Automobili Lamborghini was founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who also built a new factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese. The facility’s construction moved along quickly. When Lamborghini unveiled its first car, the 350 GTV prototype, in October, the factory’s main structure was already complete.
Automobili Lamborghini is now a world-renowned company with over 2,000 employees and a yearly production of over 9,000 cars. Over the last 60 years, Lamborghini’s headquarters has undergone upgrades, extensions, and reconfigurations based on production, environmental, and technological needs. However, it has never deviated from its original core structure.
Production increased from 67 Lamborghinis in 1965 to 425 in 1971, eventually levelling off at around 450 cars per year. During this time, Lamborghini remained heavily involved in the company, overseeing the development of cars such as the stunning Miura, the Espada four-passenger GT, and the original Countach. By the 1980s, the company had produced 470 cars and 300 marine engines.
The company was sold by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1974, and it has since passed through several owners. The Chrysler Corporation bought it in 1987 and shepherded the Diablo until 1994, when it was sold to a Malaysian consortium. Then, in 1998, Volkswagen AG bought it, ushering in a period of modernization and expansion. Five years later, in time for its 40th anniversary, the company opened the Lamborghini Centro Stile, displaying classic Lamborghini cars. Lamborghini had 624 employees at the time and was producing over 1,300 cars per year.
In 2008 the factory again expanded to include a modern finishing department and logistics center. Following those expansions, the Lamborghini Carbon Production centre was established to develop the Aventador’s new carbon fibre body in-house. Lamborghini production had surpassed 2,000 cars per year by 2012, and it was expected to quadruple by 2020.
The Lamborghini Urus is responsible for a significant portion of the increase in production. It was introduced in 2018 and quickly became the company’s most popular model. To accommodate the new model, the factory was expanded once more to 160,000 square metres, or 1.7 million square feet, which was more than 13 times the size of the original factory in 1963.
In 1993 Ferruccio Lamborghini passed away, but he would still recognize the company he founded. Today the headquarters remains in the Sant’Agata Bolognese region, and the factory’s original road frontage with the proud Lamborghini sign is still the most prominent part of the facility.
