Lamborghini at 50

When approaching his 50th birthday, it is not uncommon for a gentleman of certain means to respond to his own mortality by purchasing an expensive sports car. Or so the stereotype goes. Since the brand’s inception in 1963, a Lamborghini has been the vehicle of choice for such gentlemen of means – but the cars are so much more than that.

After the Second World War, Ferruccio Lamborghini, a prodigious engineer, made his fortune selling tractors. He was an avid car collector but was growing increasingly disappointed with his collection of Ferrari sports cars, which he considered mere racing vehicles inappropriately adapted for the road. But when he took up the issue with Enzo Ferrari himself, Lamborghini found himself dismissed. “You may be able to drive a tractor,” said his future rival, “but you will never be able to handle a Ferrari properly.”

Legend has it the dismissal was impetus enough to drive Lamborghini to design his own car – the now legendary 350GTV. The auto-manufacturer to which he gave his name is now renowned for its exclusive, ultra-high-performance vehicles that are as beautiful as they are fast.

In the 50 years since, Lamborghini’s cars have established themselves as icons of design and motoring. As well as producing vehicles that perform to the highest specs, Lamborghini partnered with a number of influential designers to deliver the best-looking sports cars out there. The first ever Lamborghini GTV was a cooperation between Franco Scaglione – already established as a multi-faceted designer – and Carrozzeria Touring, which ensured the car was as beautiful as it was functional. The Miura was a partnership with superstar designer and car stylist Marcello Gandini – who went on to design the iconic Countach a decade later.

The Miura was a real coup for Lamborghini. Ferruccio was adamant that he was not interested in extravagant or futuristic designs, but instead wanted his products to be ultra-fast and flawless road cars. The Miura was the first road sports car to feature the engine mounted transversely behind the ‘cockpit’ – making it faster and much sleeker.

Rumour has it the designers were terrified of bringing the proposals to Ferruccio, believing he might perceive it as the type of extravagance he was vehemently against. The owner is reported to have said: “A car like this should be built because it will attract huge interest in the media, but clearly no more than 50 will ever be sold.” Over 500 Miuras were in fact sold, and the car became an icon in the automobile industry and to enthusiasts worldwide.

Though not entirely accurate when referring to the Miura, Ferruccio’s words have become somewhat prophetic as regards Lamborghini’s business style today. The company spends a lot of time and resources creating vehicles that challenge the boundaries of design and technology. Though not many of them are sold, or even made, they help to build and maintain the company’s reputation and mystique. The recently released plans for the Egoista, for example, have caused a storm of praise and criticism in the media and online, even though the silver single-seater will probably never be manufactured.

Recently, Lamborghini brought all its design in-house and stopped collaborating with partners. It is a departure from the classic creative style Ferruccio insisted upon and many have criticised the move. More importantly, some of Lamborghini’s recent models are futurist and extravagant – the opposite of what the founding father thought they should be. But they are a commercial success and continue to set design standards other sports car manufacturers can only dream of reaching.