Getting to know Lamborghini Facts as one of the top car brands in the world
Despite the popularity, there are several interesting facts about the car brand that not many are aware of. Here are 6 interesting Lamborghini facts you need to know.
- Lamborghinis started as tractors
- The first Lamborghini was manufactured within a span of 16 years
- These Italian cars were inspired by fighter planes
- The first Lamborghini showed was engineless
- Lamborghini was born out of a challenge from Enzo Ferrari
- Lamborghini designed the first Viper engine
Lamborghini cars are as gorgeous as they are powerful. The brand is one of the most popular in the world and has millions of ardent fans around the world. Needless to say, a Lamborghini is a car that sparks jealousy and wonder wherever it goes. Even in the cities of the UAE, where sports cars are a dime a dozen, many people choose to rent a Lamborghini in Dubai to turn heads and make a lasting impression. Let’s take a closer look at the brand and its history.
Lamborghinis started as tractors
One of the most surprising fun facts about Lamborghinis is that they were originally designed as tractors. Our beloved luxury car wasn’t always a car; Lamborghinis were, in fact, designed to function as tractors. Designed by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1947, the Lamborghini was originally designed by Ferruccio’s tractor company as part of their services of introducing agricultural machinery into the market. These tractors had components that were made from military vehicles. The first of these tractors was known as the Carioca tractor. This tractor became highly sought after among commercial farmers, leading to a huge success.
Noting this, Ferruccio decided to launch the Lamborghini Trattori, which was made of unique fuel atomizers and a powerful engine that used diesel. This was a big win for Ferruccio Lamborghini and farmers all over because these tractors had solved the problem of using petrol, which usually raised the cost of production. These tractors continued to evolve till they became the famous luxury car brand we all know and love.
The first Lamborghini was manufactured within a span of 16 years
One other Lamborghini fact that may be unknown is that the first-ever Lamborghini took a total of sixteen years to be manufactured and completed. If you’re an avid fan of Lamborghinis, you must have heard of the Lamborghini Countach. This model is one of the oldest Lamborghini cars to be produced, and it took a long sixteen years to be completely done with the production of this model. Ferruccio started its production in 1974 and eventually ended it in 1990. The Lamborghini Countach comes in eight other models, which are the Lamborghini Countach LP500 prototype, Walter Wolf Countach, Countach LP400, Countach LP400 S, Countach LP500 S, Countach LP Turbo S, Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole, and the 25th Anniversary Countach. One Lamborghini fact that would amaze you is that the Lamborghini Countach was the pioneer model for sports cars with a wedge shape.
Another fact about Lamborghini Countach is that it was one of the Lamborghini models with a name that wasn’t related to bulls. It is said that the Lamborghini Countach got its name from designer Nuccio Bertone who exclaimed in surprise in the piedmont Dialect as he saw sketches of the model’s design. Countach is a word of exclamation in the Piedmont dialect, and that was how the model got its name.
These Italian cars were inspired by fighter planes
Just like writers and fashion designers can get their inspiration from anything and anywhere, it’s the same for car designers. One of the unknown Lamborghini facts is that these cars were inspired by fighter planes. Everyone knows the Lamborghini Aventador for its steel-cut style, but a fact about Lamborghini that many people don’t know is that this design was inspired by fighter planes.
Surprisingly, many people believe the model was designed after a green insect, but that’s not true. Filippo Perini, a Lamborghini designer, was the one who designed the steel-cut body style of the Lamborghini, and he credited his inspiration to fighter planes American F-22 and B-2 aircraft. He said he had got glimpses of both planes and decided to design the Lamborghini model to look like one.
The first car showed was engineless
The showcasing of the first Lamborghini in 1966 at the Geneva Motor Show will forever remain an iconic moment in history. This was the first show the company would publicly display their Lamborghini for the world to see. One fun fact about Lamborghini most people are surprised to learn about is that the Lamborghini 350 GTV never had an engine. This was because final finishing touches weren’t yet made to the car before it was showcased. Many of the visitors were surprised that they weren’t allowed to view the car’s engine when they had also seen the engines of other cars on display. The company, however, provided an explanation for this which sparked the rising interest of the masses in the Lamborghini company and its cars. Many people applauded the company for going ahead to showcase an engineless car and deemed it a smart and perfectionist move.
The brand was born out of a challenge by Enzo Ferrari
Sometimes a challenge might be the needed push in the right direction, which was the case with Ferruccio Lamborghini. One of the biggest Lamborghini facts is that Ferruccio created the Lamborghini sports car brand due to a clash with Enzo Ferrari, owner of the Ferrari car brand. Although Ferruccio focused on producing tractors, he was also a huge fan of sports cars and owned a Ferrari 250 GT. Although he loved his sports car, he had issues with the clutch, which was constantly having issues. He made this known to Enzo Ferrari, who decided to use agricultural clutches.
This didn’t satisfy Ferruccio, who continued to lay complaints about the clutch system as it continued to break down. Enraged, Enzo Ferrari told Ferruccio to leave the production of sports cars to him since he had no idea of how it was produced and focus on creating his tractors as usual. Ferruccio took this quite personally, which began a challenge to create his own sports cars. A challenge that eventually paid off and led to one of the biggest and most luxurious car productions in the world.
Lamborghini designed the first Viper engine
Ferruccio Lamborghini was a versatile businessman, and his company is credited with being the first to build a Viper engine. This engine was developed around the late 1980s for the Dodge company, which didn’t want a truck motor in their cars. They decided to seek the help of Lamborghini, who, in turn, helped design the aluminum prototype of the Viper engine. Although the company didn’t eventually use this design, it is believed that the prototype is still in existence and is locked somewhere in the city of Detroit.
Volkswagen Group now owns the Lamborghini company
Although the name Lamborghini remains, a fun fact about Lamborghini is that it is now owned by the Volkswagen Group under the Audi division. The Lamborghini company had encountered several financial woes until Chrysler acquired it in 1987. From there, ownership was switched to an Indonesian company in 1994, which led to alterations within the company’s management. Eventually, the company was owned by the Volkswagen Group in 1998, and this partnership proved beneficial to both companies.
Newer and unusual Lamborghini models (SUV)
Everyone associates the Lamborghini brand with luxury car models, but very few people know not all Lamborghinis are luxurious models. One of the Lamborghini facts few people know is that the Lamborghini company is also into the production of SUV models. These models were designed for off-road and extreme outdoor activities. The first of these SUV models was the Lamborghini LM002, and although it was nicely designed for speed and convenience, very few people were moved to purchase it. They preferred to purchase SUV models from other car companies known in the field. Even though the company received orders from the armed forces of Saudi Arabia and Libya, they still made poor sales as they were only able to sell about 300 of this model. However, the Urus SUV model was quite different as many people embraced the model, leading to its massive success.
All you need to know about car names and models
When you hear the name Lamborghini, what comes to mind is luxury and power. These are some of the leading attributes of the Lamborghini car brands. Not only are these cars designed for elegance, speed, and sophistication, the name only makes a statement. Lamborghini facts many people do not know about are the origin of the brand’s name, as well as the names of their models.
Lamborghini is the second name of the owner
As fancy as the name Lamborghini sounds, it wasn’t a random name picked by the company. Lamborghini is the second name of the founder and manufacturer, Ferruccio Lamborghini. He was born in 1916 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and started the Lamborghini company in 1963. He spent most of his time producing Lamborghini models till his retirement in 1974. He eventually died in 1993.
Cars models are based on Bull names
While many producers choose fancy names for their brand, one fact about Lamborghini is that the car models were named after bulls. Ferruccio enjoyed Spanish bullfighting and was very passionate about the sport. This was reflected in the names of his car models. One of the reasons why Lamborghini models have names relating to Bulls is that Ferruccio Lamborghini likened his car models’ engines to the strength of a bull.
Today, we all know the Lamborghini car model as one of the most powerful and luxurious car brands in the world. Some Lamborghini models with bull-related names include the Lamborghini Miura, Lamborghini Espada, Lamborghini Aventador, Lamborghini Diablo, Lamborghini Huracan, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lamborghini Islero, among others.
Now that you know more about this fabulous car brand, why not rent a car and experience the thrill of driving it for yourself? Check out our booking options to get started.
