The author Gautam Sen writes in the foreword: "There is already a whole series of Lamborghini books. However, not all of these works consist of two volumes, 874 pages and 1070 illustrations.
Engines and design
Lamborghini has only built five of its own engines in almost 60 years, while its competitor from Maranello has built several times as many. Accordingly, the Lamborghini brand should not only be understood from a technical perspective, but also from a design perspective. This is because the appearance of the cars set them apart from the competition much more than the technology.
Accordingly, the author structures the work along the design eras, starting with Franco Scaglione, through Touring (Anderloni) to Marcello Gandini, perhaps the most important man in the history of Lamborghini. He was followed by Luc Donckerwoke, Walter de Silva, Filippo Perini and Mtja Borkert. Gautam Sen was able to speak to five of them in detail and have them explain the ideas behind the designs and drafts.
The author deliberately shows not only Lamborghini examples, but also cars from other manufacturers that preceded or followed them in terms of lines. For example, there are illustrations of the Alfa Romeo Carabo, the Stratos Zero and the Jaguar Pirana.
Along the timeline
The model lineage forms the basic structure of the two books, starting with the 350 GTV and continuing with the 350 GT/400 GT, Miura, Espada, Islero, Jarama, Urraco, Countach, Cheetah/LM002, Jalpa, Diablo, Murciélago, Gallardo, Aventador, Huracan and Urus. In between, the most important one-offs and prototypes are introduced, i.e. Marzal, Bravo, Athon and the various concept cars of the 1980s and beyond. Of course, the super-expensive one-offs of the modern era and the prototypes of the 21st century are also included.
They are all explained primarily from a design perspective and based on testimonies and reports from the time.
Passion
Gautam Sen would probably not have been able to write these two books without the active support of two enthusiasts. Branko Radovinovic and Kaare Byerg have both been Lamborghini fans since childhood. The Countach made them both dream and turned them into collectors.
Not only did these two present an extensive collection of brochures, they also collected magazines and books and photographed Lamborghini sports cars and prototypes on many occasions. They had designers sign their work and collected press documents.
Together with material from the various archives of the design houses and designers, the result is a collection of over 1000 images, the like of which has probably never been seen before. It goes without saying that not every single photo in this collection is completely convincing. However, it was important to the author and his colleagues to show the cars in all their forms.
Bravo
The last chapter of the first book, mentioned here as an example, is about the Lamborghini Bravo. What is a footnote elsewhere is covered here in 18 pages. And rightly so! Because, although never produced in series, the Bravo was an important design milestone and perhaps the most elegant 1970s Lamborghini of all.
The complete story is told, from the initial idea to the presentations, the journalists' test drives and the changes of ownership. The two-seater, built on a shortened Urraco chassis, has survived and is now part of a Swiss collection. 27 photos/drawings document this very special concept car.
Completely
Although Gautam Sen dispenses with page-long tables of technical data and production figures, he has compiled a fairly extensive bibliography that lists most of the Lamborghini books ever published. There is also a list of automobile magazines in various languages and a complete index of the Lamborghini models described, as well as other car models and brands mentioned. Places and people mentioned are also clearly referenced, making the two-volume book a useful reference work.
Incidentally, the inside pages of the book cover should also be mentioned, as they contain the most important Lamborghini models as "chalk drawings" by the current Lamborghini design director Mitja Borkert. Worth seeing!
Not just for Lambo fans
Over 200 euros for the two-ribbon, is it worth the purchase? For Lamborghini enthusiasts, this should be out of the question, but design aficionados and sports car fans are also likely to get their money's worth.
However, if you are only interested in the Miura or the Countach and are primarily interested in technical data, unit numbers or sales statistics, you should look elsewhere. But actually you need both, the hard facts and the description of the design development.
Bibliographic information
- Title: Lamborghini: At the Cutting Edge of Design
- Author: Gautam Sen (with Branko Radovinovic and Kaare Byberg)
- Language: English
- Publisher: Dalton Watson Fine Books (Illinois, USA)
- Edition: 1st edition 2022 (available as of March 30, 2022)
- Format: Hardcover, two volumes, in slipcase, 304 mm x 219 mm
- Scope: 784 pages, 1070 images
- ISBN: 978-1-85443-317-6
- Price: USD 250, £ 185, EUR 230 (approx.)
- Buy/order: Online at the publisher Dalton Watson, online at amazon.de or in relevant bookstores
