Collecting 101

1.

From Tractors to Track Stars

Despite its humble agricultural beginnings, Lamborghini has grown into one of the most desirable automotive brands in the world, adored by glitterati across the globe. Its founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, was mechanically gifted from a young age. In 1948, he founded a tractor manufacturing business, Lamborghini Trattori, which thrived in the post-war economic boom. From agricultural machinery, he moved into the heating and air conditioning business and thrived.

His financial success allowed him to begin amassing some beautiful Italian sports cars from Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and, of course, Ferrari. However, unlike many Italian car enthusiasts, he found that Ferraris were mechanically inferior and lamented the secretive servicing process which involved cars being squirrelled away for hours hidden from the owner’s view. He also found their interiors too uncomfortable to be considered genuine grand tourers, so he took matters into his own hands and turned his mechanical and business acumen to creating his own Italian supercars. In 1963, Automobili Lamborghini was established in Sant’Agata Bolognese and debuted its first car, the V12 350 GTV.

2.

Super Models

From its launch in the mid ‘60s, Lamborghini was renowned for producing refined, powerful and stylish cars. Its catalogue has impressed the cognoscenti for decades, but a few models tower above the rest. The Miura, the Countach, the Diablo, the Aventador and the Reventón have adorned the bedroom walls of car-mad children across the world, and each has left its own indelible mark on the automotive world.

The Miura was arguably Lamborghini’s first supercar, produced between 1966-73. It was the fastest production road car in existence when it was released, and is still hailed as one of the most beautiful cars ever created. The Countach was a sharp departure from the sleek, curvaceous Miura. It was simply unlike anything ever seen before, and its name comes from a Piedmontese word meaning “crikey!” in reference to its reception whenever it appeared on local roads. The road-going spaceship remains hugely popular, and its avant-garde design (and 375bhp!) only appear to get better with age. Although the Countach was deemed irreplaceable by its fans, the Diablo gave it a good go. Appearing in 1990, the ‘devil Lamborghini’ was named after a famous Spanish fighting bull, and cost a rumoured 6 billion lira to develop.

Lamborghini has never been one to rest on its laurels however, and in 2007 it debuted the Reventón, a limited edition supercar based mechanically on the growling Murciélago LP640 but cosmetically styled on a fighter jet. Not one for the shy and retiring. It was a hard machine to beat, but in 2011, the growling V12, 0-60 in 2.9 seconds Aventador roared onto the scene and was duly titled “the best Lamborghini ever,” winning award after award. Every Lamborghini enthusiast has their favourite, but the geometric Aventador remains a steadfast favourite among critics.

3.

Lights, Camera, Lamborghini

There is no denying the enormous impact Lamborghini has had on both the celebrity and automotive worlds. These sleek spaceships have appeared in music videos, video games and films to the delight of viewers, and have come to represent status, power and wealth. Lamborghini celebrity enthusiasts span pop stars to pontiffs – Kanye West, 50 Cent and Kylie Jenner are all Lamborghini owners, as indeed are the likes of the Shah of Iran and Pope Francis.

On the silver screen, Lamborghinis have long been the playboy’s plaything of choice – The Wolf of Wall Street, The Dark Knight and myriad Fast and the Furious instalments have all featured these superfast supercars. Their appeal has also spread to more unlikely corners of society – several national police forces have been presented specially adapted Lamborghinis for use in high-speed chases and to transport organs over long distances in emergency cases. The power of speed!

4.

Lamborghini on the market

Lamborghinis remain some of the most desirable cars in existence. Their outlandish looks, mind-boggling speeds and supreme technological prowess make them bucket list machines for most avid collectors. It is also a marque which offers something for all speed lovers: the doe-eyed Miura has aged impeccably since its launch in 1966, and even more unsual designs like the Countach remain fresh and alluring. However, Lamborghini prides itself on being an automotive pioneer and continues to produce dazzling creations. The super-luxe SUV Urus which launched in 2018 introduced Lamborghini to a whole new client base (anyone who needs boot space which can accommodate more than a magnum of champagne) and showed that Lambos don’t have to be inches off the floor to make a serious impression – approximately 20,000 have been built since its launch. Similarly, it would appear that not all Lamborghinis need a scorching V12 to make the cut – the Sián is Lamborghini’s first hybrid and boasts a faintly terrifying 0-100lmh/h of 2.8 seconds. Its top speed has never officially been confirmed, and it would take a brave driver to establish it. The Aventador still remains a top seller for the Italian concern, but rumours of its replacement in 2022 are swirling among the car world. With a history of such remarkable design and mechanical innovation, the future of Lamborghini will undoubtedly surprise and delight supercar lovers across the globe.

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