It has been a very busy week for Automobili Lamborghini SpA, and more importantly for the CEO, Stephan Winkelmann who has been heading the Sant’Agata company to ever increasing sales figures for the last seven years.
Stephan Winkelmann, born in Berlin, Germany but grew up in Rome, Italy became CEO of Automobili Lamborghini SpA in 2005, under his guidance we saw a clear strategy emerge for the V10 and V12 models … with the new Aventador LP700-4 being a prime example of how the company changed over the 50 years since it was founded in 1963 by the late Ferruccio Lamborghini.
Massive investments in know-how and technology have been made over the years, especially in the field of Carbon Fiber production with the monocoque in the Aventador as a result, but also special, limited edition cars like the Sesto Elemento wouldn’t have been possible without the extensive knowledge of carbon fiber bodywork and chassis development.
Also note the both the Reventon and Reventon Roadster were build while Mr Winkelmann was at the top, very high priced limited edition models that sold out almost instantly giving Automobili Lamborghini SpA to ability to learn about actually producing low quantity models … more so the recently unveiled Aventador J or Jota as it is also called … only one made it was sold right away … even a $2,200,000 price tag on a car that isn’t even street legal didn’t scare customers, all 20 units of the Sesto Elemento are sold even before the first one has been delivered.
Now Stephan Winkelmann received the Bella Macchina award from Concorso Italiano as a recognition for the consistent work put into making Lamborghini the world renowned exotic car builder it is today, with the Aventador LP700-4 being a reference to which other super sports cars are measured … the latter even received Robb Report ‘Best of the Best’ award, an icon Stephan Winkelmann was happy to receive in person at the 2012 Monterey Classic Car Week … do note it is the second time the Aventador was celebrated by Robb Report, in February the Sant’Agata V12 flagship was already selected as the ‘2012 Car of the Year’.
“It’s quite an honor to accept this generous award from Concorso Italiano” said Winkelmann. “While ecstatic to be recognized, I’d like to point out that it was not me alone. My entire team, our enthusiasts and loyal clients also play an integral role in Lamborghini’s momentum.”
And while the Sesto Elemento was in the United States anyway, Mr Winkelmann had it on display on the evening of August 21, during the official opening of the new building for Lamborghini Newport Beach in South Los Angeles, one of the most important dealerships for the US market … most likely at least one of the 20 Sesto Elemento cars will be delivered through Newport Beach.