Ferruccio Lamborghini built an empire from his farm tractor business and, in the 1950s, indulged his lifelong passion for automobiles by purchasing the best cars that Italy had to offer: Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and, naturally, Ferrari.
According to an interview published in a 1991 issue of the British magazine "Thoroughbred and Classic Cars," Lamborghini decided to go into the automobile business in 1963 after he complained about a weak clutch in the Ferrari 250GT and Enzo Ferrari responded, “Lamborghini, you may be able to drive a tractor, but you will never be able to handle a Ferrari properly.”
Lamborghinis are known for straight lines and squared-off edges, indicative of stiffer, more hard-edged handling compared to Ferrari. Under the leadership of Audi, Lamborghini is moving beyond its sleek two-seater supercars the Aventador and the Huracán, and entering into the luxury SUV market with the Urus and the Asterion LPI 910-4 concept, the automaker's first plug-in hybrid.
Quick Facts
- In 2014, a 1974 Countach LP400 Periscopica with an estimate between $600,000 and $800,000 went for $1.87 million
- A rare 1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT sold at a November 2015 Keno Brothers auction for $616,000
- In December 2015, the burned-out shell of a 1980 Lamborghini Diablo sold on eBay for $4,600
