Ferrari vs Lamborghini: how the rivalry really started and how the two companies differ

The Ferrari-Lamborghini rivalry began in the early 1960s, when a wealthy tractor maker who owned Ferraris decided to build his own grand tourers. The insult from Enzo Ferrari that supposedly triggered it is disputed. Today the two differ sharply: Ferrari is a listed company that shipped 13,640 cars in 2025, and Lamborghini is an Audi subsidiary that delivered 10,747.

How did the rivalry really start?

It started with a customer's complaint, and only one side told the story. Ferruccio Lamborghini went to Maranello in 1958 for a Ferrari 250 GT coupé. Test driver Valentino Balboni says his boss owned two Ferraris and kept wearing out the clutch, and that a mechanic found the part matched one on a small Lamborghini tractor.

The insult comes from later. In a 1991 interview with Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, Ferruccio said he confronted Enzo and was told he could drive a tractor but never handle a Ferrari. Early Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace doubted it, some accounts say Enzo never agreed to see him, and historian Massimo Delbo argues both men understood the publicity value of a feud.

We go through each version in the Ferruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari story.

Was the insult really the reason Lamborghini was founded?

Probably not on its own. The Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani records the quarrel as what tradition holds, then calls a decision based on the sector's profits and on the advertising value for his group more realistic.

The dates are firmer than the drama. Ferruccio bought 20,000 square metres of land at Sant'Agata Bolognese on 22 February 1963, opened the factory on 26 October and showed the 350 GTV at Turin that November. The biography judges that first car a failure.

Did a former Ferrari engineer help create Lamborghini?

Yes, though not by walking straight across. Giotto Bizzarrini joined Ferrari in 1957, rose to lead experimental and GT development and worked on the car that became the 250 GTO. He was one of five engineers who left in the 1961 walkout after a reorganisation of the engineering staff.

Ferruccio later commissioned Bizzarrini's firm, Società Autostar, to design an engine for his GT cars. That V12 first appeared in the 350 GT in 1964 and stayed in Lamborghini V12 models until 2010. For two companies now seen as enemies, this shared engineering root is the most solid link of the whole story.

When did Lamborghini truly challenge Ferrari?

With the Miura, shown as a rolling chassis at Turin in November 1965 and as a complete car at Geneva in March 1966. Its transverse V12 sat behind the seats and made 350 bhp, and evo credits that Turin chassis with the birth of the supercar. The first customer car was delivered on 29 December 1966.

Ferrari's V12 flagship stayed front-engined for several more years. Its first mid-engined 12-cylinder road car was the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer of 1973, which replaced the Daytona. Read more in how the Miura and Countach defined the supercar.

How do Ferrari and Lamborghini differ today?

They differ most in ownership and racing, and less than you might expect in size. All figures below are the latest we could verify.

Ferrari reports shipments and Lamborghini deliveries, which may not be measured identically, so treat the gap as approximate. Exor and Piero Ferrari renewed their shareholders' pact in January 2026 and together control about 48% of the votes.

Why does racing still separate them?

Because Ferrari was built around it, and Ferruccio refused to go there. Evo notes that his young engineers designed the Miura's chassis partly to tempt him into racing, and that he still would not race the later Jota. Ferrari, meanwhile, counts 16 constructors' and 15 drivers' F1 titles.

Lamborghini's factory prototype programme was short. The SC63 raced in the World Endurance Championship in 2024, and in August 2025 the company paused the project for 2026. Our guide to Le Mans wins among the luxury marques shows the scale of that gap.

On the road, the contrast is now about electrification. Lamborghini said its range would be entirely hybrid once Temerario deliveries began in January 2026, while Ferrari still sells the non-hybrid 12Cilindri. Test both histories in the My Hangar Ferrari quiz and the Lamborghini quiz, or follow the dates on the Ferrari timeline. For the corporate picture, see who owns whom.

FAQ

Did Enzo Ferrari really insult Ferruccio Lamborghini?

Ferruccio said so in 1991 and Valentino Balboni repeats a similar story, but no independent record is known to us. Bob Wallace doubted it and the versions conflict on the words and the place.

Which is bigger, Ferrari or Lamborghini?

Ferrari, on volume. It shipped 13,640 cars in 2025, against 10,747 delivered by Lamborghini, and it reported net revenues of €7.146 billion.

Does Volkswagen own Ferrari?

No. Volkswagen Group owns Lamborghini through Audi. Ferrari is a separate listed company, spun off from Fiat Chrysler, whose largest shareholder is Exor.

Which came first, Ferrari or Lamborghini?

Ferrari. The first Ferrari-badged car appeared in 1947, while Lamborghini's factory opened 16 years later, in 1963.

Sources

• Lamborghini, Ferruccio, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Treccani
• Lamborghini Supercars Exist Because of a 10-Lira Tractor Clutch, Car and Driver via Yahoo Autos
• MotorTrend investigates the mythical Ferrari insult, LamboCars
• Lamborghini Miura: how the original supercar was willed into existence, evo
• Ferrari: the new deal, Il Sole 24 Ore
• Ferrari 2025 financial results, Dukascopy
• Lamborghini 2025 sales record, Carscoops
• Giotto Bizzarrini, Wikipedia
• Ferruccio Lamborghini, Wikipedia (quoting the 1991 Thoroughbred & Classic Cars interview)
• Exor and the Ferrari family extend shareholders' agreement, Exor
• Lamborghini breaks delivery record in 2025, Driven