Ferruccio Lamborghini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ferruccio Lamborghini
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Ferruccio Lamborghini
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| Born | 28 April 1916 Cento, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
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| Died | 20 February 1993 (aged 76) |
| Alma mater | Istituto Fratelli Taddia |
| Occupation | Mechanic; winemaker; industrialist; entrepreneur |
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| Spouse(s) | 1st wife: Clelia Monti (d. 1947), mother of Tonino 2nd wife: Anna Borgatti (divorced) 3rd wife: Maria Theresa Cane, mother of Patrizia |
| Children | 2 |
Ferruccio Lamborghini (28 April 1916 – 20 February 1993) was a famous Italian industrialist. An industrialist is someone who owns or manages a large factory or business. In 1963, he started the company Lamborghini. This company became well-known for making amazing sports cars.
Ferruccio Lamborghini passed away at the Silvestrini Hospital in Perugia. He was 76 years old. He had a heart attack about fifteen days before he died.
Contents
Early Life and Mechanical Skills
Ferruccio Lamborghini was born on April 28, 1916. His parents, Antonio and Evelina Lamborghini, were farmers who grew grapes. They lived in a small town called Renazzo di Cento in Northern Italy. Ferruccio was baptized as a Roman Catholic a few days after his birth.
As a young man, Ferruccio was not very interested in farming. Instead, he loved working with machines. He studied mechanics at the Fratelli Taddia technical institute. In 1940, he joined the Italian Royal Air Force. He worked as a mechanic on the island of Rhodes. He even became the supervisor of the vehicle maintenance team.
Ferruccio was captured when the British took over the island in 1945. He could not return home until the next year. He got married, but his first wife died in 1947. She passed away while giving birth to their son, Tonino.
Starting a Business After the War
After World War II, Ferruccio Lamborghini opened his own garage. It was in a town called Pieve di Cento. In his free time, he worked on an old Fiat Topolino car. He changed the small city car into a fast, open-top two-seater.
He used his amazing mechanical skills to make the car much more powerful. In 1948, he entered his car in a race called the Mille Miglia. However, his race ended early when he crashed into a restaurant.
Becoming an Entrepreneur
In 1947, Ferruccio Lamborghini saw a big opportunity in Italy. The country needed new machines for farming and industry after the war. He used parts from old military vehicle engines. He also used parts from special recovery centers.
With these parts, he built his first "Carioca" tractors. These tractors used six-cylinder petrol engines from Morris trucks. Petrol was very expensive in Italy at that time. So, Ferruccio invented a special device. It allowed the tractors to start with petrol but then switch to cheaper diesel fuel.
His "Carioca" tractors were a big success. Because of this, Ferruccio founded his own company, Lamborghini Trattori. This company started making tractors.
Lamborghini's Boats
Ferruccio Lamborghini also loved boats. On June 7, 1968, he received a special boat called the Riva Aquarama Lamborghini. It was unique because it was the first and only one with two Lamborghini engines. It also had special railings for water skiing.
The boat's engine area was changed to fit the powerful engines. It even had a special exhaust system just for Ferruccio. He owned this boat for over 20 years. He sold it to a close friend in 1988. Ferruccio broke several speed skiing records with this boat. He was very proud of his Riva boat. He saw it as a symbol of Italian design and craftsmanship.
Lamborghini's Cars
As Ferruccio Lamborghini became richer, he bought faster and more expensive cars. In the early 1950s, he owned cars like Alfa Romeos and Lancias. At one point, he had so many cars that he could drive a different one every day of the week. He owned a Mercedes-Benz 300SL, a Jaguar E-Type coupé, and two Maserati 3500 GTs.
He respected Adolfo Orsi, the owner of Maserati. However, Ferruccio felt Maserati cars were too heavy and not fast enough. In 1958, Lamborghini bought a Ferrari 250 GT. He owned several Ferraris over the years. He thought Ferrari cars were good, but too noisy and rough for regular roads. He felt their interiors were not well-made.
Ferruccio found that Ferrari's cars often had problems with their clutches. He had to take them to Maranello for repairs often. This annoyed him. He also thought Ferrari's customer service was not good. He told Enzo Ferrari, the owner, about his concerns. But Enzo Ferrari was a very proud man and did not listen.
After this, Ferruccio decided to build his own cars. He wanted to create the perfect touring car. He believed a grand touring car should be powerful but also comfortable and easy to drive. He also knew he could make a lot of money by using his tractor parts in high-performance cars.
Automobili Lamborghini
Changes at Lamborghini Companies
In the 1970s, Ferruccio Lamborghini's companies faced money problems. In 1971, Lamborghini Trattori, his tractor company, had trouble. A company in South Africa canceled all its orders. Also, a new government in Bolivia canceled a big order of tractors. This put a lot of stress on the company.
In 1972, Ferruccio sold his entire share in Lamborghini Trattori to another tractor company called SAME. Soon, the whole Lamborghini group was in financial trouble. The car company, Automobili Lamborghini, had to cut costs. Ferruccio started looking for buyers for his car and tractor businesses.
He sold 51% of Automobili Lamborghini to Georges-Henri Rossetti, a rich Swiss businessman. This meant Ferruccio no longer controlled the car company he started. He still worked at the factory, but Rossetti rarely got involved.
The situation got worse with the 1973 oil crisis. This made high-performance cars harder to sell. People wanted smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. By 1974, Ferruccio was tired of the car business. He sold his remaining 49% share in the company. René Leimer, a friend of Rossetti, bought these shares.
After leaving the car business, Lamborghini continued with other ventures. He had a heating and air conditioning company, Lamborghini Calor. In 1969, he also started Lamborghini Oleodinamica S.p.A., which made hydraulic parts.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1974, Ferruccio Lamborghini left the industrial world. He moved to a large estate called "La Fiorita" near Lake Trasimeno in central Italy. He went back to his farming roots. He enjoyed hunting and making his own wines. He even designed his own golf course. He continued to manage some of his other businesses.
Ferruccio had another child, a daughter named Patrizia, when he was 58 years old.
Ferruccio Lamborghini died on February 20, 1993, at the age of 76. He passed away at Silvestrini Hospital in Perugia after a heart attack. He is buried in the cemetery of Renazzo.
All of Ferruccio Lamborghini's companies are still operating today in some way. His son, Tonino, designs clothes and accessories under the Tonino Lamborghini brand. He also designed an electric microcar. Ferruccio's daughter, Patrizia Lamborghini, now runs the Lamborghini winery on his estate. In 1995, Tonino opened a museum to honor his father's legacy. It is called the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum.
Lamborghini's Bullfighting Connection
The world of bullfighting is a very important part of the Lamborghini brand. In 1962, Ferruccio Lamborghini visited a ranch in Seville, Spain. It belonged to Don Eduardo Miura, a famous breeder of Spanish fighting bulls. Ferruccio was born under the Taurus zodiac sign, which is a bull. He was so impressed by these powerful Miura bulls. Because of this, he decided to use a raging bull as the symbol for his new car company.
After making two cars with numbers and letters for names, Lamborghini looked to the bull breeder again. Don Eduardo was very proud when Ferruccio named a car after his family and their bulls. The fourth Miura car ever made was shown to him at his ranch.
The car company continued to use bullfighting names for many years.
- The Islero was named after the Miura bull that killed a famous bullfighter in 1947.
- Espada is the Spanish word for sword, sometimes used for the bullfighter himself.
- The Jarama was named after a historic bullfighting region in Spain.
- The Jalpa (1982) was named after a bull breed.
- Diablo was named after a fierce bull from 1869.
- Murciélago was a legendary bull from 1879 who survived many sword strokes.
- Gallardo was named after one of the oldest types of Spanish fighting bulls.
- Reventón was the bull that defeated a young Mexican bullfighter in 1943.
- The Estoque concept car (2008) was named after the sword used by bullfighters.
- The Aventador (2011) was named after a bull known for a tough fight in 1943.
However, some cars broke from this tradition. In 1974, the Countach was named after a Piedmontese word meaning "astonishment." The LM002 sport utility vehicle and the Silhouette were also exceptions.
Images for kids
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From left to right: Giotto Bizzarrini, Ferruccio Lamborghini and Gian Paolo Dallara at Sant'Agata Bolognese in 1963, with a Lamborghini V12 engine prototype.
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Older Ferrari cars had very plain interiors. Lamborghini felt a luxury car should have a much nicer inside.
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A Lamborghini R 754 tractor, made after Ferruccio sold his tractor company.
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Ferruccio retired to his estate, "La Fiorita" at Lake Trasimeno. He continued to manage other businesses while enjoying his hobbies.
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A Lamborghini 2200PS tractor from 1951.
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A C553 crawler tractor from the 1970s.
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A modern Lamborghini R6-150 tractor.
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The car company that bears Lamborghini's name still makes sports cars, like this Gallardo.
See also
In Spanish: Ferruccio Lamborghini para niños
