Thread by @OldMoneySecret

In 1963, a tractor maker walked into Enzo Ferrari’s office with a car clutch complaint.

Ferrari laughed & told him “Focus on tractors, farmer”

"Ferruccio Lamborghini" declared war & built a car that humiliated Ferrari on roads, on tracks & even in style.

Here’s the savage story of how he did it 🧵
@Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in 1916 in Italy, to grape farmers who thought he would carry on the family tradition.

But his playground was the family barn, his toys were wrenches and gears, and his obsession was making machines roar to life.

While other kids chased soccer balls, Ferruccio chased the smell of oil and the thrill of an engine starting up.

During WWII, Ferruccio was send to Italian Air Force as a mechanic.

Under the worst battlefield conditions, with missing parts and broken machines, He could take a wrecked military vehicle and bring it back to life.

By the end of the war, he was a master engineer with a reputation for solving impossible problems.

After the war, Italy was hungry & broke. Farmers needed affordable machinery, but brand new tractors were too expensive.

Ferruccio bought up cheap military engines, re engineered them, and turned them into low cost, powerful tractors for struggling farmers.

His company, Lamborghini Trattori, became a giant, and he became one of Italy’s wealthiest industrialists.

With money in his pocket, Ferruccio started buying luxury cars, and of course, Ferraris.

But something bothered him. The clutches on his Ferraris kept failing so he inspected them and made a shocking discovery: the clutch was the same one used in his tractors.

For a man obsessed with engineering perfection, it was an insult.

Ferruccio went to Maranello to speak directly to Enzo Ferrari who was known as the god of Italian sports cars.

He politely suggested improvements but, egoistic Enzo didn’t take it well. He laughed and said:

“A tractor maker shouldn’t tell me how to build sports cars.”

In Italy, that wasn’t just arrogance, it was a declaration of war.

Ferruccio didn’t argue. He simply walked away.

But as he left, he made himself a promise:

“I’ll build my own car. And it will be better than yours.”

In 1963, Automobili Lamborghini was born, created with one mission: humiliate Ferrari on the road, in the press, and in style.

The world laughed at the idea of a tractor maker building a sports car, until they saw the his first car, The 350 GT.

Sleek design. Smooth handling. Luxurious interiors. A powerful engine that didn’t break down.

The press went wild. Buyers lined up. Ferrari fans were furious.

In 1966, Lamborghini unleashed the Miura, the first true “supercar” in history.

It was lower, faster, and sexier than anything Ferrari had ever made. Its mid-engine design changed automotive history forever.

The Miura didn’t just beat Ferrari. It embarrassed him.

The Irony is, Ferruccio didn’t even like racing.

While Ferrari lived for the track, Ferruccio thought racing was a pointless money pit.

His goal wasn’t trophies, it was to prove a point that, Never underestimate a “farmer.”

Ferruccio retired in the 1970s, but his brand became a global symbol of power, rebellion, and dominance.

Today, a Lamborghini isn’t just a car, it’s an icon.

A rolling middle finger to anyone who says you’re not good enough.

@Lamborghini