Lamborghini founder Ferruccio Lamborghini has been inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, a Detroit-area museum that celebrates prominent figures in the auto industry.
Ferruccio Lamborghini amassed wealth building tractors, and initially spent some of it on Ferraris. As the story goes, Lamborghini found the Maranello products unreliable, and confronted Enzo Ferrari about it. After getting a less than satisfactory response from Ferrari, Lamborghini decided to start his own car company.
The tractor magnate's first effort, the Lamborghini 350 GT, debuted at the 1964 Geneva motor show. It featured a 3.5-liter V-12 producing a then-impressive 350 hp with a 7,000-rpm redline, and used contemporary front-engine GT styling.
Ferruccio Lamborghini
Now fully invested in the car business, Ferruccio Lamborghini didn't stop there. Unveiled as a rolling chassis at the 1965 Turin Salon, and in complete form at the 1966 Geneva motor show, the Lamborghini Miura set the foundation for the modern supercar with its mid-engine layout and radical styling.
Ferruccio Lamborghini then oversaw the launch of the Countach, which was unveiled in concept form at the 1971 Geneva motor show, but he then stepped away from the automaker in the mid 1970s. Lamborghini changed hands a few times over the years, including ownership by Chrysler, before landing at its current home with the Volkswagen Group. Ferruccio Lamborghini died in 1993.
Located next to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the Automotive Hall of Fame also includes the likes of Jay Leno and concours organizer Helene Rother. A marble plaque with Ferruccio Lamborghini's signature will be displayed in the museum alongside those of other inductees.