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January 23, 2015
Lamborghini 50th Anniversary Event Report: Part 1
Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary Report Part 1 | Lamborghini
Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary
A Grand Event Celebrating Lamborghini's 50th Anniversary - Part 1
A supercar manufacturer born in 1963LamborghiniThis year, 2013, marks the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini's founding, a truly commemorative year. A major event celebrating this was held in Italy, where 700 Lamborghini owners from around the world gathered with their prized cars. That's a total of 350 vehicles! This is a report from Jun Nishikawa, who participated in the event, a 1,200km tour from Milan to Sant'Agata Bolognese, the spiritual home of Lamborghini.
Text by NISHIKAWA Jun
A "Raging Bull Drive" Stretching 4km in Formation, Covering 1,200km
Among the many events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini's establishment in 2013, the highlight was the "Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary."
As the name "Grand Tour" suggests, the scale of the event was immense.
Starting from Milan, the fashion capital, the tour wound through the Trebbia Valley, described by Hemingway as "the most beautiful valley in the world," and ended in Forte dei Marmi, a luxurious seaside resort.
From there, the route continued south along the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, the west coast of the Italian peninsula, passing by the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the way to the capital, Rome.
Then, turning back inland, the journey headed north, visiting historic towns such as Orvieto and Arezzo.
Lamborghinis gathered in Piazza Maggiore
Eleven owners from Japan also participated, driving their own cars through Italy. This vehicle is a rare model, one of only 20 made worldwide, called the "Diablo SE30 Jota."
Astonishingly, eleven dedicated owners from Japan had flown their beloved cars to Italy (we offer our utmost respect to them as true "Rambo" fanatics).
The most numerous, as expected, was the "Gallardo," boasting the highest production numbers in Lamborghini's history with over 13,000 units sold; 123 of them participated, making up about one-third of the total.
With a formation stretching 4km and a combined output of 190,000 horsepower, a massive herd of "raging bulls" thundered across Italy – the scale was truly immense.
Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary |
Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary
A Grand Event Celebrating Lamborghini's 50th Anniversary - Part 1 (2)
May 7th – 50 Years After Ferruccio Registered the Company
May 7th, Milan
While having breakfast at the "Principe di Savoia," CEO Stephan Winkelmann approached. "Congratulations!" I said. He replied, "Today, exactly 50 years ago on this date, Ferruccio registered the company."
The Grand Tour began with an official press conference at the Pirelli Foundation headquarters. The opening declaration was made against the backdrop of the historically deep relationship between Lamborghini and Pirelli, exemplified by the "Miura" x "Cinturato" and "Countach" x "Pirelli P7".
Lamborghini
".
Outside the building, there was an immediate appearance of the "
Veneno
". Seeing it outdoors for the first time, it possessed a surprising sense of reality, more so than at a show. I had thought of it as a "Transformer," but now I felt like I could actually drive it!
Lamborghini Veneno and CEO Stephan Winkelmann
Eleven owners from Japan also participated, driving their own cars through Italy. This vehicle is a rare model, one of only 20 made worldwide, called the "Diablo SE30 Jota."
Castello Sforzesco, a famous castle, served as the starting point for the Grand Tour in Milan. For this occasion, the roundabouts surrounding the square were partially closed to traffic, transforming the busy roads usually bustling with Milanese residents into a temporary "raging bull paddock." Consequently, traffic congestion in the surrounding areas was severe...
The owners' cars had been brought in the night before, and registration officially began in the afternoon.
The bib number I received was 223.
The car provided by the company was a white "Gallardo LP550-2," and it was equipped with a 3-pedal manual gearbox. I suspect it was the unit no one else chose from the event rental fleet!
Alternatively, perhaps the company staff, knowing that my partner for the event, Andy Lam, a journalist from Singapore and an old acquaintance, and I both "enjoy driving," deliberately assigned us a manual transmission car.
Be that as it may.
This day was solely for receiving bib numbers and participant gifts. In the evening, a welcome party was held at "HangarBicocca," a hub for modern art and a founding member of the Pirelli Foundation.
Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary |
Grande Giro Lamborghini 50th Anniversary
A Grand Event Celebrating Lamborghini's 50th Anniversary - Part 1 (3)
May 8th – The Official Start Under the Gaze of a Large Crowd
May 8th, Milan to Forte dei Marmi – 345km
The start was at 10 AM. In the car with bib number 001, the "Aventador Roadster", were CEO Stephan Winkelmann and Maurizio Reggiani, head of the technical department.
From number 002 onwards, a lineup of legendary cars from the 60s such as the "400GT" and "Miura" were present. My start time was just before 11:30 AM, so I had plenty of time to enjoy watching the historic models depart. The most popular car, emitting a particularly ferocious exhaust note, was the "Iota Clone."
We started a little behind schedule. Being announced by name and car model as we set off amidst a large crowd was an incredibly exhilarating feeling. It made the trip worthwhile right then and there.
We drove through Milan, led by the Italian State Police (POLIZIA) on their blue motorcycles. Literally, we sped through. Traffic rules were largely ignored. If we hesitated at roundabouts, stop signs, or red lights, the police would urge us on, "Go! Go!"
If that's how it works, they should have explained it from the beginning... Or perhaps they did during last night's party. I was probably too drunk to hear.
I thought this police escort was just for the confusing city streets, but it continued onto the highway! And they were driving fast. Would they really guide us like this for the entire route? If so, that would be a dream come true. I had been worried about how to stay on the correct route without a map, but my concerns were completely unfounded. Furthermore, black arrows were posted at every junction.
In any case, their pace was relentless. They drove fast. On the highway, speeds easily exceeded 200 km/h, and on country roads, it was often close to 150 km/h. If there was even a slight traffic jam, they would guide us to drive on the center line to break through – it happened frequently. Honestly, it felt fantastic.
For lunch on the 8th, we stopped in Bobbio, a village near the Trebbia River Valley. It was a small, charming, and incredibly pleasant village, now filled with Lamborghinis. In fact, this village is the hometown of Filippo Perini, Lamborghini's head of design.
Miuras taking a break in Bobbio
In the afternoon, mountain weather can change quickly. After a light rain, as the sun's rays filtered through the clear air, a procession of colorful Lamborghinis – red, blue, yellow, white, purple, green – snaked along the narrow winding roads beside the valley. Occasionally, as speeds increased, their roars, a duet of V12s and V10s, echoed through the valley.
In the evening, slightly behind schedule, we arrived at Villa Augustus & Resort, a luxurious seaside resort in Forte dei Marmi. This was once a vacation home owned by the Agnelli family of Fiat.
That evening, we enjoyed aperitivos and antipasti on the beach, followed by a dinner party at the renowned seafood restaurant "La Campana," located by the sea.
—To be continued in Part 2