Lamborghini Cars | Used Cars, Motorbikes, Vans & Other Vehicles

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., affectionately known as just plain Lamborghini, was the vision of one man, Ferruccio Lamborghini. Born in the village of Renzo Di Cento, in the province of Ferrara, in northern Italy, in 1916, Lamborghini later owned a Ferrari, and was dissatisfied with its performance. He took the unprecedented step of travelling to Modena, to confront Enzo Ferrari, in person, and, embarrassed and insulted by the response he received, embarked upon the production of his own, competing, supercar.

History of Lamborghini
With previous experience as an engineer in the Italian Air Force, and in the manufacture of tractors, in 1963, Lamborghini invested in the construction of a modern production facility, and hired designer Giotti Bizzarini, formerly of Alfa Romeo. The logo which Lamborghini adopted � a charging bull, in gold on a black background � represented his own birth sign, Taurus, but also bore a remarkable � and, perhaps, not entirely accidental � resemblance to the Ferrari Logo. The first Lamborghini production car, the 350GT, appeared in 1964, and was supplemented, throughout the 1960s, by the 400GT, and the Miura. Ferrucio Lamborghini relinquished his interest in the company in 1974, but his legacy continued, with memorable models such as the Espada, and the Countach, and even since his death, in 1993, Lamborghini continues to manufacture exquisite motor vehicles, with an emphasis on quality and performace, regardless of the cost.

Lamborghini Models
The latest Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 does "exactly what it says on the tin", to quite a large degree; the "LP" stands for "Longtitudinale Posteriore" and, fairly obviously, refers to the position, and orientation, of its engine, and the "640" refers to the 640bhp that it delivers. The Murcielago LP640 features a 6.5 litre, V12 engine, a six-speed manual, or automatic, gearbox, and options include a dedicated acceleration program � aptly named "Thrust" � on the automatic model, and ceramic carbon brakes. The Lamborghini Murcielago is available as a 2-door, 2-seat coup�, or a convertible, "Roadster" version, which, like the coup�, features new 18 inch rims, 13� inch wide tyres, and a revised, more comfortable, interior. The main "problem" with the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, of course, is the prohibitive purchase price. Running costs are also high, but if you can afford a car that costs the best part of �200,000, new, on the road, the fact that it belongs to insurance group 20, and does a little over 15 miles per gallon of fuel, are unlikely to be major concerns.

The Lamborghini Gallardo, which first appeared in 2003, and is still in production today, is the only model to feature the Lamborghini 5.0 litre, V10 engine. The standard engine develops 492bhp, allowing the car to reach 60 miles per hour in just over 4 seconds, and a maximum speed of 192mph. One criticism of the Gallardo has been levelled at the manual paddle gear changing system, which does not require a clutch, but does tend to be rather jerky; a standard, manual gearbox version is a better option, if you can find one. If the basic specification � remember, "basic", here, is relative � does not appeal to you, you may like to consider the Gallardo Spyder, as popularised by Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson. The Spyder manages to squeeze an extra 28bhp out of the V10 engine, and features six-speed manual transmission, and a fully retractable soft top.

Older, "classic" Lamborghini designs include, of course, the Lamborghini Countach, which was in production for 16 years, from 1974 onwards, and its successor, the Lamborghini Diablo. The Countach was certainly one of the most striking, perhaps even outrageous, production cars of its time, with "gull wing" doors, and a huge rear spoiler. The Countache Anniversario, for example, manufactured between late 1988, and early 1990 � to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of Lamborghini as a company � is considered to be the best of the Lamborghini Countache series, in terms of its handling and overall reliability. Its 5.0 litre, V12, mid-mounted, fuel injection engine develops 425bhp @ 7,000 rpm. The Lamborghini Diablo, first released in 1990, on the other hand, develops 492bhp from its 5.7 litre, V12 engine, so much power, in fact, that the early rear wheel drive models are difficult to drive. Four wheel drive was introduced, however, in 1993. The Diablo also features an anti-lock braking system which is generally considered to be too sensitive, and can create problems if you brake too late, or too hard. Poor rear visibility is another criticism of the Lamborghini Diablo, although this, too, needs to be considered in the context of a luxury, supercar, capable of a top speed of over 200 mph.

Buying a Second Hand Lamborghini
Let's not mince our words here; Lamborghinis are specialist supercars, which, by their very nature, are hugely expensive to buy, even second hand, and equally expensive to run. If you can afford to buy one, try to do so via an approved Lamborghini dealer, who will have the necessary experience, and equipment, to make sure that a used Lamborghini performs well enough to justify its price tag. Remember that servicing needs to be performed at least once every 12 months, in order to protect your investment, and is not cheap, either. If you are considering purchasing a Lamborghini privately, there are a number of used car sites on the Internet � some of them devoted, exclusively, to Lamborghini � which can provide you with a guide to prices for private purchase, trade-in, etc.. It may also be possible, of course, to acquire a Lamborghini with mechanical problems, or bodywork damage, for restoration purposes.