1. Automobili Lamborghini SpA is an Italian automobile company that makes high-end luxury sports cars. It is headquartered in Sant’Agata Bolognese, near the city of Bologna, Italy. Lamborghini was founded by an Italian engineer Feruccio in 1963.
2. Automobili Lamborghini SpA arose as a result of the competition between Feruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari (of Ferrari cars) who at that time was already known as a famous sports car manufacturer. Feruccio Lamborghini himself was an accomplished engineer; he was the owner and manager of a successful company that produced agricultural machinery. Feruccio loved sports cars and had a Ferrari 250 GT. Rumor has it that two major manufacturers had a falling out after Lamborghini personally turned to Enzo Ferrari over a broken clutch on his Ferrari 250 GT. A hot-tempered Enzo is believed to have recommended Feruccio to deal exclusively with tractors and never touch a sports car. Feruccio Lamborghini took it as a challenge and decided to use his assets, experience and passion to found a company capable of going head to head with Ferrari.
3. This may surprise some of you, but Lamborghini has never entered any major motorsports competition. According to Feruccio Lamborghini’s will, his company stayed away from racing, because the famous Italian engineer always believed motorsports was a huge waste of time and resources.
4. One thing Lamborgini has always been known for is its top-notch design. Some of the best professionals in the industry worked on his visual design, including Franco Scaglione, Touring, Zagato, Mario Marazzi, Bertone, ItalDesign and Marcello Gandini.
5. People often think of high-performance, luxury grand tourers whenever someone mentions the name Lamborghini. However, the Italian car manufacturer has created some unusual models. Feruccio Lamborghini had extensive experience in tractor production, so it seemed natural to him to try to design a car with high off-road capabilities. Lamborghini LM002 was the first SUV built by the Italian vehicle manufacturer. Combining speed and luxury with exceptional off-road capabilities, Lamborghini LM002 was ahead of its time in many ways. When it comes to comfort and ability to cross rough terrain, only Land Rover could compete with LM002. Unfortunately, the car market was not quite ready for the new luxury SUV. Thus, despite orders from the Saudi and Libyan armed forces, Lamborghini sold only 301 vehicles.
6. The Italian automaker launched its first production model in 1963. With a top speed of 280 km/h, the Lamborghini 350GTV was a leader among production cars of its time.
7. The Italian company uses a very distinctive naming convention for its car models. Feruccio Lamborghini was a great fan of Spanish bullfighting. In 1963 he visited the Miura cattle farm in Seville. It was owned by Don Eduardo Miura Fernández, one of the most famous fighting bull breeders in Spain. This visit had a strong influence on the Italian industrialist. In fact, he was so impressed by the traditional art of bullfighting that he made the decision to name all his new sports cars after famous fighting bulls. Traditionally, in Spanish bullfighting, bulls that manage to beat a matador are brought to life, and their names remain forever inscribed in the history of this sport. Ferruccio Lamborghini was convinced that the name of a fighting bull would emphasize the untamed nature of sports cars created under the Lamborghini brand. By the way, Ferruccio Lamborghini himself was also a bull in a sense, since his zodiac sign was Taurus. (He was born on April 28, 1916).
8. The first model that was presented to the world under the name “bullish” was Lamborghini Miura. The sports car debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966. It was warmly received by the public; however, viewers were somewhat confused, as they were not allowed to open the hood. This was not a coincidence – there was simply no engine below! Since the engine was still being designed, the prototype was sent to the Geneva Motor Show with a ballast instead of an engine under the hood. Eventually, the Miura proved to be a very good car.
9. Lamborghini Countach was produced by the Italian concern for 16 years (from 1974 to 1990). It should be noted that this sports car is one of the few Lamborghini models, with a name that has nothing to do with bullfighting and bullfighting. The word “countach” comes from the Piedmontese language, spoken in a region of Piedmont in northwestern Italy. It is an expression of excitement or wonder and can be translated as “My gosh!” According to legend, Nuccio Bertone himself made such an exclamation when he saw the first sketches of the future supercar.
10. The Lamborghini story was not always a success story. In 1987, the American automobile giant Chrysler practically saved it from oblivion by acquiring it. The same year, the Italian vehicle manufacturer presented a peculiar concept car under the name of Portofino. It was a guillotine-type four-door sedan, powered by a rear-mounted 3.5-liter engine. Although it remained only as a prototype, its image and design were later embodied in many Chrysler automobiles.
11. In 1994, Lamborghini was acquired by an Indonesian investment group. It was a period of uncertainty for the Italian brand. The German car giant Volkswagen saved the famous vehicle manufacturer. Since 1998, Volkswagen has controlled Lamborghini through its Audi subdivision. Without a doubt, this was a mutually beneficial union for both companies.
12. The design of the modern Lamborghini is unusual even for supercars. The steel-cut body style, which became the signature of most Lamborghini models, makes it similar to fighter jets. Designer Filippo Perini admitted that he was inspired by military aviation. He was particularly impressed by the American B-2 and F-22 aircraft while working on Lamborghini Aventador.
13. It turned out that the powerful Lamborghini V12 engine is perfect for both speedboats and supercars. Such technical symbiosis is not common in the automotive industry. The Riva Aquarama luxury boat became one of the market leaders thanks to the high performance and versatility of the incredible Lamborghini V12 engine.
14. Interestingly, Lamborghini cars are used by the police in the United Arab Emirates and Italy. It makes sense if you think about it; Nothing can distract criminals and attract tourists like the fastest police car in the world!
15. As we have already mentioned, Feruccio Lamborghini neglected motorsports and tried to stay away from it. However, the Italian automaker is reviewing this strict policy, as today it is a handicap for a carmaker that specializes in supercars to ignore motorsports entirely. Currently, the company has a notable presence in the world of motorsports. The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo is an example of a successful collaboration between the two legendary brands. Automobili Lamborghini SpA and Swiss watchmaker Blancpain teamed up to launch this prestigious international motor racing series. In 2009, the Swiss company even presented a special watch, dedicated to this single-brand championship.
16. It comes as no surprise that the Lamborghini brand has some of the most impressive achievements in the automotive world. The last was the speed record of 384 km/h set by the Lamborghini Huracan during a half-mile race.
17. Lamborghini has a very long and fruitful relationship with the Italian tire manufacturer PIRELLI. From day one, PIRELLI tires were used on all Lamborghini vehicles. The Italian car manufacturer even created the special version of Lamborghini AVENTADOR, dedicated to PIRELLI.
18. Lamborghini AVENTADOR has a designation of LP 700-4 700 where “700” stands for 700 h/h engine and “4” for four-wheel drive.
19. Lamborghini is partly responsible for the rise of the well-known car brand Pagani. The founder of Pagani Automobili SpA, Horacio Pagani, had worked as an engineer at Lamborghini until he resigned due to an inability to apply his own ideas. In 1988, the famous Argentine builder, eager to put his design talent to use and make his own product, created a new company Pagani Automobili SpA.
20. Today, Lamborghini supercars are powered by V8 or V12 engines. The ratio between those two types of engines is approximately 3:1.