Ferruccio Lamborghini

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Ferruccio Lamborghini
Ferruccio Lamborghini
Born	April 28, 1916(1916-04-28) Renazzo di Cento, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Died	February 20, 1993 (aged 76) Perugia, Perugia, Umbria, Italy
Alma mater	Fratelli Taddia Institute
Occupation	Mechanic; winemaker; industrialist; entrepeneur
Spouse(s)	First wife (until her death) Maria Theresa Lamborghini
Children	Antonio "Tonino" Lamborghini Patrizia Lamborghini

Ferruccio Elio Arturo Lamborghini (April 28, 1916 – February 20, 1993) was an Italian industrialist. Born to grape farmers from the commune of Renazzo di Cento in the Emilia-Romagna region, his mechanical know-how led him to enter the business of tractor manufacturing in 1948, when he founded Lamborghini Trattori, which quickly became an important manufacturer of agricultural equipment in the midst of Italy's post-war economic reform. In 1959, he opened an oil heater factory, Lamborghini Bruciatori, which later entered the business of producing air conditioning equipment. In 1963, he most famously created Automobili Lamborghini, a maker of high-end sports cars. Lamborghini sold off many of his interests by the late 1970s, and retired to an estate in Umbria, where he pursued winemaking.

[edit] Early life

Ferruccio Lamborghini was born to grape farmers Antonio and Evelina Lamborghini, in house number 22 in Renazzo di Cento, and was baptized on May 2.^[1] The tiny comune is located in the Province of Ferrara, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.^[2][3] Drawn to the farming machinery rather than the farming lifestyle itself, he studied at the Fratelli Taddia technical institute near Bologna.^{[Notes 1]} In 1940, he was drafted into the Italian Air Force,^[4][5] where he served as a mechanic at the Italian garrison on the island of Rhodes, becoming the supervisor of the vehicle maintenance unit.^{[2][Notes 2]} Lamborghini was taken prisoner when the island fell to the British at the end of the war in 1945, and was not able to return home until the next year.^[6] He married, but his wife died in 1947 while giving birth to his first child, a boy named Antonio.^[5]

Lamborghini was from Emilia-Romagna. The cradle of Italy's automobile industry, the region also boasts a bustling agricultural economy

[edit] After World War II

After the war, Lamborghini opened a garage in Pieve di Cento. In his spare time, Lamborghini modified an old Fiat Topolino he had purchased, the first of many that he would own over the years.^[7] He made use of his mechanical abilities to transform the homely city car into a roaring 750-cc open-top two-seater, and entered the car in the 1948 Mille Miglia. His participation ended after 700 miles when he ran the car into the side of a restaurant in the town of Fiano, in Turin.^[5] As a result, Lamborghini lost his enthusiasm for motor racing, a feeling that would endure for many years to come.^[8]

[edit] Beginnings of entrepreneurship

For years, Italy's industrial output had been dedicated to the war effort, neglecting the production of agricultural equipment that was desperately needed for Italy's postwar economic reconstruction.^[8] Lamborghini built a tractor for his father using spare parts, including a six-cylinder Morris engine, a General Motors transmission, and a Ford differential.^[5] Antonio's friends soon clamored for their own examples of Ferruccio's design. Working from a stock of surplus Morris engines^[9] and leftover military hardware, Lamborghini went into business building tractors in 1948,^[10] when he opened Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A. in his Pieve di Cento garage.^{[2][Notes 3]}

A 1951 Lamborghini 22PS

Beginning with a model called the Carioca, by the mid-1950s, Lamborghini Trattori was producing over 1000 tractors per year;^[5] over the course of the decade, Lamborghini became one of the largest agricultural equipment manufacturers in the country, with his black-and-white tractors becoming a familiar sight in Italy.^[11] In 1959, Lamborghini opened a gas heater factory, Lamborghini Bruciatori S.p.A., using technology acquired on a visit to the United States. The company later began building air conditioning units, changing its name to Lamborghini Calor.^{[4][11][12][Notes 4]} He also sought to move into the business of building helicopters, but failed to secure a license to do so from the Italian government.^[2]

[edit] Involvement with automobiles

Lamborghini's increasing wealth allowed him to purchase faster, more expensive cars than the tiny Fiats he had tinkered with during his youth. He owned Alfa Romeos and Lancias during the early 1950s, and at one point, had enough cars to use a different one every day of the week, adding a Mercedes-Benz 300SL, a Jaguar E-Type coupé, and two Maserati 3500GTs.^[7] Of the latter, Lamborghini said, "Adolfo Orsi, then the owner of Maserati, was a man I had a lot of respect for: he had started life as a poor boy, like myself. But I did not like his cars much. They felt heavy and did not really go very fast."^[7]

The clutch problems he experienced with his Ferrari 250GTs led Lamborghini to consider building his own cars

In 1958, Lamborghini traveled to Maranello to buy a Ferrari 250GT, a two-seat coupé with a body designed by coachbuilder Pininfarina. He went on to own several more over the years, including a Scaglietti-designed 250 SWB Berlinetta and a 250GT 2+2 four-seater.^[7] Lamborghini thought Ferrari's cars were good,^[7] but too noisy and rough to be proper road cars, categorizing them as repurposed track cars with poorly-built interiors.^[11]

Lamborghini found that Ferrari's cars were equipped with inferior clutches, and required continuous trips to Maranello for rebuilds; technicians would secret the car away for several hours to perform the work, much to Lamborghini's annoyance. He had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Ferrari's aftersales service, which he perceived to be substandard.^[11] Lamborghini brought his misgivings to Enzo Ferrari's attention, but was dismissed by the notoriously pride-filled Modenan.^{[7][Notes 5]}

Lamborghini's business interests were located in the region of Emilia-Romagna, where the provinces of Ferrara, Bologna, and Modena intersect

[edit] Automobili Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini felt that Ferrari's cars did not have the attributes of a superior grand tourer; Lamborghini believed that such a car should provide high performance with compromising tractability, ride quality, and interior appointments. He was able to modify one of his personally-owned Ferrari 250GTs to outperform stock models.^[7] Lamborghini's success gave him the impetus to pursue an automobile manufacturing venture of his own, aiming to build the perfect touring car that he felt no one could build for him.^[11][13] A clever businessman, Lamborghini also knew that he could make three times the profit if the components used in his tractors were installed in a high-performance exotic car instead.^[9]

The Automobili Lamborghini Società per Azioni was born on October 30, 1963, with its factory located in the commune of Sant'Agata Bolognese, less than 30 kilometers from Cento.^[4] Located deep in the cradle of the Italian automobile industry, Lamborghini's operation had easy access to machine shops, coachbuilders, and experienced automotive workers, with the added benefit of a favorable financial agreement he had struck with the city's communist leadership.^[14] To begin his endeavor, Lamborghini retained the services of renowned automotive engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who had left Ferrari in 1961 and was now working as a freelancer. Bizzarrini, demonstrating the Ferrari "performance-first" philosophy, designed a 3.5-litre, 9.5:1 compression ratio, 360 bhp engine, which, contrary to Lamborghini's expectations, produced its maximum horsepower at a heady 9800 rpm, an inappropriate configuration for the street car engine he had commissioned.^[15] The entrepreneur had the engine redesigned into a well-mannered powerplant, and refused to pay Bizzarrini for his services, putting an end to their relationship.^[15]

Ferruccio was unimpressed with the quality of the 350GTV, and ordered a complete redesign for Lamborghini's first production car

By 1963, Lamborghini had assembled a full team of engineers and workers, including chassis engineer Gian Paolo Dallara, his assistant Paolo Stanzani, and chassis and handling expert Bob Wallace.^[15][16] Ferruccio commissioned then-relatively unknown designer Franco Scaglione to style his first car's body. The car, named the 350GTV, was prepared in only four months, in time for the 1963 Turin motor show.^[17] The redesign of Bizzarrini's engine had yet to be completed, and the prototype car was revealed sans powerplant. Lamborghini had 500 lb (230 kg) of bricks hidden beneath the car's hood, so that it would sit at an appropriate ride height. The 350GTV received a warm journalistic response,^[17] but Lamborghini was ultimately unimpressed with its build quality, and declared it a prototype. Development of a production car began with the body's restyling by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. Bizzarrini's engine, detuned, was selected for the final design. The new car, dubbed the 350GT, debuted at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. Ferruccio hired Ubaldo Sgarzi as his sales manager; Sgarzi had formerly performed a similar role at manufacturer Tecno S.p.A. Lamborghini and Sgarzi viewed factory racing with similar disapproval, a perspective which continued to clash with the wishes of the engineers who developed the cars.^[18] By the end of 1964, cars had been built for 13 customers, sold at a loss in order to compete with Ferrari. The 350GT remained in production for a further two years, selling a total of 120 examples.^[18]

[edit] 1965-1966: Lamborghini arrives

Gian Paolo Dallara took on the challenge of improving Bizzarini's V12 design, increasing displacement to 3.9-litres, upping power to 320 bhp at 6,500 rpm.^[18] The engine was first installed inside a 350GT chassis, effectively creating the car that came to be known as the "interim 400GT", of which 23 copies were produced. By 1966, a stretched, 2+2 version of the 350GT had been developed, and the roomier 400GT was unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show that year. The car was a success, selling a total of 250 copies, enabling Lamborghini to increase the labor force at his factory to 170.^[18] Two prototype cars based on the 400GT were produced by the Zagato coachworks in Turin. Despite the popularity of the designs, Ferruccio preferred to direct his efforts towards making the most of his own factory and employees, rather than commissioning outside styling and engineering work.^[16] Lamborghini was especially mindful of the importance of continuing service for owners, and constructed a facility that was capable of performing everything from minor service to major work on Lamborghini cars.

The 400GT was a 2+2, longer and more spacious than the 350GT

During 1965, Dallara, Stanzani, and Wallace put their own time into the development of a prototype car known as the P400. The engineers envisioned a road car with racing pedigree; a car which could win on the track and be driven on the road by enthusiasts.^[16] The three men worked on the car's design at night, hoping to sway Lamborghini from the opinion that such a vehicle would be too expensive and would distract from the company's focus. Lamborghini allowed the project to go ahead, viewing it as a potential marketing device for the automaker. The P400 featured a transversely-mounted mid-engine layout, a departure from previous Lamborghini cars; the V12 was also unusual in that it was effectively merged with the transmission and differential, thanks to a lack of space in the tightly-wrapped design. Bertone would be in charge of the prototype's styling. The car was finished in a vibrant orange just days before its debut at the 1966 Geneva motor show. Curiously, none of the engineers had found time to check if the engine fit inside its compartment; committed to showing the car, they decided to fill the engine bay with ballast, and keep the hood locked throughout the show, as they had three years earlier for the debut of the 350GTV.^[19] Sales boss Sgarzi was forced to turn away members of the motoring press who wanted to see the P400's power plant. Despite this setback, the car was the star of the show, making stylist Marcello Gandini a star in his own right. The favorable reaction at Geneva meant the P400 was to go into production by next year, under a different name, Miura, a savage breed of Spanish fighting bull bred by Don Eduardo Miura of Seville. Lamborghini now had a two-pronged approach; the Miura positioned the fledgling automaker as a leader in the world of supercars, and the 400GT was the sophisticated road car Lamborghini had desired since the beginning. With Automobili and his other business interests booming, Ferruccio Lamborghini's life had reached a high point.

The famous Miura originally began as the pet project of Lamborgini's three top engineers

By the end of 1966, the workforce at the Sant'Agata factory had expanded to 300. Enough deposits had been made by eager Miura buyers to begin the development program in 1967. Ferruccio continued to clash with his engineering team on the subject of racing the Miura. The first four cars were kept at the factory, where Bob Wallace continued to improve and refine the car. By December, 108 cars had been delivered.^[20] The Miura set a precedent for mid-engined two-seater high performance sports cars.^[21] The factory continued to produce copies of the 400GT, along with several 350 GTS Roadsters, a convertible model produced by Touring. Ferruccio commissioned the coachbuilder once more to envision a possible replacement for the 400GT, based on the same chassis. Touring created the 400 GT Flying Star II, a poorly-finished, ungainly vehicle. Also asked to prepare a concept were Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini, of Neri and Bonacini coachbuilders in Modena produced the 400GT Monza. Lamborghini rejected both the cars, unconvinced by the coachbuilders' efforts.^[22] Facing mounting financial difficulties, Touring would close its doors later that year.

The Islero was a sales disappointment, but faithful to Ferruccio's ideal of a reliable grand tourer

[edit] 1967-1968: Beginning of sales success

Ferruccio, still seeking a replacement for the 400GT, sought the help of Bertone designer Mario Marazzi, formerly of Touring. Together with Lamborghini's engineers, the coachbuilder created a four-seater named the Marzal. The chassis was essentially a stretched version of the one underpinning the Miura, and the engine was an in-line six-cylinder that was effectively one-half of Lamborghini's V12 design.^[23] The car featured gullwing doors and an enormous glass windows. Despite its innovative design, Ferruccio once again passed over the car as the 400GT's replacement. Marazzi toned down his design, at the discretion of Lamborghini himself. The resulting car, the Islero 400GT, was mostly a reskinned 400GT, and not the full four-seater the Ferruccio desired, though he was happy with the car, as it represented the gran turismo product that Ferruccio enjoyed driving, in addition to being well-developed and reliable.^[24] The Islero did not have a great impact on the market; only 125 copies were made between 1968 and 1969.^[25]

New versions of the Miura arrived in 1968; the Miura P400 S (more commonly known as the Miura S) featured a stiffened chassis and more power, with the V12 developing 370 bhp at 7000 rpm. At the 1968 Brussels auto show, the automaker unveiled the Miura P400 Roadster (more commonly the Miura Spider), an open-top version of the coupé. Gandini, by now effectively the head of design at Bertone, had paid great attention to the details, particularly the problems of wind buffeting and noise insulation inherent to a roadster.^[26] For all of Gandini's hard work, Sgarzi was forced to turn potential buyers away, as Lamborghini and Bertone were unable to reach a consensus on the size of a theoretical roadster production run. The Miura Spider was sold off to an American metal alloy supplier, who wanted to use it as a marketing device. 1968 was a positive time for all of Ferruccio's businesses, and Automobili delivered 353 cars over the course of the year.^[26]

The Espada was Lamborghini's first truly popular model, selling over 1,200 examples during its ten years of production

Bertone was able to persuade Lamborghini to allow them to design a brand-new four-seater. The shape was penned by Marcello Gandini, and a bodyshell delivered to Ferruccio for inspection. The businessman was less than pleased with the enormous gullwing doors that Gandini had included, and insisted that the car would have to feature conventional doors.^[23] The car that resulted from the collaboration was the Espada, a full four-seater named for the matador and toreador, the heroes of the bullring. The grand tourer debuted at the 1969 Geneva show, powered by a 3.9-litre, front-mounted evolution of the factory's V12, producing 325 bhp. The Espada was a runaway success, with a total production run of 1,217 cars over ten years of production.^[24]

Dallara was hired away from Lamborghini to run the F1 program at De Tomaso Modena, designing a chassis for the Frank Williams Racing Cars team in 1970

[edit] 1968-1969: Difficulties overcome

In August 1968, Gian Paolo Dallara, frustrated with Ferruccio Lamborghini's refusal to participate in motorsport, was recruited away from Sant'Agata to head the Formula One program at rival automaker De Tomaso in Modena. With profits on the rise, a racing program would have been a possibility, but Lamborghini remained against even the construction of prototypes, stating his mission as: "I wish to build GT cars without defects - quite normal, conventional but perfect - not a technical bomb."^[27] With cars like the Islero and the Espada, his aim to establish himself and his cars as equal or superior to the works of Enzo Ferrari had been satisfied. Dallara's assistant, Paulo Stanzani, would assume his old boss' role as technical director. Unfortunately for Dallara, the De Tomaso F1 program was underfunded, and the automaker barely survived the experience; the engineer left the company soon after.^[28]

In 1969, Automobili Lamborghini encountered problems with its fully unionized work force, among which the machinists and fabricators had begun to take one-hour token stoppages as part of a national campaign due to strained relations between the metal workers' union and Italian industry.^[28] Ferruccio Lamborghini, who often rolled up his sleeves and joined in the work on the factory floor, was able to motivate his staff to continue working towards their common goal despite the disruptions.

The Jarama was a shortened, sportier version of the Espada

Throughout that year, Lamborghini's product range, then consisting of the Islero, the Espada, and the Miura S, received upgrades across the board, with the Miura receiving a power boost, the Islero being upgraded to "S" trim, and the Espada gaining comfort and performance upgrades which allowed it to reach speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). The Islero was slated to be replaced by the Jarama 400GT, named for an area of Spain famous for its fighting bulls, rather than the eponymous racetrack.^[29] The car had a shortened chassis but was meant to outperform the Espada. The 3.9-litre V12 was retained, its compression ratio increasing to 10.5:1.^[29]

The Urraco was the first clean-sheet Lamborghini design since the 350GTV

By the time the Jarama was unveiled at the 1970 Geneva show, Paulo Stanzani was at work on a new clean-sheet design, which would use no parts from previous Lamborghini cars. Changes in tax laws and a desire to make full use of the factory's manufacturing capacity meant that the Italian automaker would follow the direction taken by Ferrari, with its Dino 246 and Porsche, with its 911, and produce a smaller, V8-powered 2+2 car that would be named after another breed of fighting bull: Urraco. The 2+2 body style was selected as a concession to practicality, with Ferruccio acknowledging that Urraco owners might have children.^[29] The single overhead cam V8 designed by Stanzani produced 220 bhp at 5000 rpm. Bob Wallace immediately began road testing and development; the car was to be presented at the 1970 Turin motor show.^[29]

In 1970, Lamborghini began development of a replacement for the Miura, which was a pioneering model, but had interior noise levels that Ferruccio Lamborghini found unacceptable and nonconforming to his brand philosophy.^[30] Engineers designed a new, longer chassis that placed the engine longitudinally, further away from the driver's seat. Designated the LP500 for its 4.97-litre version of the company's V12, the prototype was styled by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The car was presented and debuted at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, alongside the final revision of the Miura, the P400 SuperVeloce. Completing the Lamborghini range were the Espada 2, the Urraco P250, and the Jarama GT^[31] .

[edit] Retirement and death

An R 754, produced a few years after Lamborghini had sold Trattori to SAME

As a world financial crisis began to take hold, Ferruccio Lamborghini's companies began to run into financial difficulties. In 1971, Lamborghini's tractor company, which exported around half of its production, ran into difficulties. Cento, Trattori's South African importer, cancelled all its orders. After staging a successful coup d'état, the new military government of Bolivia cancelled a large order of tractors that was partially ready to ship from Genoa. Trattori's employees, like Automobili's, were unionized and could not be laid off. In 1972, Lamborghini sold his entire holding in Trattori to SAME, another tractor builder.^[10][32]

Ferruccio retired to his estate at Lake Trasimeno, continuing to manage his other businesses while pursuing personal interests

The entire Lamborghini group was now finding itself in financial troubles. Development at the automaker slowed; the production version of the LP500 missed the 1972 Geneva Show, and only the P400 GTS version of the Jarama was on display. Faced with a need to cut costs, Paulo Stanzani set aside the LP500's powerplant, slating a smaller, 4-litre engine for production.^[33] Ferruccio Lamborghini began courting buyers for Automobili and Trattori; he entered negotiations with Georges-Henri Rossetti, a wealthy Swiss businessman and friend of Ferruccio's, as well as being the owner of an Islero and an Espada.^[33] Ferruccio sold Rossetti 51% of the company for US$600,000, thereby relinquishing control of the automaker he had founded. He continued to work at the Sant'Agata factory; Rossetti rarely involved himself in Automobili's affairs.^[32] It was 1974, and Ferruccio had become disenchanted with his car business. He severed all connections with the cars that bore his name, selling his remaining 49% stake in the automaker. The shares went to René Leimer, a friend of Georges-Henri Rossetti.^[2][34] In 1980, Ferruccio founded Lamborghini Oleodinamica S.p.A., a manufacturer of hydraulic valves and equipment.^[35]

Lamborghini retired to a 750 acre estate on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, in the frazione of Panicarola in Castiglione del Lago, a town in the province of Perugia in the Umbria region of central Italy.^[36] Returning to his farming roots, he delighted in hunting and producing his own wines, and even designed his own golf course,^[37] all the while continuing to manage several business interests.^[7] Ferruccio remarried, and at age 58, fathered a child, Patrizia, with his second wife, Maria Teresa. He died at the Silvestrini Hospital in Perugia, on February 20, 1993, at the age of 76, from a heart attack.^[5][38][39] Lamborghini is buried at the Monumental Cemetery of the Certosa di Bologna monastery.^[40]

[edit] Lamborghini's fascination with bullfighting

The world of bullfighting is a key part of Lamborghini's identity.^[41][42][43] In 1962, Ferruccio Lamborghini visited the Seville ranch of Don Eduardo Miura, a renowned breeder of Spanish fighting bulls. Lamborghini, a Taurus himself, was so impressed by the majestic Miura animals that he decided to adopt a raging bull as the emblem for the auto company he would soon found.^[44]

After producing two cars with alphanumeric designations, Lamborghini once again turned to the bull breeder for inspiration. Don Eduardo was filled with pride when he learned that Ferruccio had named a car for his family and their line of bulls; the fourth Miura to be produced was unveiled to him at his ranch in Seville.^[19][44]

The automaker would continue to draw upon the bullfighting connection in future years. The Islero was named for the Miura bull that killed the famed bullfighter Manolete in 1947. Espada is the Spanish word for sword, sometimes used to refer to the bullfighter himself. The Jarama's name carried a special double meaning; intended to refer only to the historic bullfighting region in Spain, Ferruccio was concerned about confusion with the also historic Jamara motor racing track.^[29]

After christening the Urraco after a bull breed, in 1974, Lamborghini broke from tradition, naming the Countach not for a bull, but for countach! (pronounced [kunˈtɑtʃ] ( listen)), an exclamation of astonishment used by Piedmontese men upon sighting a beautiful woman.^[45] Legend has it that stylist Nuccio Bertone uttered the word in surprise when he first laid eyes on the Countach prototype, "Project 112". The LM002 sport utility vehicle and the Silhouette were other exceptions to the tradition.

The Jalpa of 1982 was named for a bull breed; Diablo, for the Duke of Veragua's ferocious bull famous for fighting an epic battle against "El Chicorro" in Madrid in 1869;^[46] Murciélago, the legendary bull whose life was spared by "El Lagartijo" for his performance in 1879; Gallardo, named for one of the five ancestral castes of the Spanish fighting bull breed;^[47] and Reventón, the bull that defeated young Mexican torero Félix Guzmán in 1943. The Estoque concept of 2008 was named for the estoc, the sword traditionally used by matadors during bullfights.^[48]

[edit] Legacy

All of Ferruccio Lamborghini's companies continue to operate today in one form or another. His son Tonino designs a series of designer clothing and accessories under his full name.^[49] His daughter, Patrizia runs the Lamborghini winery at his Umbria estate. A museum that honors his legacy, the Centro Studi e Ricerche Ferruccio Lamborghini, opened in 2001.^[50]

A C553 crawler from the 1970s

A modern Lamborghini R6-150 tractor

The automaker bearing Lamborghini's name continues to produce exotic cars today

[edit] Notes

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Exactly what Ferruccio studied varies depending on the source. By some accounts, he studied engineering (Jolliffe, p. 16), mechanics (Funding Universe), or industrial technology. It is also suggested that he studied industrial design (Sackey, p. 14).
2. ^ According to Lamborghini's obituary in the Independent, he was drafted upon graduating in 1940; according to the Jolliffe book, his studies were cut short by his military service obligations.
3. ^ In some sources, the tractor company is referred to as "Lamborghini Trattici" (Collins & Mabunda, 1993)
4. ^ According to Sackey, Lamborghini opened Calor, an "oil-burning heater plant", in 1959, and "in 1960 he added an air-conditioning factory." Jolliffe refers to a combined "heating and air conditioning systems" company called Bruciatori, founded in 1960. Mooney & Mpho suggest that the factory was initially named Bruciatori when opened in 1959 (or 1960, by their own text), and later changed names to Calor, possibly when it expanded into air-conditioning. The modern Lamborghini Calor states its birth year as 1959 on its website.
5. ^ The exchange between Ferrari and Lamborghini is often cited as the latter's inspiration for founding a carmaker in the first place, but it is as much the stuff of legend and myth as it is a factual occurrence. In the 1991 Thoroughbred & Classic Cars interview, Lamborghini said that after the clutch problems endured, "I decided to talk to Enzo Ferrari. I had to wait for him a very long time. 'Ferrari, your cars are rubbish!' I complained. Il Commendatore was furious. "Lamborghini, you may be able to drive a tractor but you will never be able to handle a Ferrari Properly.' This was the point when I finally decided to make a perfect car." Later re-tellings of the story center around several basic points: Lamborghini visited Ferrari; proceeded to challenge, demand improvements, or deride Ferrari; and finally was dismissed as a mere tractor manufacturer. Whether the industrialist's spite was enough of a reason to enter the carmaker business, or if the exchange inspired further business interests or merely served as an anecdote, is unknown. Sackey writes that the economic motives for entering the high-profit-margin sports car business far outweighed Lamborghini's personal sentiments. In the T&CC interview, Lamborghini notes that "Ferrari never spoke to me again. He was a great man, I admit, but it was so very easy to upset him."

[edit] References

[edit] Books

• Jolliffe, David; Willard, Tony (2004). Lamborghini: Forty Years. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. doi:10.1007/b62130. ISBN 0760319456. http://books.google.com/books?id=d8GxQqUQqrsC&dq=Lamborghini+bullfighting&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
• Sackey, Joe (2008). The Lamborghini Miura Bible (Illustrated ed.). Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1845841964. http://books.google.com/books?id=B1dadHSJMBYC&dq=ferruccio+lamborghini&hl=es&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
• Lawrence, Mike (1996). A-Z of sports cars, 1945-1990 (A-Z Series) (Illustrated ed.). MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 1870979818. http://books.google.com/books?id=glKW-Kh-lmcC&dq=lamborghini+countach&as_brr=3&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ferruccio Lamborghini

• An obituary from a local newspaper, and a photograph of Lamborghini's certificate of baptism (Italian)
• Photographs of Ferruccio Lamborghini's birth home and first repair shop in Renazzo di Cento (Italian)
• Ferruccio Lamborghini at Find a Grave
• Patrizia Lamborghini discussing Lamborghini winery

[edit] Lamborghini company websites

• Automobili Lamborghini (now a division of AUDI AG)
• Lamborghini Calor (formerly Lamborghini Bruciatori)
• Lamborghini Trattori (now a brand of SAME DEUTZ-FAHR)
• Lamborghini Oleodinamica (now a brand of Oleodinamica Seguini)