Ferruccio Lamborghini went to meet Enzo Ferrari at the Ferrari factory to complain about the quality of the clutch in his Ferrari 250. An infuriated Enzo Ferrari sent him away telling him to go drive his tractors because he was not able to drive cars. Lamborghini went back to his factory to have the Ferrari’s clutch dismantled and found that the clutch in the Ferrari was a product of the manufacturer who supplied the clutches used in Lamborghini tractors. Lamborghini installed a stronger clutch from his factory’s warehouse into his Ferrari and solved the clutch failure.
Furious with Enzo Ferrari’s arrogant and aloof manner, Ferruccio Lamborghini promised himself he would never own another Ferrari, and would beat Ferrari at his own game, by creating a superior sports car of his own.
Ferruccio decided that his car was to have a V12 engine. Giotto Bizzarrini, a former Ferrari engineer with experience with the development of the Ferrari V12, was contracted to design the engine. The engine featured aluminum construction, a short stroke, a seven main bearing crankshaft, forged aluminum pistons, two big bore valves per cylinder, and two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, each camshaft having its own half-engine-speed sprocket with silent chain. The engine developed 350 horsepower (260 kW). The body was designed by Franco Scaglione.
Born under the sign of the Taurus, Ferruccio Lamborghini used the bull as the badge to mark his new automobile.
The Lamborghini 350GTV prototype was introduced at the 1963 Turin Auto Show. Lamborghini commissioned Carrozzeria Touring to design a more practical model. This was put into production as the 350GT. Sales of the 350GT totaled 130.
