Thread: L4P ARTICLE™ Behind the Mystique - Lamborghini Tour

Story Dustin A. Woods | Photos Joost Demunyck
Modified Luxury & Exotics


Behind the Mystique - Inside Lamborghini Tour
We take you inside Lamborghini headquarters, from the public museum to the very private assembly-line floor. Then we play the part of a client as we pick up the keys to an LP640 and hit the road.

Choosing a vacation destination in Italy is particularly difficult thanks to the myriad of options. With so much history and culture, where is one to go?

Sampling the wines in Tuscany is certainly appealing, as is immersing yourself in the history and art of Rome. The kind of Italian culture that interests me, however, led me to Sant’ Agata Bolognese - the home of Lamborghini.


Surrounded by vineyards, farms and small industrial strip malls, the home of Lamborghini was not at all what I expected from the outside. The building itself, a modern glass and metal structure, is fashionable in its own right but is far from the ostentatious expression of Italian architecture I expected.

The location continues to surprise me. I was certain my photographer had taken a wrong turn until we came across the giant black obelisk of a sign out front. You see, Lambo HQ is not in a bustling urban fashion district or high-tech industrial compound, it is in the middle of farmland a good 12 miles from the city of Modena. When you consider how the company came about, however, the location certainly makes sense.

The building does hide its history well, as the current modern structure sits on the site of the original building, which was never torn down but simply expanded to accommodate the company’s growth in production.

THE START OF THE LINE: WHERE LAMBOS ARE BORN

My tour began where few visitors have been allowed to venture and where every Lamborghini has been built since production began in 1963 with the 350GT. Unlike many frenzied and deafeningly loud highly mechanized factories, the Lamborghini headquarters housed diligent and dignified employees gently and quietly assembling each phase of the project by hand, without a speck of dirt to be found, or a tool out of place.

While glancing up from their work to politely smile, each employee seemed to take pride and care with each movement, no matter what their area of assembly or expertise. The construction of each Gallardo, I was told takes two to three days to complete from start to finish, where the Muciélago takes three to four. This may seem like a small number compared to assembly-line-built mass produced passenger cars, but it is baffling once you see what goes into the construction of each car. Making the production time even more impressive is the fact that, thanks to Lamborghini’s many customization choices, made even more plentiful thanks to the new ad Personam program, few cars (if any) leave the facility identical to any other.

One of the most exciting aspects of the factory tour was not seeing the state-of-the-art assembly tools, or the massive engines awaiting their chassis, or the bare bodies awaiting brightly colored panels. No, the most exciting aspect of walking down the assembly line was that it gave me an opportunity to see inside the heads of so many Lambo owners.

From this vantage point it was possible to see how soon-to-be owners chose to outfit their raging bulls. The taste of some owners, I must admit, ranged from admirable to questionable. My personal favorite was a manual transmission Gallardo boasting a brooding matte black painted finish with black leather interior and cherry red stitching on the seats, steering wheel and dash. If I were to leave the facility with a car today, that would be my choice.

On the other side of the spectrum, I spied a light mint green Murciélago with an interior entirely swathed in vibrant red. Yikes!

AUTOMOTIVE ART: LAMBO MUSEUM TOUR

The cities of the European continent abound in museums aimed at preserving the history of Western civilization. Sant’Agata is no different, except that the Lamborghini museum is proof that civilization need not always be civilized.

Instead of Davincis or the statue of David, I wandered the halls of the Lambo museum, taking in the magnificent sculptures such as the seductive Miura, historic 350 GT, aggressive Diablo and the well ahead of its time LM 002 SUV.

Touring the Lamborghini museum is a fascinating experience as you are able to witness the evolution and transformation that the company has taken from its humble beginnings. Seeing the history of the brand laid out in sheet metal is a reaffirmation that despite a tumultuous history, Lamborghini has built some of the most distinctive and aspirational cars of our time.

It is also a great place for a history lesson. While most know the story of Ferruccio’s entrepreneurial success as a tractor manufacturer, few know that those tractors were actually built out of Allied tanks (and tank parts) left around after WWII. It was his success in the tractor business that led him to be able to afford the finer things in life, namely a Ferrari 250 GT. It was the poor quality clutch on the 250, however, that led Ferruccio to design his own replacement part, after which he approached Enzo Ferrari to examine his work, was subsequently snubbed, and swore an oath of competition. The Lamborghini museum, it could be said, is a beautiful chronology of a history of revenge.

As for the Bull logo, it was not chosen because of Ferruccio’s past farming initiatives, or as a way to further spite the prancing horse of Enzo Ferrari. It was chosen because Ferruccio Lamborghini was born under the astrological sign of Taurus – the bull.

AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE: LP640 DRIVE

After the extensive factory tour, which demonstrated the painstaking construction process and the museum tour, that allowed me to reflect on the rich and tumultuous history of Lamborghini, it was time to experience the culmination of the many aspects of the “other” Italian exotic car manufacturer – a test-drive the flagship LP640 Murciélago. It goes without saying, but we should note here that this is not a part of the regular tour.

As the matte black Gallardo-of-my-dreams remained in the final stages of production, this vibrant orange LP640 would have to suffice. Let no one ever say that Dustin Woods never suffered for his craft.

As for the experience of driving a Murciélago through the Italian countryside, it can be summed up in one word – stressful! Driving the renowned supercar on its home turf was frightening. Most Italian roads are not an ideal place on which to drive a car of this magnitude. Not only were many roads both in poor condition and incredibly narrow, but I was often forced to share the little lanes with tractors pulling farming equipment and large trucks that would veer at the sight of the LP.

The fact that the Murciélago is so low and wide makes it well balanced and incredibly agile but it really is surprising that this supercar came from a country with a road system designed with such a minimalist outlook on transportation.

The car’s physique gave me no end of anxiety as I cautiously negotiated the small farming community, rarely getting higher than third gear. Although I wasn’t able to reach the lofty capabilities of this Lambo, I county myself among the lucky few, fortunate enough to navigate the car through the beautiful and historic landscape from whence it came.

THE END OF THE ROAD

As I pulled the LP back into Lamborghini headquarters I couldn’t help but reflect on the undeniable mystique of the Lamborghini brand. From the outrageously styled aerodynamics to the company’s use of abnormally large engines, there is no mistaking a Lamborghini for anything else. And as for the company’s history, it is so unlike that of a German car manufacturer, which would have every fact etched in sheet metal. When it comes to Lamborghini, it is hard to separate fact from fiction, as the founding story sounds like a tall tale, giving way to many even more colorful stories.

I was worried that due to the incredible mystique surrounding Lamborghini, my behind-the-scenes tour of the company might bring the sort of disappointment that looking behind Oz’s curtain in the Emerald City would bring. Instead, it has given me an even deeper appreciation for the rich history and meticulous attention to detail and quality of a brand that is truly worthy of the obsession and covetous desire that it receives.


Story Dustin A. Woods | Photos Joost Demunyck
Modified Luxury & Exotics

Continued..........

FAST FACTS

The name Murciélago comes from a fighting bull that survived being stabbed 24 times in the arena of Córdoba back in 1879. Legend has it that this animal fought with such passion that the matador chose to spare its life.

Although the factory and office buildings have been renovated and expanded, the entrance to the Lamborghini building and the factory floor have remained unchanged since the construction of the facility in the early 1960s.

Although Ferruccio Lamborghini continued to be an ambassador for the corporation bearing his name, many people are unaware that he actually sold his interest in the factory back in 1974.

Wow! Great Article!

Good article and not to shy away from the content it was pretty cool how you put the pic in the post thing.

Originally Posted by AutoAdrenaline

Good article and not to shy away from the content it was pretty cool how you put the pic in the post thing.

That was really neat, never seen that done before.

Great article. Anymore history on the bulls that the cars have been named after?

That is fantastic! thanks for sharing and great article ML&E

very nice...nice article. I hope someday to check out the factory.

awesome article post
gees, pictures never do enough justice. Visit the Lambo factory is on the list

Sick article, wow.

That was a very well written article! Now I am even more eager for more articles from L4P!