The history of Lamborghini began as a brand that manufactured tractors. Italian mechanic Ferruccio Lamborghini’s love for sports and racing cars was what encouraged him to produce his own, which feature a brand new bull in his logo.
It does not overlook the fact that most of the Lamborghini models receive their names precisely from the animal that stars on their shield. The reason is that Ferruccio Lamborghini was passionate about bullfighting and, coincidentally, his zodiac sign was Taurus.
The first sports car that Lamborghini brought to market was the legendary Miura. This name is given to the fighting bulls raised by Eduardo Miura Fernández, whose farm Ferruccio often went to, as it is said that it relaxed and inspired him to observe the animals that were there. The Miura was the first in a long list of Lamborghinis that would be named in references to the bull and bullfighting.
Some models of the Italian team are named after bulls that were famous in the field of bullfighting. For example, Islero was the bull that killed the famous bullfighter Manuel Rodríguez “Manolete” during a bullfight in 1947. The Lamborghini Diablo is named after a fighting bull that fought against the bullfighter José Lara Jiménez “Chicorro” and was pardoned for his bravura after the show.
Murciélago was a fighting bull whose life was spared after surviving 28 thrusts during a bullfight. For his part, Reventón – a model of which only 20 units were produced – was a bull that caused the death of another renowned bullfighter, Félix Guzmán, due to a goring. And Huracán was a bull known among bullfighting fans for his bravery in the 19th century.
There is also Aventador, the bull that won the prize for the bravest bull at the Zaragoza fair in 1993. And Veneno was a bull that caused the death of the bullfighter José Sánchez Rodríguez in the bullring of San Lúcar de Barrameda. The Lamborghini Jarama is not named after the Spanish circuit, but after another bull named that way.
Then there are others that are not proper names of bulls, but rather terms related to bullfighting. Like the Urraco, because magpies are fighting bulls with black and white fur; Jalpa, a breed of fighting bulls; Gallardo, a breed of bulls; Urus, the aurochs bull considered the ancestor of the current fighting bull; and Espada, the weapon that delivers the final blow to the bull.
There are few exceptions to this rule from the Lamborghini house. The Countach is an expression of the Piedmontese dialect that has no literal translation, but extols the beauty of something. That’s what car designer Giovanni Bertone said when he saw the eponymous vehicle for the first time.
Finally, the Silhouette appealed to the silhouette of women and the Centenario was named in honor of the 100th birthday that Ferruccio would have turned in 2016, when this special edition was launched.
