Ferruccio Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini, who made his fortune building tractors, famously decided to start his own car company after a disagreement with Enzo Ferrari. He was unhappy with the clutch on his Ferrari and felt Enzo dismissed his complaints as a mere tractor maker. In 1963, he founded Automobili Lamborghini to produce high-performance grand touring cars that could rival Ferrari.

Before founding his iconic supercar brand, Ferruccio Lamborghini built a highly successful tractor manufacturing company using surplus military engines after World War II. He also expanded his manufacturing empire to include Lamborghini Bruciorifiuti, a company that produced oil-burning heating units. Later in life, he even designed and produced his own line of wines on his estate.

The first automobile produced by Automobili Lamborghini was the 350 GT, which debuted in 1964. Ferruccio wanted to create a refined grand touring car with a powerful V12 engine, which was engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini. The success of the 350 GT established the foundation for the brand's legendary rivalry with Ferrari.

Yes, Ferruccio Lamborghini eventually sold his controlling stake in the company and retired in the 1970s. He sold his shares to Georges-Henri Rossetti and René Leimer in 1974, the same year the iconic Countach entered production. He spent his later years focused on his winemaking estate in Umbria, Italy.