When Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–93) complained about shortcomings in the Ferrari he had bought, Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) is said to have remarked, ‘What does a tractor manufacturer know about sports cars?’ True or not, Ferrari road cars at that time, for all their speed, were doubtless carelessly made in many respects, and have even been referred to simply as ‘a cynical way to finance the racing team’. Lamborghini, on the other hand, went on to show that he knew a thing or two about cars.
An industrialist and tractor-building millionaire, Lamborghini, took on the task of creating a ‘supercar’ with immense seriousness, building an impressive new factory and assembling a strong design and development team from the incredible network of high-performance car experts that northern Italy had on offer.
The fabulous Lamborghini V12 engine, both sculptural and effective, was the work of Giotto Bizzarrini (1926–), who had formerly worked at Ferrari, though some reports, perhaps mischievously, suggested a consultancy involvement from Honda. However, when the car was first shown at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, the engine had not yet been installed, so Lamborghini apologized for not being able to open the door or hood, exclaiming, ‘My mechanic has forgotten the keys, the cretino!’
The styling of this first model was entrusted to former Bertone designer Franco Scaglione (1916–93) and was a little odd, the front end reflecting, perhaps, the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray. Even a loyal company history admits that ‘approval of its styling was by no means unanimous’. But on the road the 350 was really good and, cleaned up stylistically by Touring of Milan, allowed Lamborghini to do what many have tried but few have achieved – to create an enduring new supercar brand.
Too futuristic? Too American? Too odd? The new Lamborghini 350 GTV with body by Franco Scaglione, launched in October 1963, didn’t cut it. But the bones of the car were good and Touring of Milan transformed it into a credible GT car that marked the birth of the brand.