A gem of a brand

Lamborghini has always been synonymous with outstanding technology and flamboyant design. This is because Ferruccio Lamborghini, who founded his legendary racing car manufacturer at the beginning of the 1960s, had his sights set on just one goal: to build the best sports cars in the world. This driving ambition is still very much evident among the virtuoso Italian carmakers today. BY JÜRGEN LEWANDOWSKI

FERRUCCIO LAMBORGHINI (1913–1993) had a dream: to design an outstanding car that would defy convention. In 1963, in order to make this dream a reality, he set up a company in the famous Modena-Bologna-Ferrara triangle – the Mecca of Italian automotive avant-gardists. In 1966, he achieved worldwide fame with the Miura, a hot-blooded sports car that was widely held to be the most beautiful of its kind. This was followed by fascinating models such as the Countach, the Espada and the Urraco – all dreams that became reality while still remaining the stuff of dreams.

The Lamborghini 350 GT was the high point of the Geneva Motor Show 1964 – an unmistakable design, even back then.

It was in 1964 that Ferruccio Lamborghini developed a twelve-cylinder engine with four overhead camshafts. To complement this, the motor racing pioneer commissioned his team to design a special fully synchronized five-speed gearbox. He also ensured that the 320 horsepower that accelerated the first 350 GT to 260 km/h harmonized perfectly with an independent wheel suspension and four disk brakes – all sophisticated technical details that the established competition of the time could not even have begun to imagine.

“SUPREME AMONGST EXOTICS”

However, even more important was the bella figura – the unique design that put Ferruccio Lamborghini’s cars out of reach of the competition: the 350 GT, the Miura, the Espada, the Countach – all unique gems that revolutionized the way racing cars were designed and built. And it is probably this consistent flair for the exceptional that was continued in the Diablo, earning the brand with the charging bull emblem the title “Supreme Amongst Exotics”.

The exceptional nature of the brand was certainly evident to Audi AG when it took over Lamborghini on July 24, 1998. In the words of Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and head of Audi at the time of the takeover: “This brand stands for exceptional sports cars that push the limits of technical feasibility and avantgarde design”. From the very beginning, he knew that this was “a gem of a brand”.

In 1968, the Lamborghini Espada went down in history as the first-ever four-seater Lamborghini. With a top speed of 250 km/h, it was a rather unusual family car.

EXTREME, HOT-BLOODED, SEDUCTIVE: SIMPLY LAMBORGHINI.

Since then, the sports car manufacturer based in Sant’Agata Bolognese has proved him right: while 213 Diablo models were sold in 1998, this figure rose to 250 in 1999 and 296 in 2000. September 5, 2001, was the date on which the Murciélago was finally unveiled: the first newly developed super sports car of the Audi era was presented at night in front of the red-hot lava slopes of Mount Etna. And, needless to say, the Murciélago was every bit as spectacular as its predecessors – exclusive, aggressive and extreme. The second series model, the Gallardo, also lived up to all expectations when launched in June 2003. The Gallardo Coupé¹ and Spyder¹ are both powered by a five-liter ten-cylinder engine with exactly 520 PS (382 kW)¹,  while the six-liter twelve-cylinder engine is the reserve of the Murciélago Coupé¹ and of the Murciélago Roadster¹, which made its debut in 2004.

¹ Consumption and emission data can be found on the following page of this Report.

DESIGN CENTER FOR THE LEGEND

The ever-growing success of Lamborghini – with 2,406 units delivered in 2007 – is not only attributable to its spectacular models and to the high quality and everyday usability attributes of the parent company Volkswagen. Another important factor is the company’s structure, which is unusual for an automotive player in that design and marketing are brought together. The advantage of this, according to Manfred Fitzgerald, who, as Director of Brand & Design, is responsible for this exciting field, is that “the two areas are integrated and can therefore react far more quickly to market developments – and without frictional losses.”

The best example of this marriage of design and marketing is the Reventón, which was presented at the IAA last September. The idea behind this strictly limited edition of 20 vehicles was to create a model that would crown the success of the brand, that will serve as a four-wheeled ambassador for the uniqueness of Lamborghini – and that will also demonstrate the short development times of which the sports car manufacturer is now capable.

When the new “Centro Stile Lamborghini” design center was officially opened next to the modern production facilities at the end of 2004, this also signified the independence of the Lamborghini legend. More than anything else, however, the modern high-tech building aimed to convey that unique manufacturing design of this kind is at its best when in close proximity to the production facility and to its customers. This is a decision that Volkswagen Head of Group Design Walter de Silva not only supported but insisted upon – and which, of course, received the wholehearted support of Wolfgang Egger, the new head of Audi Group Design.

“With this new structure, we are in a position to determine our strategy and our future to an even greater extent than before”, said Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Lamborghini, adding that “the freedom to define the future of the brand ourselves is the best possible foundation for success”. And the company’s determination to seize this opportunity can be seen by the Reventón, which was developed in a mere six months.

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF PROGRESS

With this step, Lamborghini demonstrated that it is capable of developing and producing even exceptional vehicles within an extremely short turnaround – just one Reventón prototype was built between the original design and the final model. Above all, however, the Sant’Agata carmakers can be proud that they have once again succeeded in preserving the legacy of Ferruccio Lamborghini: always to remain on the cutting edge of progress.