Lamborghini and the bulls

LAMBORGHINI AND THE BULLS

About the Founder

Ferrucio Lamborghini was fascinated by fighting bulls and the power they represented. It is also rumoured that he was insulted by Enzo ferrari for being a tractor company. Hence he chose the shield for the logo and replaced the prancing horse with a raging bull. Incidentally his sun sign was Taurus!

The Lamborghini Miura

Lamborghini’s iconic car Miura is named after a famous breeder of bulls – Don Eduardo Miura. Miura family of Spain are known for their ferocious bulls used in bull fights

The Lamborghini Islero

Islero was a bull that became famous for killing the celebrity bullfighter Manolete in 1947. The bull was also from the Miura ranch. Lamborghini named his next model after this bull. Incidentally the aborted project to develop nuclear bomb in Spain in the 1960s was also named after this bull “Proyecto Islero”

The Lamborghini Espada

Lamborghini Espada: Esapda in spanish means sword but in this context means matadors sword

The Lamborghini Urraco

Urraco in spanish translates to a Magpie (A small bird) literally but apparently a slang evolved that also means “little bull” when the smaller Miura bred bulls were named Urraco. Lamborghini named their entry level model in the 70s as Uracco and their larger model as Countach

The Lamborghini Countach

Countach was one of the few cars not named after bulls. That’s probably because Ferrucio did not name it but his designer Marcello Gandini named it. In Piedmontese (a language spoken in north western italy) this word is a slang way of expressing astonishment

The Lamborghini Jarama

Lamborghini Jarama derives its name from a breed of some of the fiercest bulls in Spain, bred by Don Manuel, they grazed near the Jarama river in Spain. Now there is a race track named Jarama. Jarama also has significance in spanish history

The Lamborghini Muricélago

Murciélago’s naming was controversial. It was named by the Volkswagen group to continue the tradition of bullfighting names but conflicting versions of this bull’s story left people wondering if they knew enough about bullfighting to continue the tradition. Apparently this is named after a bull that took 24 stabs and still stood. The bull was spared and later gifted to Don Antonio Miura.

The Lamborghini Reventon

Reventon was a fighting bull that killed the matador named Felix Guzman in 1943

The Lamborghini Urus

Urus is a deviation from the bullfighting tradition but not bulls. Urus or Aurochs are an extinct cattle species that was 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Maybe the growing dislike for bullfighting outside of spain pushed VW to name the SUV after a large historic bull that never fought 🙂