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The Riva Boat With a Lamborghini Heart

When we think of luxury sports cars, Lamborghini is a brand that immediately comes to mind. Known for their sleek design and impressive performance, Lamborghinis symbolize luxury and power on the roads. But have you ever wondered how it came to be? Who was the visionary who created this iconic brand?


By ANGELICA ROSSI

July, 2023



Born in 1916 and raised on a farm in Renazzo di Cento, in the Emilia-Romagna region, Ferruccio Lamborghini’s life path seemed predictable: he would become a farmer just as his father, but as in all visionary stories, there is always one in the family to rock the boat and disrupt the generational flow.


Ferruccio showed an early interest in mechanics and engineering from an early age. After serving in the Italian Air Force during World War II, Lamborghini started his business building tractors. His company, Lamborghini Trattori, became one of the largest tractor manufacturers in Italy.


But Lamborghini’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop there. He also founded a company that produced air conditioning systems for buildings and factories. With his success in these ventures, Lamborghini turned his attention to his lifelong passion: cars.



 

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In 1963, Lamborghini founded Automobili Lamborghini. The company’s first car, the Lamborghini 350 GT, was released in 1964. The car was a hit, praised for its powerful engine and sleek design. Lamborghini’s vision for the brand was to create cars that would rival the top luxury car manufacturers in the world, such as Ferrari.


The Lamborghini brand quickly gained a reputation for producing high-performance sports cars that were both stylish and innovative. The company’s second car, the Lamborghini Miura, was released in 1966 and became an instant classic. The car’s mid-engine design set it apart from other sports cars of the time, and its top speed of 171 mph made it one of the fastest cars on the road.


In 1967, Ferruccio asked engineer Carlo Riva to customize the Aquarama he was about to purchase, replacing the original engines with two Lamborghini V12 engines of 350 horsepower, thus creating a boat that has become a legend. Its story began in those years on Lake Iseo, passed through the Netherlands, and arrived at its last stop among the boats of Bellini Nautica’s Riva collection.


Throughout the years, Lamborghini continued to push the boundaries of sports car design and engineering. The company’s Countach model, released in 1974, was another game-changer in the industry. Its wedge-shaped design and gull-wing doors made it an instant icon.


Lamborghini’s passion for innovation and excellence helped the company become a symbol of Italian engineering and design. His dedication to creating top-of-the-line sports cars that were both luxurious and powerful has cemented the Lamborghini name in the annals of automotive history and it’s all thanks to one man’s vision and courage to break boundaries and follow his dreams: Ferruccio Lamborghini.



Credits:Digital collage by Giuseppe Lepore

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