They are both from Italy, the men as well as their namesake brand of cars. And yet, the competition (near enmity) between Lamborghini and Ferrari is a thing of legend, an urban legend even. Clearly, the raging bull and the prancing horse have a history, and it is not a pleasant one.

But one brand, or rather the man behind the brand, inspired the other to do better and the result of the rivalry between Ferrari and Lamborghini is that consumers today have a wider range of sports cars to choose from.

Both car brands are from Italy, borne out of the dreams of men who went about achieving their goals with a single-minded determination that is admirable. Had the times been different, they could have been friends. However, it has to be said, Enzo Ferrari and Ferruccio Lamborghini knew how to make one hell of a car.

So here goes the true story behind Lamborghini Vs. Ferrari, and why it gave us all some fabulous cars…

10 Enzo Ferrari Was Born To Race

Young Enzo Ferrari At The Wheel

Born in Modena, Italy, in 1898, Enzo Ferrari always loved racing, and basic motor racing, even if at the time racing was in its infancy. By 1919, after being recognized as a serious racer, Ferrari began to drive for Alfa Romeo, and then in 1924, he founded Scuderia Ferrari, Alfa Romeo’s official racing division.

The Classic Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Scuderi Ferrari

Later, this was renamed Alfa Corse, and Ferrari headed it before deciding to head out and make his own cars. By 1939, Enzo Ferrari stepped out of Alfa Romeo and began to come into his own, forming Auto Avio Costruzioni.

9 Ferruccio Lamborghini Started With Grapes

Ferruccio Lamborghini In The Office

So it’s not as if Lamborghini himself started with grapes but he was born to a family of grape farmers in 1916, in Renazzo. Interested in mechanics, by 1948, he started a family business of making tractors, and soon enough became pretty wealthy.

Ferruccio Lamborghini Tractors At The Assembly Line

Enough that he was able to splurge on all sorts of racing cars, including some of Ferrari’s gems. And yet, the mechanic in him found the cars a little lacking, and this is where it all started for Lamborghini and Ferrari, according to The Manual.

Related: 17 Tractors We'd Drive Over A Lamborghini (And 2 That Are Actual Lamborghinis)

8 Forget Tractors, Enzo Was Making Legends

Ferrari Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 - Enzo Ferrari’s First Car

By the time Lamborghini started making tractors, Enzo was already making legendary cars. Enzo Ferrari’s first car was the 815 and it competed in the 1940 Mille Miglia. Success would have come sooner but for the advent of WWII. After moving HQ to Maranello, Ferrari then built his first production car, the 125 S.

The 125 S Was Ferrari's First-Ever Production Car

It won the Rome Grand Prix in 1947. Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari also won the 1948 Mille Miglia and its very first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949.

Related: These Are The 10 Greatest Ferraris Of All Time

7 Lamborghini Used To Buy Ferraris

Ferruccio Lamborghini In His Miura

With all the wealth accumulated by his flourishing tractor business, Lamborghini liked to show off a bit. And so he bought two Ferraris, one in white and one in black, for himself and his wife. And when he took out clients to his factory, or to dine, he’d drive them in his ‘Rary.

Ferruccio Lamborghini Sitting On His Miura Rossa

Only, according to an article in Car And Driver, he was not a very good driver and kept burning the clutch, over and over again. After umpteen times of replacing the clutch and Ferrari’s workshop and paying a mini fortune, Lamborghini just decided to do it himself, at his tractor factory.

Related: Forget The Minis From The Italian Job: The Star Was The Lamborghini Miura

6 That 10 Lire Part That Started It All

The Legendary Automaker Ferruccio Lamborghini

When the head mechanic at Lamborghini disassembled the clutch, he figured out that the clutch was actually identical to one that came fitted into one of the smaller Lamborghini tractors and this is when the goose was truly cooked.

The Tractor Magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini

Technically, it was a commercial clutch and even came fitted on Maserati’s as well. Only, Lamborghini hated the fact that he paid 10 lire for that part for his tractor, and yet for the replacement in his Ferrari, he had to pay 1,000!

5 Lamborghini Actually Told Off Ferrari

1963 Lamborghini 350 GTV Was A Prototype Car

Forget the age difference or the fact that Ferruccio Lamborghini knew nothing about building cars. When he met Enzo Ferrari, ostensibly as they must have socialized in the same circles, he told Ferrari that his sports cars were made using Lamborghini’s tractor parts, and then even complained about the shoddy build quality.

The Classic Lamborghini Tractor

And that was it. Ferrari near exploded, telling Lamborghini he should stick to making tractors. Equally incensed, Lamborghini decided to make cars instead and show Ferrari a thing or two.

4 Meanwhile Ferrari Went On Getting Better

In 1952, Ferrari Won Its First Formula 1 World Championship

In 1952, Ferrari Won Its First Formula 1 World Championship, with Alberto Ascari driving. Later, in 1956, Ferrari faced a loss, a grave personal loss when his son, Dino, died due to muscular dystrophy 1956. But as far as racing was concerned, the wins went on.

The Ford GT40’s 1966 Le Mans 1-2-3 Photo Finish

In 1961, Ferrari began to feel the strain and began to negotiate a sale to Ford. At the last minute, Ferrari backed out, and later this led to the famous rivalry between Ford and Ferrari ( you do remember the Ford GT40, right?). By 1969, Enzo sold half his shares to Fiat and by 1977, resigned as President as well.

Related: 15 Things About the Ford GT40 You May Not Have Known

3 Lamborghini Was A Man Of His Word

Lamborghini At The Manufacturing Plant

When Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to make a car that challenged the Ferrari, it wasn’t an empty promise. By 1963, Automobili Lamborghini was founded, and a sparkling new factory was built in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

The First-Ever Lambo , The Lamborghini 350 GTV, Went Public At The Turin Motor Show

Lamborghini spared no expense and even got Giotto Bizzarrini, who was making Ferrari engines before that and got him to make the first-ever Lambo, the Lamborghini 350 GTV that Debuted At The Turin Motor Show.

2 Ferrari’s Greatest Are Near Works Of Art

The Limited Edition 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO

In the 1979s, Ferrari’s mid-engine cars came to play, like the 308 GTB and GT4s. Later more models like the 288 GTO, Testarossa, and the F40 came in the ‘80s, although by now, Fiat owned 90% of the company. In 1988, Enzo Ferrari passed away, although the legacy of his name stayed alive in his cars.

The 2020 SF90 Stradale - Ferrari's Most Advanced Supercar

Then came the Maranellos and the Modenas and by the 2000s, Ferrari was back with its winning streak in motorsports. Today, the Stradale, the Roma, and the Spider, and more cars carry the hallowed Lamborghini name further.

1 Lamborghini’s Legacy Is No Less Venerated

The Lamborghini Countach - One Of The Greatest Cars Of The 70s

For Lamborghini, the 350 GTV was a hit, and bigger and better cars came in after; like the Islero, Espada, and the Countach, in 1971. By 1972, Lamborghini himself had proven a point and exit the company, and by 1980, the company went bankrupt.

The Lamborghini Aventador S - The Mid-Rear Engine V12 Super Sports Roadster

The very next year, the company was revived, and the LM002 kept the company afloat, but soon, Chrysler acquired it. The Diablo came along in 1990 but by 1994, Chrysler sold it off, and finally, in 1998 it went to Audi. Today, Lambos fall under the Volkswagen umbrella and you could take the Urus, the Huracan, or the Aventador to make your Italian bullish dreams come true.