Ferruccio Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini (28 April 1916–20 February 1993) was the founder of the Italian company Lamborghini and a renowned car manufacturer. He was born in the small Italian village of Renazzo di Cento, in the province of Ferrara.

After the war, he returned home and began converting military equipment for agricultural use. His business gradually prospered, and he soon established Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A. In 1949, the company produced its first tractor designed by Ferruccio himself.

Lamborghini’s second company, Lamborghini Bruciatori, was founded in 1960 and focused primarily on cooling equipment.

Both businesses were successful and generated substantial income for Italy’s struggling post-war economy. Ferruccio was passionate about sports cars, particularly Ferraris. He noticed that their clutches were almost the same as those used in his tractors, but less reliable. He boldly raised the issue with Ferrari’s owner, who sharply replied that a tractor manufacturer was in no position to criticise his cars. Offended, Ferruccio set himself the goal of building a better car than Ferrari.

That was the purpose behind Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini S.p.A., whose factory opened in 1963 near the Ferrari plant. Former Ferrari employees Gian Paolo Dallara and Bob Wallace were invited to join.

Ferruccio held an unusual position for a sports car manufacturer: he had no desire to support a racing team and openly stated that his cars would not race. Ferrari, by contrast, sought to build ever faster and more manageable racing cars, continually improving their technology. Production cars were intended to raise the funds needed to compete.

This attitude sometimes caused misunderstandings and friction between Ferruccio Lamborghini and his employees, who were enthusiastic racing fans. In their spare time, some engineers even began independently designing mid-engined racing cars. When Ferruccio first saw the project at the prototype stage, he did not obstruct its development and authorised further work. However, the model never entered production. It later formed the basis of the Lamborghini Miura.

In 1972, Lamborghini signed a contract to supply tractors to South America. He spent a considerable sum transporting them, but the contract was cancelled. Serious financial difficulties forced Ferruccio to sell part of the company, and Georges-Henri Rossetti became his business partner. Soon afterwards, in 1973, Lamborghini sold his remaining stake to René Leimer and left the automotive business.

Ferruccio Lamborghini died in Perugia in 1993 at the age of 76. Today his son Tonio Lamborghini is a well-known fashion designer.