Headquarters: Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy
Established: 1963
Founder(s): Ferruccio Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini started converting military vehicles into tractors, and began producing his own tractors in 1948. Many questioned his judgment when he decided to build sports cars to compete with Ferrari, but in 1963, he founded Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini. The 350 GT was the first in a long line of striking designs to wear the charging bull badge, with Lamborghini's own V12 engine and chassis, and coachwork by Touring of Milan.

In 1966, Lamborghini produced the first mid-engine supercar, the Miura. It was a barely tamed race car for the road, named for a legendary breed of Spanish fighting bulls. Its 4-liter V12 was mounted transversely behind the cockpit, and its sensational body by Bertone blended aggressiveness and elegance. In 1974, Lamborghini introduced the Countach, an angular, mid-engine supercar that never lost its ability to astonish first-time viewers and drivers. Its successor had to be extreme and spectacular; the Diablo was all that and more, with exotic styling, a 5.7-liter V12, and all-wheel drive. Audi AG acquired Lamborghini in 1998 and replaced the Diablo with the Murciélago in 2001. Aptly named for a famous fighting bull, the Murciélago combines modern sophistication and brute force with a potent 6.2-liter V12 (enlarged to 6.5 liters in the 2006 Murciélago LP640) and all-wheel drive.

In 2003, Lamborghini introduced the Gallardo, a high-performance sports car designed for everyday use, with all-wheel drive and a 500 horsepower V10. In 2007, the company debuted the Reventón, the most expensive (a million euros) and most exclusive (only twenty were built) Lamborghini to date. In 2009, Lamborghini introduced the Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, which boasts a longitudinally mounted 6.5-liter, 670 horsepower V12. Ferruccio Lamborghini's goal to build cars that compete with the world's best has been fully realized.