May 2013 marks the 50th anniversary when Italian industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini, the maker of the world’s most extraordinary sports cars. The year sees celebratory events held worldwide and the debut of a new model.
To mark the half-century milestone, the Miami Consulate General is sponsoring a classic-car parade at Miami Beach, Florida from 29 January to 8 February. The president of Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann, will attend the event that will host the much anticipated world debut of a new Lamborghini model. Road tests will also be held on Homestead Speedway, with the participation of 120 Lamborghini dealers from around the world.
While there are no details available on the new model, Winkelmann told ‘Automotive News’ it will not be “a revival or retro”. The company released a video on New Year’s Eve in 2012, highlighting the first 50 years of Lamborghini. It features a brief appearance of a car with Gallardo-like headlights, leading industry experts to speculate that the shadowy vehicle could be the 2014 replacement for the Gallardo.
It is not the first time Lamborghini has developed anniversary-edition vehicles. For its 25th anniversary, the carmaker launched a special edition Countach, and the Murcielago for its 40th anniversary.
The company is also staging the Grande Giro Lamborghini from 7 to 11 May in Italy, which is set to be one of the largest-ever Lamborghini gatherings including hundreds of vintage and modern-day Lamborghinis from every corner of the globe. The Giro kicks off on 7 May, the same day that Automobili Lamborghini was incorporated 50 years ago.
The course covers some 745 miles and starts in Milan. The Giro heads for the Forte dei Marmi coastal resort in Tuscany and then to Rome before turning north to Bologna. On the final day, the Giro arrives at the Lamborghini factory and museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Emilia-Romagna, where the company was born, for a gala dinner marking the climax of the anniversary celebrations.
