Sant’Agata Bolognese, 4 November, 2016

The Museo Lamborghini is situated to the right of the main entrance of the factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, which is a historic small town in the countryside, approximately mid way between Bologna and Modena. A bonus of its location right on the factory premises is that one will see cars being taken out on test, and maybe even spot the odd prototype. The factory is on the main SP 255, Via Modena, on the outskirts of the town, but within walking distance of the historic centre, and is still the site on which Ferruccio Lamborghini established the original factory in 1963. Although the 350 GTV prototype made its debut at the 1963 Turin Salon, car production proper started in 1964 with the production version, the 350 GT. Since that time the company has seen numerous highs and lows, but has steadily grown, and has produced some of the most avant garde for their time automobiles, notably the iconic Miura and Countach models, which were every teenage boy’s poster dream car in their respective periods.

The Museo Lamborghini is a legacy to the spectacular array of cars that the company has produced over the years, and doesn’t only feature the regular production models, but has a really interesting display of concept cars and prototypes that have been produced over the years, which one would not normally have the opportunity to see. After all, it is rare enough to see a Lamborghini in your local supermarket car park, let alone a one-off prototype. As cars are sometimes out on loan to exhibitions and events, the actual models on display may vary from time to time, but there will always be some gems to delight the aficionado. It also showcases the companies technical history, with a selection of engines produced during the life of the company, including units for power boats and Formula 1. Leading on from that, it also reminds one of the diversity of the company’s output, as Ferruccio Lamborghini was a successful tractor manufacturer before he started building cars, as there was also the massive LM002 off-road vehicle from the period 1986 – 1992, which one might say was the forerunner to today’s high end SUVs. Naturally there is an example in the museum, along with the Urus concept SUV from 2012, so it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that there will be another Lamborghini SUV, especially given the connection to parent company Audi and their four wheel drive technology and SUVs like the Q7.

Amongst the cars on display are the P140 Cala from 1995, which was the first Lamborghini to be fitted with a V10 engine as project P140 in 1988, and then shelved until the Cala project resurrected it in 1995, of which 4 examples were manufactured. Then there is the Sesto Elemento from 2010, built to highlight the company’s expertise in carbon fibre reinforced plastics technology, the model name being derived from carbon being the sixth element. Without doubt the most outrageous car on display is the one-off Egoista single-seat model from 2013, which is like a stealth fighter for the road, or as the description puts it “the stylised silhouette of a bull which is about to charge”, which was conceived by the head of the VW Group Design, Walter de Silva, as a celebration of Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary. Naturally there are examples of the legendary Miura, Countach and Diablo models, along with many other models spread over the two floors of the modern glass fronted building.

Once you have had your fill of Lamborghini’s heritage, you can cross to the other side of the main entrance and indulge in retail therapy in the Lamborghini Store, where there is a wide range of attractive officially branded goods to tempt the money out of your wallet, maybe as a memento of the visit, or just to proclaim your fondness of the marque.

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