Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

(Italian: [lamborini] ( listen)) is an Italian brand and

manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. The company is
owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.
Ferruccio Lamborghini, an Italian manufacturing magnate, founded Automobili Ferruccio
Lamborghini S.p.A. in 1963 to compete with established marques, including Ferrari. The company
gained wide acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coup, which established rear mid-engine, rear
wheel drive as the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era. Lamborghini grew rapidly
during its first decade, but sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 worldwide financial downturn and
the oil crisis. The firm's ownership changed three times after 1973, including a bankruptcy in 1978.
American Chrysler Corporation took control of Lamborghini in 1987 and sold it to Malaysian
investment group Mycom Setdco and Indonesian group V'Power Corporation in 1994. In 1998,
Mycom Setdco and V'Power sold Lamborghini to the Volkswagen Group where it was placed under
the control of the group's Audi division.
New products and model lines were introduced to the brand's portfolio and brought to the market
and saw an increased productivity for the brand Lamborghini. In the late 2000s, during the worldwide
financial crisis and the subsequent economic crisis, Lamborghini's sales saw a drop of nearly 50
percent.
Lamborghini produces sports cars and V12 engines for offshore powerboat racing. Lamborghini
currently produces the V12-powered Aventador and the V10-powered Huracn.
Contents
[hide]

1History
2Products
o 2.1Automobiles
o 2.2Marine engines
o 2.3Lamborghini motorcycle
o 2.4Branded merchandise
3Motorsport
o 3.1Complete Formula One results
4Marketing
o 4.1Brand identity
o 4.2Vehicle nomenclature
o 4.3Concept vehicles
5Corporate affairs
o 5.1Structure
o 5.2Sales results
6Licensing
o 6.1Automviles Lamborghini Latinoamrica
7Museo Lamborghini
8See also
9Notes
10Citations
11References
o 11.1Corporate documents
12External links

History
Main article: History of Lamborghini
Manufacturing magnate Italian Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company in 1963 with the
objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with offerings from established
marques such as Ferrari. The company's first models, such as the 350 GT, were released in the
mid-1960s and were noted for their refinement, power and comfort. Lamborghini gained wide
acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coup, which established rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive as
the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era.
Lamborghini grew rapidly during its first ten years, but sales plunged in the wake of the 1973
worldwide financial downturn and the oil crisis. Ferruccio Lamborghini sold ownership of the
company to Georges-Henri Rossetti and Ren Leimer and retired in 1974. The company went
bankrupt in 1978, and was placed in the receivership of brothers Jean-Claude and Patrick Mimran in
1980. The Mimrans purchased the company out of receivership by 1984 and invested heavily in the
company's expansion. Under the Mimrans' management, Lamborghini's model line was expanded
from the Countach to include the Jalpa sports car and the LM002 high performance off-road vehicle.
The Mimrans sold Lamborghini to the Chrysler Corporation in 1987. After replacing the Countach
with the Diablo and discontinuing the Jalpa and the LM002, Chrysler sold Lamborghini to Malaysian
investment group Mycom Setdco and Indonesian group V'Power Corporation in 1994. In 1998,
Mycom Setdco and V'Power sold Lamborghini to the Volkswagen Group where it was placed under
the control of the group's Audi division. New products and model lines were introduced to the brand's
portfolio and brought to the market and saw an increased productivity for the brand Lamborghini. In
the late 2000s, during the worldwide financial crisis and the subsequent economic crisis,
Lamborghini's sales saw a drop of nearly 50 percent.

Products
Automobiles
Main article: List of Lamborghini automobiles

Huracn

As of the 2015 model year, Lamborghini's automobile product range consists of two model lines,
both of which are mid-engine two-seat sports cars.[3] The V12-powered Aventador line consists of the
LP 7004 coup and roadster.[4] The V10-powered Huracn line currently includes the all-wheeldrive LP 610-4 coup and roadster, as well as the less powerful rear-wheel-drive LP 580-2
coup.[5] Lamborghini intends to double its car production by producing as many SUVs by 2018 as
sports cars.[6]

Marine engines

L900 marine engine

Motori Marini Lamborghini produces a large V12 marine engine block for use in World Offshore
Series Class 1 powerboats. A Lamborghini branded marine engine displaces approximately 8,171 cc
(499 cu in) and outputs approximately 940 hp (700 kW).[7]

Lamborghini motorcycle
In the mid-1980s, Lamborghini produced a limited-production run of a 1,000 cc sports motorcycle.
UK weekly newspaper Motor Cycle News reported in 1994 when featuring an example available
through an Essex motorcycle retailer - that 24 examples were produced with a
Lamborghini alloy frame having adjustable steering head angle, Kawasaki
GPz1000RX engine/transmission unit, Ceriani front forks and Marvic wheels. The bodywork
was plastic and fully integrated with front fairing merged into fuel tank and seat cover ending in a
rear tail-fairing. The motorcycles were designed by Lamborghini stylists and produced by French
business Boxer Bikes.[8]

Branded merchandise
Lamborghini licenses its brand to manufacturers that produce a variety of Lamborghini-branded
consumer goods including scale models, clothing, accessories, bags, electronics[9] and laptop
computers.[10]

Motorsport

The Miura began as a clandestine prototype, a car that had racing pedigree in a company that was entirely
against motorsport.

In contrast to his rival Enzo Ferrari, Ferruccio Lamborghini had decided early on that there would be
no factory-supported racing of Lamborghinis, viewing motorsport as too expensive and too draining
on company resources.[citation needed] This was unusual for the time, as many sports car manufacturers
sought to demonstrate the speed, reliability, and technical superiority through motorsport
participation. Enzo Ferrari in particular was known for considering his road car business mostly a
source of funding for his participation in motor racing. Ferruccio's policy led to tensions between him
and his engineers, many of whom were racing enthusiasts; some had previously worked at Ferrari.

When Dallara, Stanzani, and Wallace began dedicating their spare time to the development of the
P400 prototype, they designed it to be a road car with racing potential, one that could win on the
track and also be driven on the road by enthusiasts.[11] When Ferruccio discovered the project, he
allowed them to go ahead, seeing it as a potential marketing device for the company, while insisting
that it would not be raced. The P400 went on to become the Miura. The closest the company came
to building a true race car under Lamborghini's supervision were a few highly modified prototypes,
including those built by factory test driver Bob Wallace, such as the Miura SV-based "Jota" and the
Jarama S-based "Bob Wallace Special".
In the mid-1970s, while Lamborghini was under the management of Georges-Henri Rossetti,
Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to develop, then manufacture 400 cars for BMW
in order to meet Group 4 homologation requirements. BMW lacked experience developing a midengined vehicle and believed that Lamborghini's experience in that area would make Lamborghini an
ideal choice of partner. Due to Lamborghini's shaky finances, Lamborghini fell behind schedule
developing the car's structure and running gear. When Lamborghini failed to deliver working
prototypes on time, BMW took the program in house, finishing development without Lamborghini.
BMW contracted with Baur to produce the car, which BMW named the M1, delivering the first vehicle
in October 1978.[12][13]

The 1990 Lotus 102 featured a Lamborghini V12.

In 1985, Lamborghini's British importer developed the Countach QVX, in conjunction with Spice
Engineering, for the 1986 Group C championship season. One car was built, but lack of sponsorship
caused it to miss the season. The QVX competed in only one race, the non-championship 1986
Southern Suns 500 km race at Kyalami in South Africa, driven by Tiff Needell. Despite the car
finishing better than it started, sponsorship could once again not be found and the programme was
cancelled.[14]
Lamborghini was an engine supplier in Formula One between the 1989 and 1993 Formula One
seasons. It supplied engines to Larrousse (19891990,1992
1993), Lotus (1990), Ligier (1991), Minardi (1992), and to the Modena team in 1991. While the latter
is commonly referred to as a factory team, the company saw themselves as a supplier, not a backer.
The 1992 LarrousseLamborghini was largely uncompetitive but noteworthy in its tendency to spew
oil from its exhaust system. Cars following closely behind the Larrousse were commonly coloured
yellowish-brown by the end of the race.[citation needed] Lamborghini's best result was achieved with
Larrousse at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, when Aguri Suzuki finished third on home soil.[15]
In late 1991, a Lamborghini Formula One motor was used in the Konrad KM-011 Group C sports
car, but the car only lasted a few races before the project was canceled. The same engine, rebadged a Chrysler, Lamborghini's then-parent company, was tested by McLaren towards the end of
the 1993 season, with the intent of using it during the 1994 season. Although driver Ayrton
Senna was reportedly impressed with the engine's performance, McLaren pulled out of negotiations,
choosing a Peugeot engine instead, and Chrysler ended the project.

A Murcielago R-GT participating in the FIA GT Championship at Silverstone in 2006.

Two racing versions of the Diablo were built for the Diablo Supertrophy, a single-model racing series
held annually from 1996 to 1999. In the first year, the model used in the series was the Diablo SVR,
while the Diablo 6.0 GTR was used for the remaining three years.[16][17]Lamborghini developed the
Murcilago R-GT as a production racing car to compete in the FIA GT Championship, the Super
GT Championship and the American Le Mans Series in 2004. The car's highest placing in any race
that year was the opening round of the FIA GT Championship at Valencia, where the car entered
by Reiter Engineering finished third from a fifth-place start.[18][19] In 2006, during the opening round of
the Super GT championship at Suzuka, a car run by the Japan Lamborghini Owners Club garnered
the first victory (in class) by an R-GT. A GT3 version of the Gallardo has been developed by Reiter
Engineering.[20] A Murcilago R-GT entered by All-Inkl.com racing, driven by Christophe Bouchut and
Stefan Mcke, won the opening round of the FIA GT Championship held at Zhuhai International
Circuit, achieving the first major international race victory for Lamborghini.[21]

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

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Marketing
Brand identity

The Lamborghini wordmark, as displayed on the back of its cars.

The world of bullfighting is a key part of Lamborghini's identity.[22][23][24] In 1962, Ferruccio Lamborghini
visited the Seville ranch of Don Eduardo Miura, a renowned breeder of Spanish fighting bulls.
Lamborghini, a Taurus himself, was so impressed by the majestic Miura animals that he decided to
adopt a raging bull as the emblem for the automaker he would open shortly.[25]

Vehicle nomenclature
After producing two cars with alphanumeric designations, Lamborghini once again turned to the bull
breeder for inspiration. Don Eduardo was filled with pride when he learned that Ferruccio had named
a car for his family and their line of bulls; the fourth Miura to be produced was unveiled to him at his
ranch in Seville.[25][26]
The automaker would continue to draw upon the bullfighting connection in future years.
The Islero was named for the Miura bull that killed the famed bullfighter Manolete in 1947. Espada is
the Spanish word for sword, sometimes used to refer to the bullfighter himself. The Jarama's name
carried a special double meaning; though it was intended to refer only to the historic bullfighting
region in Spain, Ferruccio was concerned about confusion with the also historic Jarama motor racing
track.[27]

The Diablo (background) was named for a legendary bull, while the Countach (foreground) broke from the
bullfighting tradition.

After christening the Urraco after a bull breed, in 1974, Lamborghini broke from tradition, naming the
Countach not for a bull,[28] but for contacc (pronounced [kuntt] ( listen)),[citation
needed]
a Piedmontese expletive.[28] Legend has it that stylist Nuccio Bertone uttered the word in
surprise when he first laid eyes on the Countach prototype, "Project 112".[29] The LM002 (LM for
Lamborghini Militaire) sport utility vehicle and the Silhouette (named after the popular racing
category of the time) were other exceptions to the tradition.
The Jalpa of 1982 was named for a bull breed; Diablo, for the Duke of Veragua's ferocious bull
famous for fighting an epic battle against "El Chicorro" in Madrid in 1869;[30][31][32] Murcilago, the
legendary bull whose life was spared by "El Lagartijo" for his performance in 1879; Gallardo, named
for one of the five ancestral castes of the Spanish fighting bull breed;[33] and Reventn, the bull that
defeated young Mexican torero Flix Guzmn in 1943. The Estoque concept of 2008 was named for
the estoc, the sword traditionally used by matadors during bullfights.[34]

Concept vehicles
See also: List of Lamborghini concept vehicles

The Concept S, a Gallardo derivative.

Throughout its history, Lamborghini has envisioned and presented a variety of concept cars,
beginning in 1963 with the very first Lamborghini prototype, the 350GTV. Other famous models
include Bertone's 1967 Marzal, 1974 Bravo, and 1980 Athon, Chrysler's 1987 Portofino,
the Italdesign-styled Cala from 1995, the Zagato-built Raptor from 1996.
A retro-styled Lamborghini Miura concept car, the first creation of chief designer Walter de'Silva, was
presented in 2006. President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann denied that the concept would be put
into production, saying that the Miura concept was "a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is
about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we wont do the [new] Miura.[35]
At the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini revealed the Estoque, a four-door sedan concept.
Although there had been much speculation regarding the Estoque's eventual
production,[36][37] Lamborghini management has not made a decision regarding production of what
might be the first four-door car to roll out of the Sant'Agata factory.[38]

The Estoque, a 2008 sedan concept.

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the Sesto Elemento. The concept car is made
almost entirely of carbon fibre making it extremely light, weighing only 999 kg. The Sesto Elemento
shares the same V10 engine found in the Lamborghini Gallardo. Lamborghini hopes to signal a shift
in the company's direction from making super cars focused on top speed to producing more agile,
track focused cars with the Sesto Elemento. The concept car can reach 062 in 2.5 seconds and
can reach a top speed of over 180 mph.[39]
At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the Aventador J a roofless, windowless
version of the Lamborghini Aventador. The Aventador J uses the same 700 hp engine and sevenspeed transmission as the standard Aventador.[40]
At the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the Urus SUV. This is the first SUV By
Lamborghini since the LM002.
As part of the celebration of 50 years of Lamborghini, the company unveiled the Egoista. Egoista is
for one person's driving and only one of Egoista is to be made.[41]
At the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the Asterion LPI910-4 hybrid concept car.
Named after the actual half-man, half-bull hybrid (Minotaur) of Greek legend, it is the first hybrid
Lamborghini in the history of the company ("Asterion" was the traditional proper name of another
hybrid namely, . Utilizing the Huracn's 5.2 litre V10 producing 607 horsepower, along with one
electric motor mounted on the transaxle and an additional two on the front axle, developing an
additional 300 horsepower. This puts the power at a combined figure of 907 horsepower. 0
100 km/h is claimed to be "just above 3 seconds," with a claimed top speed of 185 mph.[42]