The Franco Scaglione-designed body of the 350 GTV
prototype was not well received, necessitating a re-design.
Prior to founding his company, Lamborghini had commissioned the engineering
firm Società
Autostar to design a V12 engine for use in his new cars. Lamborghini wanted
the engine to have a similar displacement to Ferrari's 3-litre V12; however,
he wanted the engine to be designed purely for road use, in contrast to the
modified racing engines used by Ferrari in its road cars. Autostar was led by Giotto
Bizzarrini, a member of the "Gang of Five" of Ferrari engineers,
who had been responsible for creating the famous Ferrari
250 GTO, but left the company in 1961 after founder Enzo Ferrari announced
his intention to reorganize the engineering staff.[22]
The engine Bizzarrini designed for Lamborghini had a displacement of 3.5
litres, a 9.5:1 compression ratio, and a maximum output of 360 bhp at 9800
rpm.[23]
Lamborghini was displeased with the engine's high revolutions and dry-sump
lubrication system, both characteristic of the racing engines he
specifically did not wish to use; when Bizzarrini refused to change the
engine's design to make it more "well-mannered", Lamborghini refused
to pay the agreed-upon fee of 4.5 million Italian
lire (plus a bonus for every unit of brake
horsepower the engine could produce over the equivalent Ferrari engine).[23][24]
Lamborghini did not fully compensate the designer until ordered to do so by the
courts.[24]
Carrozzeria Touring re-designed the body of the
350 GTV prototype for Lamborghini's first production vehicle, the 350 GT.
The first Lamborghini chassis design was created by Italian chassis engineer
Gian Paolo Dallara of Ferrari and Maserati fame,
together with a team that included Paolo Stanzani, then a recent college
graduate and Bob Wallace, a New Zealander who was known at Maserati for his
keen sense of chassis handling and excellent feedback and developmental skills.[24][25]
The body was styled by the then-relatively unknown designer Franco
Scaglione, who was selected by Ferruccio Lamborghini after passing over
highly regarded names including Vignale, Ghia, Bertone, and Pininfarina.[citation needed]Lamborghini designed and built the Lamborghini 350GTV in only four months, in time for an October unveiling at the 1963 Turin Motor Show.[23] Due to the ongoing disagreement with engine designer Giotto Bizzarrini, a working powerplant was not available for the prototype car in time for the show. The car went on display in Turin without an engine under its hood; according to lore, Ferruccio Lamborghini had the engine bay filled with bricks so that the car would sit at an appropriate height above the ground, and made sure that the bonnet stayed closed to hide the missing engine.[24][26] The motoring press gave the 350GTV a warm response.[23]
Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini S.p.A. was officially incorporated on 30 October 1963.[3][15] Ferruccio Lamborghini purchased a 46,000 square metres (500,000 sq ft) property at Via Modena, 12, in the township of Sant'Agata Bolognese, less than 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Cento. This location was close to the centre of Italy's automobile industry and provided easy access to skilled labour and facilities. The township was chosen as the location for the factory due to a favorable financial agreement with the city's communist leadership, who promised Lamborghini a 19% interest rate on the company's profits when deposited in the bank, in addition to charging zero tax on the profits. As part of the agreement, the factory would be required to unionize its workers.[27]
Despite the favorable press reviews of the 350GTV, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to rework the car for production. The production model, which would be called the 350GT, was restyled by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, and a new chassis was constructed in-house. Bizzarrini's V12 engine would be detuned for mass production, developing only 280 hp (210 kW) rather than the designer's intended 360 hp (270 kW).[28] The completed design debuted at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show, once again garnering positive reviews from the press. Production began shortly afterwards, and by the end of the year, cars had been built for 13 customers; Lamborghini sold each car at a loss in order to keep prices competitive with Ferrari's. The 350GT remained in production for a further two years, with a total of 120 cars sold.[29]
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