stand in Geneva, there was a new Lamborghini in 1971, a bizarre monster on wheels, a particularly brutal and for its time enormously futuristic car: the Countach. The production version was ready two years later, but by then Ferruccio Lamborghini had already sold his shares in the company to two Swiss, Georges Henri-Rossetti and René Liemer. Ferruccio Lamborghini had also proven himself in the sports car field and his resignation turned out to be a good step: shortly after the launch of the Countach, the worldwide oil crisis hit. The hyper-exclusive and very expensive Countach struggled, as did the company. In 1980 Lamborghini went bankrupt, when the highlight should have come with the Countach ??.
The revival.
In 1981 a new start was made with Lamborghini. The first achievement after the restart was the Jalpa, but more attention was paid to the Countach: after all, it had been around for a while but had not been able to shine due to circumstances. It was therefore further developed and with each update it became more intense. The rather bizarre line was continued when in 1986 the actually totally unnecessary LM 002 was introduced. It was a 4×4 all-terrain vehicle with sports car genes and the Countach’s V12 provided the drive. As expected, the Jalpa and LM 002 could not really generate large sales numbers, although the LM 002 has now (2010) achieved quite a cult status. The money had to come from elsewhere and Lamborghini started building formula 1 engines for the racing stables of Larrousse and Lotus.
A turning point in Lamborghini’s history came in 1990 when the Diablo came as the successor to the Countach. Lamborghini had meanwhile come into the hands of Chrysler. The Diablo, like the Countach, became an icon. In 1993 followed the Diablo VT, an even faster, even wilder variant with four-wheel drive. From that moment on, four-wheel drive became one of Lamborghini’s (optional) trademarks. Although the Diablo was a success, Lamborghini wasn’t quite where it wanted to be. Although the brand was mentioned in the same breath with arch-rival Ferrari in terms of speed, style and exclusivity, the quality of the products from Sant ?? Agata left something to be desired here and there, especially in terms of refinement. Lamborghini started a search and ended up with the German Audi. Audi had just emerged as a leading brand that rivaled BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and the brand had a strong drive to expand. In 1998 Audi bought Lamborghini and since then it has only gone better with the already legendary Italian brand.
Stronger than ever before.
The takeover by Audi was beneficial for both brands: Audi provided an enormous dose of know-how and gave Lamborghini the quality impulse it so desired. Audi in turn was able to use technology (engines) from Lamborghini, which made it possible for the Germans to create a super sports car like the R8 (2007). During the last decade (2000-2010) Lamborghini came up with the imposing Murciélago (which can be seen as a modern interpretation of the Countach and Diablo) and the slightly more compact Gallardo. Both models are doing particularly well and are absolutely leading in their segment. Lamborghini really arrived in 2010 and, together with Ferrari and Porsche, belongs to the pinnacle of sports cars. The takeover by Audi has also given the Italians the necessary financial scope, enabling Lamborghini to realize various special versions of both models, as well as spectacular limited edition models such as the Réventon. Lamborghini in 2010 is stronger than ever.