STATE-OF-THE-ART MOTORING PERFECTION

Living with luxury car afficionados, I am well informed that the Lamborghini is state-of-the-art motoring perfection. Even though I am an admirer of luxury cars, I’m not an expert, and this deviates from my usual travel articles. At the behest of my family, I will put on my ‘rev head’ hat and write about our recent visit to the headquarters of the amazing motor vehicle company, Automobili Lamborghini. So here I go with our Lamborghini factory tour.

 

A VIP Tour

My family and I had the privilege of taking an exclusive VIP tour of the Lamborghini manufacturing plant to witness the birth of these super sports cars and motoring masterpieces. This was organised for us by our good friends at Zagame Automotive in Melbourne, Australia. A big thank you to them. VIP tours are only for existing customers or those looking to make a purchase. Other tours are available to the general public.

Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy

The birthplace of all Lamborghinis is right here in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. It’s just a small town located in the vast Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. Be sure to check out my article on Parma, also in the region.

This area is the ‘motor valley’ mecca of car manufacturing. If you love cars, then this is the place for you! Competitors of Lamborghini – Ferrari, Maserati and Pagani – are just a few miles away. (Ducati motorcycles are also based here.)

The Company

The company was founded in 1963 by Mr. Ferruccio Lamborghini in this very location. He loved the ‘bull’, which became the official logo after he visited Spain and saw the bullfights. His star sign also happens to be Taurus the bull.

 

The Factory

The guided Lamborghini factory tour takes you in groups through the absolutely pristine, immaculate, stark white and very clinical production plant. Our host walked us through the various manufacturing departments explaining all the stages of the Lamborghini masterpiece coming together – being the beast that is the V12 Aventador.

 

As visitors, strict rules have to be adhered to during the Lamborghini factory tour, which sadly includes no photos. We actually had to hand over all photographic equipment including our phones for a sticker to be put over the lens. Such are the very secretive processes here at the state-of-the-art car factory. Hence, all of my photos in this article are taken in the Museum only.

We had designated walk paths to stick to so as not to encroach into the work zones, we had to speak quietly and definitely no touching of the merchandise was allowed.

 

Manufacturing process

The VIP Lamborghini factory tour lasts about 2½ hours and covers 2 levels, where we observe the step-by-step process of each stage of manufacturing. Then, we finish with a short drive over to the other side of the factory to witness the final phase of testing of these beautiful masterpieces. Here is where you see, and hear them in all their glory. And let me tell you they are spectacular!

 

It’s interesting to see that some of the assembly line is automated, but a lot of it still requires manual work, something that is quite unique to Lambo apparently. All the tools the workers need are placed in easy reach and everything is done methodically.

 

We got to witness the masters of the trade in action. With military precision they craft the vehicles, from the chassis, carbon fibre body, the immensely powerful motor, gears, brakes, suspension, transmission – the works.  You are also able to see all the other aspects that make up the finished product – leather upholstery, cutting, padding, stitching, glueing, etc. The workers rotate their positions on a strict time schedule throughout the day so as not to get too tired and to maintain optimum concentration and not get bored.

 

Attention to detail

Each baby is custom built to order, according to the client’s specifications. It truly is fascinating to watch. The quality and attention to detail is second to none. Every aspect of the car is meticulously tested and checked. Not a single thing is allowed to be less than perfect before it is shipped out. That is one of the reasons these beauties are so expensive and the brand is one of the most sought after vehicles in the world.

 

The experience

You will be blown away by how many Lamborghinis there are here being built right before your eyes. You won’t know where to look first. Lambos of every colour, everywhere, in different stages of build. Our eyes were popping out of our heads throughout the whole tour. For some, it’s really akin to being in a lolly shop, eyes popping out of their heads, mouths open and literally drooling!

 

 

Top employer

Apparently, the employees all love working here and once they start at Lamborghini, they never leave. It’s their second family. About 1600 employees work here, mostly from the region. It is recognised as the top employer in Italy for its excellent working conditions and care of its employees.

 

Orders

It was amazing to discover that most of the orders for these luxury vehicles are for overseas clients. We were shown some of the order slips attached and they are mainly from USA, Japan, UK, Middle East and Hong Kong. But very few are ordered by Italians or other Europeans. I’m not sure why.

 

The Museum

After the Lamborghini factory tour we wandered around the museum – 2 levels of some of the most exotic motor vehicles ever made to drool over. Here you get to see the total evolution of Lamborghini, from the early days of the first car, the 350 GT, right up to the Huracan of the modern day.

The current Aventador is not in the museum. This gem is the company’s flagship and is a true supercar, insanely fast, with 750 horsies and a V12 engine! Its top speed? Wait for it … 217 mph or 350 kph!!! What the… This is ridiculously fast. Take a moment to try to absorb this … You can’t, right?

 

Interesting facts

• Lamborghini used to produce tractors prior to building luxury cars. Most people don’t know this.

 

• Mr Lamborghini originally owned a Ferrari which had a problem with the clutch. Being experienced with tractors, he rectified the problem himself and suggested a remedy to Mr Enzo Ferrari, who dismissed the idea in less than polite terms (insert Italian ‘F’ word). So, Mr Lamborghini decided to design his own sports vehicle, and the rest is history. Ferrari have been the main rival ever since.

 

• The most popular and most built Lamborghini is the Gallardo, which makes up 50% of the company’s total production in fact!

I have personally driven this particular model (my husband’s car, not mine), canary yellow of course, and what a thrill it is to drive.

 

Of course, it is not possible to showcase every vehicle ever made by the company at the museum, as there are 22 main models, plus 30 something concept models.

 

I highly recommend a visit to the massive plant of the ‘roaring bull’ headquarters if you are even a bit of a car fanatic. You won’t regret it and you will be amazed at what you see here right before your eyes.

 

If you enjoyed my Lamborghini Factory tour and Museum review, please leave me a comment below.

Ciao.