I was just watching a documentary on Lamborghini that I have seen a million times. every time I see it I am amazed at how Enzo ferrari's arrogance, when dealing with customer complaints, ( this customer happened to be Ferruci Lamborghini) created his biggest competitor .

Ferrucio Lamborghini was a wealthy man and was pissed when enzo told him to go to hell when e complained about the problems he was having with the clutch in his ferrari 250.

Just wanted to share. Its an interesting piece of car history and a lesson in life



Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini, is an Italian manufacturer of high performance sports cars (supercar) based in the small Italian village of Sant'Agata Bolognese, near Bologna. Lamborghini is now a subsidiary of German car manufacturer Audi AG, which is in turn a subsidiary of Volkswagen.With its new model, Reventon, Lamborghini is one of the fastest Italian car marques. The company was founded in 1963 by businessman Ferruccio Lamborghini (April 28, 1916–February 20, 1993), who owned a successful tractor factory, Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A..

As told by Ferruccio Lamborghini's son,[3] Ferruccio Lamborghini went to meet Enzo Ferrari at the Ferrari factory to complain about the quality of the clutch in the Ferrari 250 GT he owned. Enzo Ferrari sent him away telling him to go and drive tractors because he was not able to drive cars. Lamborghini went back to his factory, had his Ferrari's clutch dismantled and realized that the clutch manufacturer was the same who supplied the clutches for his tractors. In his warehouse he found a spare part which he thought suitable, and when it was installed the problem was solved. Furious with what he considered to be Enzo Ferrari's arrogant and aloof treatment Ferrucio Lamborghini promised himself never to go back to Ferrari for another car but rather beat him at his own game by creating a superior sports car. Thus the idea of a Lamborghini sports car was born.
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damn Enzo must have been angry when he realized that this very wealthy business man was going to start a rival sports car company because he was so rude. Enzo had a reputation for being very abrasive

 

I love that story also......which fueled my passoin even more for Lamborghinis......specifically the Countach. Gosh, I love that car.

 

I read that story years ago, which made me love lamborghini. But now that i have driven both a gallardo and a f430 i can tell you that lamborghini quality is no where near matched of ferrari quality.

My experience with a lamborghini gallardo i drove was terrible. other then the performance the whole car felt so terrible. all the pieces and controls inside the car such as the shifter, turn signals, etc feel like parts off of a 1991 ford escort. it all feels like cheap plastic, the door handles feel cheap. the whole car felt light and cheap.

Ferrari on the other hand was a better experience. everything felt so much more solid, the seats felt so perfectly crafted, etc etc.

 

^^ I wonder if Lambo's quality changed for the good/better after Audi took it over in 1998?

 

love that story, thanks for posting it

 

Yeah but sometimes that ego and temperment breeds Success. I love lambos I do but Ferrari is on another level overall. Just look at Ferrari's racing history. They are arrogant, no doubt as Ferrari claims to have no competition. They rarely if ever provide cars for reviews (most are privately owned cars). However, we can't say they rest on laurels. THey continue to elevate the sports car and with technology and making F1 cars for the road.

I think Lamborghini's story is AMAZING and also shows what someone can achieve when challenged and pissed the hell off!! Lambo's have been posters on kids walls for decades. Miura, Countach, Diablo.....legendary.

There is also a story that Enzo said the only use for a woman was so they can produce a son. Dude was a beast!!!!!

 

Yes this is a great story, another did you know tid bit most people do not know, Lamborghini made tractors and continued to do so even after the cars started to come out. Other notes, the Lamborghini Miura was the first mid engine sports car, and forced Ferrari to make mid engine road cars. Enzo Ferrari is such a legend he was often called "The pope of the north." He really only sold the road cars to fund his racing teams. Read a biography about enzo sometime, he was a fascanating man, I would love to see a big budget hollywood movie about his life.

 

Another good Enzo story was when Ford tried to buy Ferrari so they could get into racing (~1963). The deal was pretty much done. Ford execs came to the Ferrari factory to finalize the deal and Enzo threw out one final caveat of the deal...he would retain final decision-making authority with the racing group. That was unacceptable to Ford (after all, they were buying the company...they should have the final say in such matters). Enzo basically said "Well, sorry to have wasted your time...thanks for coming." and send them on their way (side note: When Ferrari was sold to the Fiat group in 1969, Enzo retained control of the racing group - the caveat that Ford wouldn't agree to).

They were so pissed, they started their own racing team with the stated goal of beating Ferrari at the 24 Hours of LeMans. It took them a few years but, they finally managed to do it. The car the designed and built specifically to beat Ferrari? The Ford GT40 (which won Le Mans in 1966, 1967, 1968 AND 1969).

 

I wonder if there is a story like that for Toyoda(Toyota)? I mean, somebody probably jack his sake` and drove off in a T-model car.

 

A legend, yes. Charm school, no.

 

I have a ferrari history book as well that clearly outlines Enzo famous attitude . Many people didnt like him, but he earned the respect through win after win after win

 

All the interior parts from a Gallardo are actually from an Audi so I mean they must be pretty good..

I've sat in quite a few Gallardos and I must say while the design of the interior is not so exciting the quality of all the switchwear was actually quite high.

 

i love that the germans took over lambo. Italian racing spirit with german sensibility.

I remember sitting in my uncle's diablo and as nice as that car is, it's damn near impossible to drive on the road. I remember him having me stick my head out the window to help him spot.

After the germans took over and they came out with the Murcielago, lambos became easier to drive on the road....

...and you were able to see.

 

I NEVER knew that story and I am very pleased that now I do.

Thanks