The fighting bull turns 45 today. Back on October 30, 1963, Lamborghini showed the 350 GTV at the Turin Auto Show. It was pure Italian style. In fact, the style was so uncompromising that the car had to be shown without the engine because original V12 wouldn't fit under the sloping hood. But even without the engine, the message was a clear assault on Ferrari.

Italian tractor producer Ferruccio Lamborghini was disgusted with the performance of his Ferrari. He had contacted Enzo Ferrari about the clutch assembly on his 250 GT, but Ferrari dismissed him. Lamborghini then set out to built a car to upstage Ferrari and (ironically) prove that sports cars could be reliable. The 350 GTV at Turin was the concept that gave way for the 350 GT production model. The 350 GT gave Lamborghini enough recognition and capital to build the Miura, which is considered to be Lamborghini's first pure sports car.

The Miura is still considered one of the most beautiful supercars today, and from that point of view, Lamborghini had succeeded in getting his revenge on Ferrari. As for reliability, the first Miuras were known to catch fire when gas pooled in their racing carburetors. Since then, the company known more for beauty and speed has been producing of some of the most outlandish supercars ever built, including the Countach, Diablo->ke376 and Murcielago.

But now Lamborghini is middle aged. That may explain why the it is producing the ultimate mid-life crisis machine for the family man, the Estoque.

So does the bull have any big plans for its 45th? Probably not. So far all they've announced today is the opening of a Chinese subsidiary.

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