ALT-2 Automotive History Lamborghini
Passionate car lovers all know the famous Lamborghini for its slick style and unmatched performance. These cars are rarely seen on the streets, but once you've driven a Lamborghini, nothing will ever compare to the fast-paced experience. Designed for an exclusive and pricey consumer base, Lamborghini's are a notch above the best in the arena of luxury cars.
Ferruccio Lamborghini is the father of these speed demons, with his mechanical roots dating back to World War II. Lamborghini served as in the Italian Air Force mechanics corps during the war, where he became an engine genious with a unique passion for speed and performance. Lamborghini took his experience to become a great entrepreneur after the war ended, by first building tractors. He began by purchasing surplus military machines and designed them into tractors to fill a shortage in the Italian market.
His success soon left him with money to spend and he turned his attention to his goals. In the 1950's, Lamborghini hid away in the small village of Sant'Agata to start his first automobile factory. Armed with determination to outshine the Ferrari, he hired only the best to help him develop his first automobile. He brought a brilliant ex-Ferrari engineer, Giotto Bizzarrini, onto his staff and soon the magic began.
The first Lamborghini was released in 1963 at the Turin Motor Show. The car was named the 350GT because of its powerful engine. The 350GT came equipped with 3.5 liter four-cam V12 engine. The next model was the mighty 400 GT, which continued production until 1968. Lamborghini was on the road to success, but his automobiles became the ultimate luxury when he released the mid-engine Miura in 1966.
The 1970's were a hard time for Lamborghini, with tractor business suffering and a national oil crisis causing great strain. The financial difficulty finally took its toll and Lamborghini had to declare bankruptcy just before 1980.
The eighties proved to be friendlier to Lamborghini, as he updated the Countach model with over the top angles and vents, giving it the ultimate exotic look. While business was still booming, Lamborghini sold out to Chrysler in 1987.
In 1994, three Far East companies bought the company. It soon suffered as the models showed a lack of ingenuity and couldn't compete in the world's market of fine driving. Finally in 1998, Volkswagon added Lamborghini to its collection of sports cars which include Bentley and Audi. Though the merger of Italian and German makers leave a lot of car enthusiasts unsure, one test drive will leave no room for questions.
The Diablo was a well-known model for Lamborghini, but its successor brought new fame to the whole Lamborghini concept. This Murceilago can run up to 200 miles per hour and takes performance to a new arena.
