Lamborghini has built its 10,000th Gallardo at its Sant'Agata Bolognese factory, a production record for one of its supercars.
The 10,000th Gallardo was finished in Midas yellow and was delivered to a customer in Shaghai at a special ceremony over the weekend.
See the 10,000th Lamborghini Gallardo on the production line
The V10, four-wheel drive Gallardo was first produced in 2003 and revised in 2007. It is sold in 120 dealerships in 45 countries worldwide.
Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkleman said: “Production of car number 10,000 is a very important milestone for Lamborghini. The Gallardo is playing a significant role in the growth and recognition of our brand."
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Re: Lambo builds 10,000th Gallardo
Re: Lambo builds 10,000th Gallardo
Designer of cars? Not strictly speaking, though I do have one car under my belt that might be going into small scale production at some point - it's a long and tortuous process. Doesn't matter though because all design (if we're talking about aesthetics at least) is basically the same task: the manipulation of balance and discord in an attempt to elicit a desired response from the viewer.
By what standard stunning? Well I do think my young boy's trousers analogy kind of says it in broad terms without going into reams of boring design analysis (not only boring but I don't have the time) but try this: If you were to see the Gallardo side by side with the Veyron and knew nothing of the incredible statistics of the Bugatti, which would you think says fast before you even got to turn the key? The rather podgy profile of the Veyron or the rapier like profile of the Gallardo. For that matter which would you say the more beautiful? Would you really pick the giant Audi TT if not in awe of the numbers? In other words it ticks all the supercar boxes and, in my view at least, the pen doing the ticking was in the hand of an artist (as opposed to the forthcoming McLaren which is merely a box ticking exercise).
Where next with that style is irrelevant. The Gallardo is what it is here and now. Where they go from here isn't going to change that and who knows where they'll take it. Neither does the fact that at some point in the past they took a left turn design wise. Indeed, the new 458 Italia owes more to the Miura than any current Lambo. All that tells us is that Lambo went bonkers and bold in the '70s. And it's a good thing they did otherwise we wouldn't have the fabulous diversity between the two Italian makers that we have today.
Re: Lambo builds 10,000th Gallardo
Why is that not a mature rational? Because it uses flippant language? It's a perfectly mature rational and entirely appropriate as an analogy (and a reality, too) in so much that supercars are nothing more than toys for grown ups (and there's no denying that a super car is an inherently childish form of transport). Using a young boy's primal reaction is probably the perfect litmus (and a supercar should have something of the 'primal' about it). The flippant language is merely shorthand.
Again, I say the use of the word 'origami' is not appropriate and is just a thoughtless sound bite. But, if we do use 'origami' for want of a better word, and ask if it is enduring or transitory the answer would probably be enduring since Lamborghini have been successfully defining the supercar with its hard edged design language since the introduction of the Countach in 1974. That's not a bad run of being the 'poster child' for the supercar.
Beautiful or dramatic? It can be either or both. There are many ways to set a pair of trousers on fire and I don't think there are rules on that front. And as for the form/function thing... unbound by compromise the best of the supercars should be able to accommodate both.
As for the subjectivity thing, sure, when I'm looking at cars like this I'm doing so with my juices flowing, but I'm also a designer so I'm also examining the design with at least a little objectivity. And on that front it's probably worth mentioning that I probably gravitate more towards Ferrari than Lamborghini, so I'm not simply cheering on my team here.