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This article was first published 11 years ago

Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini

Last updated on: July 4, 2012 09:02 IST


Lamborghini is an Italian supercar. Founded in 1963, Automobili Lamborghini is headquartered in Sant'Agata Bolognese, in Northeastern Italy. There it manufactures some of the world's most sought-after super sports cars.

After Audi AG took over Automobili Lamborghini, the factory received a grand makeover. Visitors can go on a guided tour to the factory and the museum.

Image Courtesy: Lamborghini

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The Lamborghini Murcielago was shown at the Museum first, against a backdrop of other precious Lamborghini treasures from the past, a collection which is nowadays admired by enthusiasts coming from all over the world.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The Museum also marks Lamborghini's recognition for the support from devoted and passionate Lamborghini fans, who contribute every day to keep its legend alive.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The museum houses the first production model built by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1964, the 350 GT, besides a 400 GT, as well as the Miura S with its unique central-rear V12 4.0 liter engine and eyelashes, and a late SV (Super Veloce).

The 1968-69 Islero sits alongside the famous Espada, the first Lamborghini saloon car, next to Jarama.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


Here you will find a full-scale Miura Concept, built as a one-off car in 2006 to celebrate Miura's 40th anniversary, and the extreme Concept S, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


Some samples of the F1 cars equipped by Lamborghini Engineering are lined up too: the first Lola-Larousse (1989) and the Minardi M. 191/L (1992), with a Lamborghini heart which was the last to be produced with the logo of the Raging Bull.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The main hallway houses the actual production line of the engines, which are assembled by our highly specialised and skilled workers completely by hand.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


Visitors will then walk along the upholstery department, displaying a vast amount of coloured hide sheets.

Here, according to customer specification, all leather used for the interiors is cut by a high-tech, computer-aided machine which sorts it according to three different levels of quality, avoiding waste of material; the leather is then manually stitched together.

All areas such as seats, dashboards, tunnel and interior panels will be then covered by hand, ready to be positioned accordingly inside the brand new cars waiting on the assembly line.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The first model was naturally put out quickly, given that Lamborghini had only a few months between the time he decided to build the factory and the date set for its official presentation.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The year 1964 was extraordinary for Lamborghini. The 350 GT was born. The immediate and almost inevitable offshoot of the 350 GT, of which 120 were built, was the 400 GT. Its engine was increased to a four-litre model and it featured the first gearbox designed in-house by Lamborghini.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


According to experts, Miura bulls are by no means ordinary animals. They are the strongest of all fighting bulls but, above all, they are the most intelligent and fiercest ones, in the military sense of the word. In their books, bullfighters often talk about the unmistakable gaze of the Miura bull: the gaze of a true fighter, shrewd and powerful.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The golden duo of the 400 GT 2+2 coupe and the Miura galvanised experts, attracting them to the stand of the young Bologna company that, overnight, had become the darling of all car magazines.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


In 1972, the P250 Urraco, the 400 GT Jarama, the 400 GT Espada and the P400 Miura SV were in full production. That year, in an attempt to improve sales that were frankly quite disappointing until then, the Jarama hand a 365-hp engine and was dubbed the Jarama S.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engine sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. Many collateral models were derived from it, some of which would prove to be very popular with certain consumer ranges.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


Some of the most interesting were the 1995 SV, a lighter and more powerful model that placed a premium on driving pleasure over comfort, and the VT Roadster with a Targa-style removable roof, which was instantly a hit, particularly in the United States.

Other special editions, such as the SE, Jota, Monterey, Alpine and many others, were derived from these models.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


On 23 April 1987, 'Nuova Automobili Lamborghini SpA' was taken over by the US Chrysler company.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


Photographs: Courtesy, Wikimedia Commons

The first major innovation came in 2001 with the successor to the Diablo: the Murcielago. It is almost superfluous to point out that this new model was also named after a famous, fierce fighting bull.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


The other brand-new item is also being unveiled in 2003, but in this case at the Geneva Motor Show: the Gallardo. It is equipped with a 500-hp 50-valves V10 engine, permanent four-wheel drive and a top speed of well over 300 km/h.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


Photographs: Courtesy, Wikimedia Commons

On the occasion of the celebrations for its 40th anniversary, the House of the Raging Bull offered a special, limited edition series of its supercar Murcielago: the Murcielago 40th Anniversary Edition.

A limited amount of 50 numbered cars in the exclusive Verde Artemis (jade green) colour were produced in 2003 and sold predominantly in Europe, the United States and Japan.

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Down memory lane with the amazing Lamborghini


In July 2005 it is presented the Special Edition of the Gallardo, the Gallardo SE which is limited to 250 units and is characterised by two-tone body paint, an even more sporty interior and technical improvement.