Automobili Lamborghini
S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini, is an Italian manufacturer
of sports cars, based in the small Italian village of Sant'Agata
Bolognese, near Bologna. The company was founded in 1963 by businessman
Ferruccio Lamborghini, who owned a successful tractor factory, Lamborghini
Trattori.
In 1998, Lamborghini became a subsidiary of the German car manufacturer
Audi AG, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group.
Lamborghini History
Origin
As a prominent manufacturer of tractors and heating units after
World War II, Lamborghini was an enthusiastic owner of sports
cars. After owning and driving a Mercedes-Benz 300SL, a Jaguar
E-Type, and a Maserati 3500GT, he bought his first Ferrari, a
250GT. He became a Ferrari enthusiast, eventually owning three.
However, he had recurring clutch problems with the car, and eventually
brought his complaints to Enzo Ferrari. Ferrari insulted Mr. Lamborghini,
effectively stating that a tractor manufacturer was not qualified
to criticize his Ferraris. Insulted by Ferrari's reaction, Lamborghini
began to repair his clutch himself, at which point he noticed
that some of the clutch components were the same as the ones he
used on his tractors. Encouraged by the discovery, Ferruccio Lamborghini
called upon the talents of Giotto Bizzarrini, Gian Paolo Dallara,
Franco Scaglione and Bob Wallace, who worked on what Ferruccio
envisioned as his grand tourer to rival Ferrari. The result would
eventually become the Lamborghini 350GT and the founding of Lamborghini.
Marine engines
Lamborghini has for some years produced a larger V12 marine engine
block for use in powerboat racing, notably the World Offshore Series
Class 1. This engine is produced with a displacement of around 8,171
cc (499 cu in) with an output of around 940 hp (700 kW). |
