Lamborghini is an Italian manufacturer of high-performance luxury sports cars . Its cars are known for their comfort and drivability, as well as their raw speed.
The company was founded in 1948 by Ferruccio Lamborghini. He grew up in Italy in a family of grape growers, learning to work with agricultural machines. After World War II (1939-1945), Lamborghini modified an ordinary, small Fiat automobile into a race car , which he drove in a 1948 competition. But Lamborghini had a serious crash in the competition, leading him to give up further ventures in racing. Instead, he began making tractors , founding Lamborghini Trattori (tractors) in 1948. The company continues to make tractors.
In 1963, Lamborghini set out to make the most elegant sports cars in the world. At the time, the manufacturer Ferrari dominated the sports car market, and Lamborghini’s experience was mostly limited to agricultural equipment. He liked the appearance of Ferraris, but he wanted a more comfortable road car, not a noisy and cramped race car. Lamborghini put together an expert team of engineers and designers. In 1963, they produced a prototype, the 350 GTV, marking the beginning of Lamborghini automobiles.
In 1964, Lamborghini displayed its first production car, the 350 GT, at the Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. The car was a major redesign of the GTV. The 350 GT offered drivers flashy design like that of a Ferrari, but with more attention to comfort, luxury, and drivability. The car became the basis of the company’s popular mid-1960’s model, the 400 GT.
In 1966, Lamborghini introduced the Miura, a small two-seater with an innovative design. It had a V-12 engine —an engine with two rows of six cylinders each, arranged in a V shape—mounted transversely (crosswise) behind the seats. The Miura was an influential success, with many imitators. Its angular design also marked a departure from the smooth curves of the Ferrari. Such distinctive design persisted in later Lamborghinis, beginning with the successful Espada of 1968 to 1978.
In the 1970’s, Lamborghini suffered numerous setbacks, due in part to such factors as rising labor costs and a decline in the elite auto market. In 1974, Ferruccio Lamborghini retired from the business. The company was sustained for several years by the success of its low, wedge-shaped Countach << KOON tosh >> model. But in 1980, Lamborghini declared bankruptcy . Since then, the company has had a succession of owners and has continued to produce moderately successful high-performance cars. Examples include the fast and expensive Diablo of the 1990’s and the Gallardo of the 2000’s—the best-selling Lamborghini ever.
