Lamborghini Cars

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., otherwise known as Lamborghini, is an Italian car maker which is based in the small sown of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The Lamborghini company was founded by tycoon Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, and its aim was to produce refined touring cars that could compete with other Italian car makes such as Ferrari.

Before he founded his company, Ferruccio Lamborghini hired the Societa Autostar engineering firm to craft a V12 motor for him to use in his cars. Lamborghini wanted the motor to have an almost identical displacement to the 3-liter V12 that Ferrari used, but he wanted it to be ready for the road as well as the track. The Autostar firm was headed up by Giotto Bizzarrini, one of the engineers that built the 250 GTO. However, Bizzarrini left the firm after Enzo Ferrari announced reorganization plans.

The engine Bizzarrini made for Lamborghini had a 3.5 liter displacement, a compression ratio of 9.5:1, and a rear-wheel output of 360 hp. Ferruccio Lamborghini was dissatisfied with the motor's high revving and the lubrication system, which were the racing characteristics he was trying to do away with. When Bizzarrini refused to make the requested changes, Lamborghini refused to pay the fee, and the case went to court.

The first Lamborghini models were introduced in the middle of the 1960s, and were immediately noted for their power, comfort and style. The company gained widespread critical acclaim in 1966 for its Miura sport coupe, which started the mid-engine trend of that era. After ten years of growth, the Lamborghini company went through struggles in the 1970s, as sales dropped amid the stagnant financial market and the energy crisis.

After bankruptcy and enduring three ownership changes, Lamborghini was bought out by Chrysler in 1987. That company failed to return Lamborghini to a profitable status, and sold it to an Indonesian group in 1994. The lackluster performance continued until the company was sold to Audi AG (a Volkswagen subsidiary itself) in 1998.

The ownership by Audi signaled the beginning of a time of productivity and growth for Lamborghini, as sales increased by a factor of ten from 2000-20008. The poor world economy saw sales decrease by nearly half in 2009, inducing chief executive officer Stephen Winkelmann to predict poor sales in the near future.

Today, the assembly of Lamborghini's cars is still taking place at the original factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese, where engine and chassis lines run side by side. Every year, there are less than 3,000 cars made; the V10 Gallardo and the Murcielago. The Murcielago is to be discontinued at the end of this year, with a successor coming next year.