The Prisoner Who Invented Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini was a

prisoner

of war. When he returned to Italy, he opened a small garage and converted military equipment into agricultural tractors. His timely adventure made him a millionaire and later the inventor of the most talked about luxury sports car: Lamborghini. It all started when they told him that he was just a farmer for Enzo Ferrari. In 1916, Ferruccio was born on a farm in the rural town of Renazzo in northern Italy. His parents grew grapes for a living and raised him among his vineyards. They taught him to roll up his sleeves and have the drive to make quality products.

Ferruccio took his lessons seriously, but not in the way they expected or imagined. He was more interested in fixing his tractor than in learning how to manage the farm. In addition to being disappointing, it was considered risky for him to deviate from the family business. Still, Ferruccio decided to explore his passion and studied mechanics at the Fratelli Taddia technical institute. Much to his father's dismay, Ferrucio never looked back after graduating. He began training with a master blacksmith who shared all his secrets about iron working and welding. But it wasn't enough to impress a major factory he had his eyes on: Cavalier Righi in Bologna.

At that time, the factory was dedicated to the maintenance of Italian army vehicles. Stubborn and headstrong, Ferruccio persisted and managed to convince the owner to hire him. When he turned 18 he left and returned to his hometown, Renazzo. There he opened a workshop with his old friend, Marino Filippini. It wasn't until years later that he would discover that it was the first step in turning his passion into an empire. But first he would have to escape the clutches of his captors. When World War II broke out, Ferruccio was torn from his carefree life. He was recruited by the Royal Italian Air Force and assigned to work as a mechanic in the garrison on the island of Rhodes, Greece.

Three years later, Italy surrendered. German forces subsequently seized the garrison and dislodged the Italians. Ferruccio decided to stay and asked permission to open his own workshop. Two years later the allied forces arrived. They took

prisoner

all the members of the garrison, including Ferruccio. When they discovered his technical aptitude, they put him to work repairing their vehicles. A year later they allowed him to leave. Ferruccio's first years at home were far from happy. His wife, Clelia, died while she was giving birth to her only child: Tonino. Afterwards, Ferruccio stayed busy in his shop, where he mainly repaired pre-war vehicles, trucks and tractors.

But one day he received an urgent request from his father that changed the course of his life. “I need a new tractor,” Ferruccio's father asked. That's when Ferruccio realized it. Italy desperately needed to increase its agricultural production to recover from the war. But he needed better equipment to make it possible. Armed with experience working with Allied and Axis vehicles, Ferruccio purchased surplus military equipment and used it to manufacture new tractors. They were built with an old British Morris engine and modified to run on cheap diesel instead of expensive oil. They were said to be more affordable and innovative than anything anyone had seen before.

Ferruccio later founded a new company called Lamborghini Tractors. While his tractors were in demand, he needed more capital for production. Then his father used his farm as collateral for a loan. The risk Ferruccio and his father took paid off in more ways than either of them could have imagined. Soon after, the company became one of the largest manufacturers of its kind in Italy. Ferruccio celebrated his success with good food, good wine and fast cars. He even started collecting Jaguars, Mercedes, Maseratis and Ferraris. But none of them completely satisfied him. He was especially disappointed with his Ferrari 250 GT, as the clutch always broke down.

One day, he took the Ferrari to his mechanic to have it repaired. Ferruccio discovered that the clutch was identical to that of one of his tractors. This did not sit well with him since he paid 10 euros for the clutch that his tractor used and paid Ferrari 1000 euros for the same part. Later he decided to tell Enzo Ferrari about the imperfections he found in his cars. In addition to the clutches needing frequent repairs, they were considered too noisy and difficult on the road. Enzo ignored Ferruccio and insisted that the problem was not with the car but with him. “You are a tractor driver, a farmer.

You shouldn't complain about my cars. They are the best in the world". “Yes, I'm a farmer, but I'll show you what a sports car should be like.” That day, Ferruccio returned home determined to show what he was capable of. Many called his conquest crazy and believed he would waste his fortune. Still, Ferruccio went ahead and founded a new company named after him. He hired three of Ferrari's former employees and bought a large piece of land to build a factory. In just nine months, Ferruccio completed his first sports car with his astrological sign as its emblem: the Lamborghini 350 GT.

It was considered a technical masterpiece and featured a V12 engine, five-speed transmission, four-wheel disc brakes and four-wheel independent suspension. It was first presented at the Turin Motor Show and was praised by customers and critics. Ferruccio proved to Enzo and his skeptics that he was not only a farmer but also a mechanical genius capable of building superior cars. It was a sophisticated car, very classy and easy to drive. Over the next few years, Ferruccio's tractor and sports car businesses flourished. When designing new models, Ferruccio gave his engineers freedom to experiment. This leadership style led his team to build the 400 GT and a secret project: the Miura P400.

It was developed as a street racing car and was the first in history to be manufactured with a rear mid-engine design. It was kept a secret from Ferruccio since he was against the idea of ​​building racing cars. Several years earlier, he participated in a prestigious race and crashed into the side of a restaurant. When Ferruccio found out, he decided not to rule out the idea. It turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. The Miura became known as the world's first supercar and its rear-mid-engine design became the standard for all high-performance cars.

From then on, Lamborghini Trattori continued its streak of success and launched more famous models: the Espada, the Islero, the Jarama, the Urraco and the Countach. They were said to be superior to other sports cars because they didn't use anyone else's parts. And the Countach was said to be the most written about car in history. Unfortunately, Ferruccio's success came to a halt after facing a series of events beyond his control. A deal to supply Bolivia with 5,000 tractors was canceled after the country faced a coup. The loss forced Ferruccio to sell his tractor company and 51% of his Automobili Lamborghini shares.

Later, the global stock market experienced a dramatic drop and OAPEC initiated an oil embargo. It led to a rise in fuel prices and threw the auto industry into a crisis. We know that the gasoline shortage they are talking about in Washington is affecting employment not only in Maryland but in our nation. Ferruccio did everything possible to keep his business alive and managed to find buyers for the unsold tractors. Still, he decided to retire early and sold the remaining 49% of his Automobili Lamborghini shares. But he maintained a heating company that he owned and gave it to his son, Tonino.

Tonino later pivoted toward building a successful fashion and luxury business under the family name. Meanwhile, the new owners of Automobili Lamborghini tried to revive their brand but failed. The company was subsequently forced into liquidation. A few years later, the Italian government sold it for $3 million to two French billionaires. They hoped to renovate Lamborghini's old facilities and hire new engineers. But they ran out of money and sold the company to Chrysler. Chrysler made plans to import the brand to the United States, but failed to turn a profit. They then sold the company to an Indonesian conglomerate. While they had better luck making sales, it was not enough to weather the financial crisis in Asia.

It was then that Audi bought the company and recognized the need to pay greater attention to processes and product quality. Under his leadership, Lamborghini was able to face the challenges of the 21st century and regain its place in the market. With the launch of the Gallardo, Huracan and Urus SUV concept, sales increased worldwide, especially in the US. In 2019, Lamborghini recorded record sales and is now valued at $11 billion. This is the story of how a farmer and prisoner of war turned his tractor business into a sports car empire. For more inspiring stories and advice from today's most successful leaders, don't forget to subscribe to our channel!