The History of Lamborghini4 photos

It's hard to say whether such a legendary sports car brand would exist today if Enzo Ferrari had been a bit more accommodating...

Before delving into the history of Lamborghini, it's necessary to first share some facts about the company's founder. During World War II, Ferruccio Lamborghini served in the Italian army. He was truly a natural mechanic, so he was always kept busy. Italy, which had initially been an Axis power, eventually switched sides after Mussolini's regime fell. Thus, Ferrucco ended up fighting on the side of the Allies, maintaining and repairing British military vehicles mainly.

This experience taught him a great deal about the workings of both Italian and foreign machinery, skills that proved invaluable later on. After the war, Lamborghini returned home determined to start his own business. As the British left Italy, they disposed of surplus equipment they no longer needed—returning it to Britain was too problematic. The ambitious young Italian seized this opportunity and founded a small tractor manufacturing company. In a country devastated by war but gradually recovering, such machinery was in high demand.The first model of tractor he produced was simple in design but reliable, which ensured its success. This helped the young company thrive quickly. Within just a decade, Lamborghini had become quite wealthy and could afford a luxury sports car—he chose Ferrari. However, the car disappointed him greatly, so one day he decided to go directly to Enzo Ferrari himself to share his ideas on how to improve the cars. Instead, he faced rude behavior and insulting remarks about how a tractor manufacturer shouldn’t interfere in sports car production.Angered by this treatment, Lamborghini resolved to create his own sports car model—one that would rival Ferrari both on the track and in the market. In essence, it was his way of taking revenge in Italian fashion. First, he thoroughly disassembled the Ferrari he bought to understand its mechanics completely. To his surprise, it was even simpler than he had anticipated. In 1963, the Lamborghini 350 GT was unveiled to the world. Of course, this vehicle wasn’t the result of Lamborghini’s efforts alone—he enlisted many talented engineers and designers to help him.The resulting model was a huge success and in high demand. To produce it, they acquired a factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, where the company’s headquarters are still located today. Lamborghini was born under the sign of Taurus, and later, his cars were named after famous bulls used in corridas. Even the “Diablo” model wasn’t named after some evil force.Consumers often affectionately refer to their Lamborghinis as “Lambo.” The company truly achieved success with the launch of the Miura in 1965—a superior supercar that was extremely popular. In just one year, over a hundred units were sold, pushing Lamborghini’s production capacity to its limit.However, Lamborghini didn’t abandon tractor production entirely. Tractors continued to be a major source of income for the company. But in 1972, a significant contract to supply tractors to Bolivia was lost due to a military coup there. This dealt a severe blow to the company’s finances, forcing Lamborghini to sell part of its tractor production operations to Fiat. Later, it completely withdrew from this business area. Today, tractors under the Lamborghini brand are still produced by SAME DEUTZ-FAHR.Then came the oil crisis, which threatened the survival of cars in this class altogether. It was only the Lamborghini Countach that helped the company survive this difficult period. In 1975, Ferruccio Lamborghini sold his share of the business to Swiss businessmen friends, Georges-Henri Rossetti and René Leimer. After retiring from business, he spent his days in his estate, growing grapes. Ferruccio Lamborghini passed away in 1993, shortly before reaching his 77th birthday.Later, Lamborghini faced further difficulties. In 1978, a series of production problems led to the company’s bankruptcy and subsequent sale. It was acquired by Swiss food producers Jean-Claude and Patrick Mimram.

In 1987, Lamborghini unexpectedly purchased the financially troubled American Chrysler. This move was reportedly inspired by Lee Iacocca, the chairman of Chrysler, who desired to own such a legendary brand as Lamborghini. In 1994, when Chrysler faced even greater difficulties, Lamborghini was sold to the Indian investment group Megatech, but this company was unable to sustain it. In 1998, the German AUDI AG took over as the new owner.To this day, Lamborghini cars remain among the most popular in their class, with annual production volumes exceeding several thousand units. The legacy of the company’s founder continues to live on, challenging even the most established brands in the automotive industry.