Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer established in 1963, which is known globally for its high velocity, classy, and luxurious sports cars. Its owner Ferruccio Lamborghini already owned two successful companies of tractors and air conditioners during the 1940s. His fortune and a keen interest in automobiles led him to buy a few high-performance vehicles like Maserati and Ferrari. However, Ferrocio was unsatisfied with Ferrari's noisy cars and thus decided to set up his own car company.
The raging bull is perhaps one of the most recognizable logos in the world today, and the backstory of how Lamborghini automobiles came to bear this logo on their hood is quite interesting as well. Here's a glimpse at it.
Ferruccio Lamborghini’s Beginnings
Ferruccio Lamborghini grew up in a small township in Northern Italy where he served as a mechanic during World War II and afterward went into the business of building tractors out of leftover military hardware. By the mid-1950s, Ferruccio's tractor company had become one of the largest agricultural equipment manufacturers in Italy.
The wealth created by his successful business venture finally allowed him to indulge in his childhood passion for exotic cars. He owned many different makes, including Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, and Mercedes, but Ferruccio had a penchant for Ferraris. Although he found them beautiful, he was not very pleased with its cars' rough and noisy characteristics and the lack of 'road luxury'. It was the cars made by Ferrari that inspired Ferruccio Lamborghini to began manufacturing automobiles with the goal of creating a car with the perfect blend of luxury and performance.
In the early 1960s, Ferruccio Lamborghini, a wealthy and successful industrialist dissatisfied with the clutch of his Ferrari, decided to take it up with Enzo Ferrari himself. Legend records that Ferrari's response was rather dismissive. Unsurprisingly, Ferruccio left their meeting a little miffed and took it upon him to build a perfect sports car.
A few years later, Automobili Lamborghini SpA was founded in 1963 in an ultramodern factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese, just over 30km from Ferrari's. After which, in only a matter of months, the striking 350 GTV prototype, designed by Bertone, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
Over half a century later, the rivals may still compete in the showroom. However, the Sant'Agata automaker has more than earned its place amongst the best supercar makers, establishing itself as the creator of some of the world's finest performance cars.
The Inspiration From Fighting Bulls And The Founder's Zodiac Sign Connection
When the word Lamborghini is uttered, the first that clicks in the head is the raging bull logo, which has become a brand today. In the early sixties, Ferruccio Lamborghini spent some time with Don Eduardo Miura, who was a breeder for Spanish fighting bulls in Sevilla. Lamborghini was so inspired and impressed by these animals that he decided that the raging bull should be his car brand's logo.
The Lamborghini logo comprises a corporate coat of arms and a golden snorting bull symbol inside it. Though the inspiration of Lamborghini's logo was taken from fighting bulls, it was only partial. The other half was inspired by the founder's zodiac sign, Taurus (bull). The bull has been a traditional symbol of power, stability, and determination. Another fact about the automaker is that many Lamborghini car models like Miura, Murcielago, and Aventador are named after famous fighting bulls as well.
Lamborghini released the industry standard for the mid-engine two-seat high-performance sports car in 1967 under the name Miura. The fourth car to come off the production line was presented to Don Eduardo at his ranch by Ferrucciono as a symbol of admiration for his family and their line of fighting bulls. The Miura was produced through 1972 with a total of 764 built.
Lamborghini's First Model
It took one year for Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini to be founded in 1963, with a factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The same year, Lamborghini rolled out its first V12 from its factory, the 350 GTV, which imprinted Lamborghini's mark in the sportscar history of the world. The 350 GT was a production-spec model of the 350 GTV, which was later followed by the 400 GT, which featured an in-house Lamborghini gearbox and a 4-liter engine.
Miura, which was named after the Miura fighting bulls, was an experimental child of Marcello Gandini that ultimately paid off quite well. With the experimental chassis, Gandini built one of the most exquisite supercars in the world, and the attention it got at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show created a massive buzz in the automobile industry.
Being a leading automaker of high-end sports cars, the raging bull logo possesses immense recognition globally among other car logos. Today, Lamborghini is a subsidiary of Audi AG, a German automobile company, and continues to produce some of the world's best sports automobiles.