As of 2021, the net worth of Lamborghini is estimated to be around $12 billion. A new Lamborghini sports car starts at a little over two hundred thousand dollars, and a well-kept classic Lambo can be worth several millions of dollars. Not too shabby! But did you know that the inventor of this fancy car brand once went to prison, and one of his biggest motivators was an insult that the founder of Ferrari dished out to him? Keep reading to find out more about this unusual story.
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Lamborghini’s Humble Beginnings in Farming
Growing up in a family of farmers in the formative years of the 20th century, there is no way that anyone could have foreseen how Ferruccio Lamborghini’s story would unfold. Born on his family estate in Renato, in the north of Bologna, Ferruccio Lamborghini grew up in a grape-farming family. However, the young boy had always had a passion for fast cars and motorcycles. Being drawn more toward farming machines than farming itself, he soon realized that he did not wish to follow in his father’s footsteps.
A Passion for Machinery and Early Career
He felt a natural affinity with machinery and wanted to pursue that instead. He took a course in industrial technology at the Fratelli Tadia Institute near Bologna and graduated in 1940, just in time to enter the Italian army. During World War II, Ferruccio was scooped up in the draft and worked for the Italian Air Force. He took the skills he learned during his mechanical engineering study into the Italian RAF and worked as a mechanic. He soon became known as a wizard at mechanical improvisation and fixing engines.
From Soldier to Mechanic: Lamborghini’s Wartime Experience
But in 1945, he was held as a prisoner of war by the British. They put him to work too. When he got home one year later, Ferruccio had to figure out what he would do next. With all of the hands-on experience that he had gathered over the past years, he had quite a few options. The work he had done provided him with intricate knowledge of both farm tractors and military vehicles, so it seemed quite obvious to him that he should find a way to bring those two worlds together.
The Birth of Lamborghini Trattori: A New Beginning
Initially, he started tinkering with cars, but in 1947, Lamborghini Trattori (the Italian word for tractors) was born. Ironically, this was also the year when Ferrari was founded, something that will be discussed later in this article.
The Rapid Growth of Lamborghini’s Tractor Business
Why tractors, you may wonder? Well, after his service in the Air Force, the young businessman noticed a shortage of agricultural equipment for farmers. This is why he began buying and repurposing surplus military vehicles into tractors and selling them under the Lamborghini Trattori company name. It did not take long before his venture took off. In the beginning, Ferruccio was building, on average, one tractor a month.
But business was booming, and his tractor production grew from the making of one tractor per week to more than four a week. Soon, his company was making 200 tractors per year. More success and growth followed, and the company opened a new tractor factory in 1956. With the new factory, the production of the outstanding Lamborghini brand tractors increased even more.
Diversifying into Heating and Air-Conditioning
By 1960, his business had become so extremely successful that he was able to expand it to manufacturing oil-burning heaters and air-conditioning units for buildings. It turned him from a respected tractor manufacturer into a wealthy industrialist and started him down the path of becoming one of the household names throughout Italy.
The Love for Cars and the Quest for Perfection
While Ferruccio’s tractor business had been very successful, his real worth came when he diversified into heating and air-conditioning. As sales grew, so did the cash in his bank account. It allowed him to buy some of the most sought-after and best-looking cars in the world, such as a Mercedes-Benz 300SL, an E-Type Jaguar, and two Maserati 3500 GTs. His love for cars was immense, but like many great engineering minds, he had a critical eye for each vehicle he owned.
The Feud Begins: Lamborghini vs Ferrari
He was constantly searching for the perfect car, and one day he traveled to Maranello to buy a Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 250GT. This is where the tale of the automotive feud of the century begins—Ferrari versus Lamborghini.
At the time, Ferruccio enjoyed his 250GT so much that he bought many more Ferraris over the next few years. But just like he critiqued other car manufacturers, he had quite a few constructive but critical tips for Ferrari as well. At one point, he was quoted as saying Ferrari was a good car but that they were noisy and rough. He once even called them repurposed track cars with poorly built interiors. However, this was only the beginning.
Ferrari’s Insult That Sparked Lamborghini’s Supercar Dream
Throughout its history, Ferraris have been a symbol of power, luxury, speed, and wealth, and some see them as the highest quality cars in the world. It is one of the most influential brands in the world and, over time, has produced some of the most expensive cars in history. It is therefore not surprising that successful entertainers, entrepreneurs, and business people enjoy owning and driving them. However, Ferruccio was not too convinced. He was quite unhappy with his Ferrari 250GT and even went to see Enzo Ferrari to voice his displeasure. That is when things went sour.
Thanks to his profitable business, Ferruccio was able to continuously accumulate expensive luxury cars. At one point, he bought two Ferraris: a black one for his wife and a white one for himself. Every time important customers came to visit his tractor company to sign contracts, he would take them to the restaurant in his fancy Ferrari. But while he liked to put on a show, some say that he wasn’t a particularly good driver, and because of this, he regularly burned the clutch. After many expensive trips to the Ferrari factory, he decided he had had enough.
The Shocking Discovery: A Clutch from a Tractor
Frustrated by the recurring clutch problems, Ferruccio had one of his tractor mechanics look at the issue, and that is when he made a shocking discovery. After disassembling the engine and transmission, the mechanic noted that the clutch on the car was the same clutch that was used in Ferruccio’s tractors. While it was a commercially available clutch that was fitted to many of the top-end sports cars of the day, this discovery did not sit well with the wealthy tractor maker. Knowing he was paying 100 times as much for the clutch every time he went in to get his car fixed felt like a stab in the heart. He could not understand why someone would use a subpar clutch in such a luxury vehicle.
Confronting Ferrari: The Start of the Feud
It upset the disgruntled Ferrari owner so much that he not only replaced the Ferrari clutch with a clutch from his tractor company but also decided to pay a visit to the Ferrari factory and present his findings to the founder of the company, Enzo Ferrari. It was the first encounter that would later ignite the great Lamborghini-Ferrari feud.
Ferruccio’s Determination: Building His Own Supercar
Many versions of the story have been retold about the meeting between Enzo and Ferruccio. Naturally, with a story that has been told and retold thousands of times over the decades, history has taken on a life of its own. Undoubtedly, with each retelling, Ferruccio’s fury and determination became more dramatic. Some say he was so furious that he made it his goal to build the best sports car in the world and show Ferrari who the real master was. Would he succeed? With money saved up from his successful tractor business and his encounter with Enzo Ferrari fresh in his mind, Ferruccio decided to get going. In May 1963, he officially founded his own motor car company, Automobili Lamborghini. He chose the factory’s location carefully, setting it in the small town of Sant’Agata Bolognese, between Modena and Bologna.
Lamborghini’s Factory in Motor Valley
The ultra-modern plant had plenty of space to grow, and his tractor and heating factories were not too far away. Sant’Agata was also in the middle of “Terra dei Motori”—or “Motor Valley”—a region known for its automotive history, home to Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati, and now Lamborghini.
Ferruccio, being an impatient and ambitious man, exerted considerable pressure during the creation of the factory, and after just a year, it was already complete. Although a highly qualified workforce from the sports car industry existed in the region, the wage level was relatively low due to the area’s economic challenges. Ferruccio gave the municipality an employment guarantee for his workers, and in return, he received a long-term, interest-free loan.
Assembling the Best Team for Lamborghini’s Vision
With the factory up and running, Ferruccio immediately began assembling the best team he could find. He hired top talents from rival companies, including several ex-Ferrari employees such as Giotto Bizzarrini, Franco Scaglione, and Gian Paolo Dallara. The task was clear: to create a luxurious and powerful grand tourer (GT) that could reach at least 240 kilometers per hour on Italy’s famous Autostrada del Sole, the motorway that connects Milan with Naples.
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The Birth of the Lamborghini 350 GT
The result of their labor was the Lamborghini 350 GT, a masterpiece that marked the beginning of a new era in luxury sports cars. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Symbol of the Bull: Lamborghini’s Iconic Badge
Born on April 28, 1916, Ferruccio was a Taurus, and he truly loved the symbol of the bull. He saw in it an expression of his forward-driving and impetuous character. So when he began manufacturing cars under his name, it seemed obvious that the charging bull would become the badge for his brand. This theme also permeated Lamborghini model names, with cars such as the Islero, Miura, Espada, and Urraco, all drawing inspiration from bulls and bullfighting.
Criticism and Risk: Lamborghini’s Drive to Compete with Ferrari
At the time, many people criticized Ferruccio for building a sports car that would compete directly with such a powerful and established brand like Ferrari. After all, he was already a successful businessman, wealthy from his tractor company and other manufacturing ventures like air conditioning systems. Why would he take the risk of starting an entirely new business?
Lamborghini’s Motivation: Enzo Ferrari’s Insult
As we all know, sometimes motivation comes in mysterious forms. In this case, it was a sharp insult from Enzo Ferrari that Ferruccio probably never forgot. While Ferruccio admitted he never truly invented anything, he confessed to copying and improving upon others’ work. His legacy, however, has continued to this day. Over the years, Lamborghini has faced financial difficulties from time to time, eventually becoming part of the Audi AG group and recognized as Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
The Legacy of Lamborghini: A Rivalry That Made History
Yet, despite the ups and downs, Lamborghini remains a sought-after luxury car brand that few can afford.
This was the story of how a skilled mechanic and former prisoner ignited a rivalry by critiquing the maker of his luxury sports car. This feud is a testament to the determination of hard-working, dedicated, and proud pioneers. The rivalry pushed each iconic company to greatness and led to the production of some of the most beautiful and high-performing automobiles in history.
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