Featured Marque – Lamborghini
“…I want to make a G.T. car without faults. Not a technical bomb…but a perfect car.”
Ferruccio Lamborghini, 1963.
The Early days
Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in the province of Ferrara on April 28th 1916 into a farming family. From a young age Ferruccio showed far more interest in the machinery and mechanical equipment around the farm than the practices of farming itself and so when the time came, he was enrolled at the Fratelli Taddia Institute industrial college where he graduated in industrial technology. Following his studies, his National Service took him to Rhodes where he served in the mechanical division Italian Air Force and was able to put his technical knowledge into practical use. When the Nazis took over Rhodes in 1943 Ferruccio was lucky to escape capture as a prisoner of war and managed to persuade the Germans to allow him to open a small vehicle workshop. However, at the end of the war he was imprisoned by the British as a collaborator and did not return home to Italy until 1946.
Back in Ferrera, Ferruccio, now 30, turned his hand to converting war-surplus vehicles into useful agricultural machinery or ‘cariocas’. There was a ready-made market for these machines as the Italian economy tried to rebuild after the ravages of the war years and by 1948 he was able to establish his own factory and begin manufacturing his own tractors rather than using surplus parts. By 1958 ’Lamborghini Trattici’ was producing 6 tractors a day. At the same time he was setting up his new factory Ferruccio was also tinkering with cars, namely a modified Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’ which he converted into an open two-seater, increased to 750cc and fitted with a bronze cylinder head. The ‘Mark One’ as it was known locally was driven by Lamborghini in the 1948 Mille Miglia but sadly withdrew at Turin, having suffered an accident, but that didn’t stop a steady flow of 500 owners arriving at Ferruccio’s door asking for the ‘golden head’ conversion.
Cars.
The steady growth of the tractor operation allowed Lamborghini to diversify in the early 60’s into the production of heating equipment and his endeavors resulted in the award of the ‘Mercurio d’Oro’ for Italian business achievement in 1964. The success of Ferruccio’s tractor and heating exploits eventually allowed him to fulfil his greatest desire; to design and build his own GT car. Having owned many high performance automobiles, he saw shortcomings in all of them and was especially dismissive of his local rival Ferrari which he considered to be merely modified race cars that lacked the build quality and refinement required in a true Grand Touring car. Having had his comments dismissed by Enzo Ferrari, Lamborghini set out to prove his point and commenced work on the prototype in a corner of the tractor plant whilst building a brand-new car factory at Sant’ Agata.
Lamborghini commissioned Giotto Bizzarrini to design a V-12 engine with the brief of short stroke, big valves, high revving and of compact dimensions. The resulting 3 ½ litre unit was bench tested in July 1963 and produced 360 horsepower. Meanwhile, for the prototype 350GTV a tubular chassis was constructed by Neri & Bonacini in Modena, fitted with independent suspension and disc brakes all round, a five speed ZF gearbox and limited slip differential. The coupe coachwork was designed by Franco Scaglione and the completed car was displayed at the Turin Motor Show at the end of 1963 alongside a bare 350GTV rolling chassis. In the press there was much excitement around the V12 engine and the possibilities of a competition version but the reaction to the car’s styling was less favourable and as a result Lamborghini turned to Touring of Milan to re-style the coachwork for the production cars.
In early ’64 series production of the 350GT began at Sant’ Agata, under the direction of Gianpaolo Dallara who had joined from Maserati and the first car was displayed at Geneva in March. For 1965 a 4 litre version of the V12 was introduced and in ’66 the 400GT 2+2 model launched, offering occasional rear seats and more luggage space. 1965 also saw the first discussions at the factory around a revolutionary mid-engined model – the Miura. Using the V-12 in a transverse layout and incorporating the gearbox and final drive into one casting, the lightweight and compact design was a sensation and Bertone’s flamboyant coachwork ensured the model was an instant classic. Launched at Geneva in 1966, the Miura met with almost universal praise and a steady stream of interest grew but Ferruccio was cautious of beginning sales before the car was fully developed and as a result deliveries proper only began in 1967.
1967 to 71 saw a series of upgrades and new models – Espada, Islero, Miura ‘S’, Jarama Urraco and Miura ‘SV’ – but the undoubted star of the 1971 Geneva show was the Countach concept. Designed as the replacement for the Miura, the Countach was originally planned with a 5 litre version of the V12, mounted longitudinally, and clothed in another Bertone masterpiece, designed by Marcelo Gandini – a total departure from the Miura. Even more extreme in appearance and completely up to date without any reference to the past. The car’s signature scissor doors were to become Lamborghini’s calling-card. The 5 litre engine was dropped for the production cars in favour of the proven 4 litre but once again there was a long delay before deliveries to customers began in 1974 as Lamborghini insisted on a thorough development programme to iron out potential problems via extensive testing.
countach development
In 1978 the LP400 became the LP400S with the addition of the now iconic, angular wheel arch extension to cover the change to massive 345/35 x 15 rear tyres. The ‘S’ model also saw the introduction of the optional rear wing which was more often than not specified by buyers who would never experience the extra high speed stability it provided at the expense of spoiling the lines of the car. 1982 finally saw the Countach adopt the original LP500 moniker when the engine was increased to 4.8 litres.
In 1985 the Countach underwent its biggest mechanical upgrade with the launch of the LP5000 Quattrovalvole. Ing. Giulio Alfieri enlarged the engine’s capacity once again, to 5.2 litres, and developed 24 valve cylinder heads topped off by six Weber downdraught carburettors. Power output grew to a stonking 455bhp and the immortal ‘Downdraught’ was born. For a generation of car enthusiasts, the Quattrovalvole was immortalized by artist Keith Harmer in the iconic Athena poster and to collectors of a certain age, it is this version of the Countach that resonates rather than earlier models. It takes the groundbreaking styling of the original and doubles down with overt suggestions of the power on tap.
In the Countach market it is notable that the QV is still viewed as more desirable than the subsequent Anniversary model, unlike certain other collector’s marques where the final editions command a premium.
