Freewheeling: The advent of ‘coachbuilding’
by Gautam Sen, Avik ChattopadhyayDec 14, 2020
•make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend
by Gautam Sen, Avik ChattopadhyayPublished on : Aug 27, 2021
It all started with his disappointment with the Ferrari 250 GT he bought in 1958. He found the interiors basic, clutch unrefined and after sales service substandard. A letter to Enzo Ferrari did not get the desired response. He modified one of his 250 GTs to outperform the factory-built ones and voila, he had found his calling. He would build a grand tourer that would move lightning fast, stick to the road and, be plush inside.
With the money he made from selling tractors, he founded the eponymous motoring badge in 1963. On his visit to the ranch of Don Eduardo Miura, a renowned breeder of Spanish fighting bulls a year back, he had decided that the image of a raging bull would sit on the nose of the grand tourer he would make!
Since putting together the 350GTV in four months just in time for the Turin Motor Show in October 1963, Automobili Lamborghini has been one bull run all the way till now, with the usual ups and downs of a hectic fight in the arena.
On August 14, 2021, the marque announced the relaunch of the iconic Countach as a hybrid-electric to commemorate its 50 years, limited to only 112 units as a tribute to its first model code of LP 112.
Freewheeling could not think of a better way to pay its tribute to this automotive marvel than have a chat with Mitja Borkert, the chief of design at Lamborghini and the man who designed the Countach LPI 800-4!
Read all the other articles in the Freewheeling series here.
by Aarthi Mohan Oct 07, 2025
At Melbourne’s Incinerator Gallery, a travelling exhibition presents a series of immersive installations that reframe playgrounds as cultural spaces that belong to everyone.
by Asmita Singh Oct 04, 2025
Showcased during the London Design Festival 2025, the UnBroken group show rethought consumption through tenacious, inventive acts of repair and material transformation.
by Gautam Bhatia Oct 03, 2025
Indian architect Gautam Bhatia pens an unsettling premise for his upcoming exhibition, revealing a fractured tangibility where the violence of function meets the beauty of form.
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Oct 02, 2025
This year’s edition of the annual design exhibition by Copenhagen Design Agency, on view at The Lab, Copenhagen, is curated by Pil Bredahl and explores natural systems and geometry.
make your fridays matter
SUBSCRIBEEnter your details to sign in
Don’t have an account?
Sign upOr you can sign in with
a single account for all
STIR platforms
All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices.
Stay STIRred
Already have an account?
Sign inOr you can sign up with
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Enter the 6-digit code sent at
Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process
by Gautam Sen, Avik Chattopadhyay | Published on : Aug 27, 2021
What do you think?