How did Lamborghini get started?

Ferruccio Lamborghini, a major Italian tractor manufacturer, loved luxury cars. He owned quite a few brands such as Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Mercedes Benz, but his most beloved cars were Ferraris. He purchased several of them over his lifetime despite a slight dissatisfaction with them. He thought they were just track cars repurposed for the road and found them inelegant.

After having the clutch on his latest Ferrari fixed one too many times, Lamborghini brought his complaints straight to Enzo Ferrari himself. Enzo Ferrari, a man known for his arrogance, told Ferrucio that the problem was not with the car but rather with the 'farmer'.

After being insulted, Ferruccio was furious and at that moment decided to show Enzo how he should build sport cars. Ferrucio went back to his factory, had his Ferrari's clutch dismantled and realized that the clutch manufacturer was the same who supplied the clutches for his tractors. In his warehouse he found a spare part which he thought suitable, and when it was installed the problem was solved. That gave him the inspiration to start his own car line to rival Ferrari’s.

Had Enzo Ferrari a little less pride and a little more awareness of his customer base, the popular Lamborghini brand may never have existed. Instead, his arrogance lead an influential and resourceful customer turn from a loyal fan into a rabid rival.