In 1963, Ferruccio Lamborghini — a tractor manufacturer — told Enzo Ferrari that his cars had clutch problems. Ferrari told him to go back to building tractors. Lamborghini went home and built his own car company. The factory and museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, between Bologna and Modena, tell this origin story through the cars: the 350 GT (the first), the Miura (1966 — the first supercar, the car that invented the category), the Countach (1974 — every bedroom poster in the 1980s), the Diablo, the Murciélago, the Aventador, and the current Huracán and Revuelto. The museum is smaller and more intimate than Ferrari's — you feel closer to the cars, and the factory tour puts you next to the assembly line where technicians hand-build each engine. Emilia-Romagna → · Modena →
Plan my Motor Valley trip →Ground floor — the legends: The Miura SV (green, perfect, the car that Marcello Mastroianni would have chosen), the Countach LP400 (the wedge shape that defined supercar design for 30 years), prototypes that never reached production. Upper floor — modern era: Diablo, Murciélago, Aventador, one-off specials. Factory tour (MUST BOOK): A guided walk through the production line where current models are assembled. Unlike Ferrari's industrial scale, Lamborghini's factory has a hand-built quality — you see individuals bolting engines, stitching leather, painting by hand. €15-20 supplement, book at lamborghini.com at least 2 weeks ahead.
Address: Via Modena 12, Sant'Agata Bolognese (25km from Bologna, 20km from Modena). Tickets: €15 museum, factory tour supplement €15-20. Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am-6pm (last entry 5pm). Getting there: car only from Bologna (30min) or Modena (25min). No useful public transport. Duration: 1.5-2h (museum + factory). Motor Valley combo: Ferrari Maranello (25min), Museo Enzo Ferrari Modena (20min), Ducati Bologna (30min), Pagani (Modena area). All within a day if you start early. Eat: Trattoria Lanzarini in Sant'Agata (Bolognese cooking — tortellini, tagliatelle al ragù, €25-35).