Ferruccio Lamborghini knew from a young age that his future was in the family business.
Following a successful 10-year career as a motorcycle racer, the Italian entrepreneur with a world-famous surname and an illustrious family history officially joined the Tonino Lamborghini Company in 2015 when he was just 24.
He would go on to become its vice-president and CEO, overseeing all aspects of the business from public relations strategies to sales-oriented projects and joint ventures.
In 2018, he merged his passion for motorcycles with his business know-how by personally relaunching Iso, of which Ferruccio is chairman, teaming up with Giken Mobility partners who develop, produce and market electric vehicles.
During an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently, Ferruccio recalls how his father, Tonino, began introducing him to the workings of the family business.
“From when I was five or six years old, we also had another two companies that my father then decided to sell, and so one of my first memories is that in particular during the weekends, my father took me with him and we went to the headquarters or to the manufacturing facility,” relates Ferruccio.
“It was like a game for me, moving around the machines, or moving between the different offices.”
The duo would take drives in vintage cars which was when Tonino (an avid car collector) took the opportunity to talk about the business, using professional terms to pique his interest.
“I remember the first time I asked him what an invoice means,” says Ferruccio, laughing. “I understood that he was trying to stimulate me to ask him, because, when you are seven years old, you don’t know what an invoice means.
“There are similar memories, such as what licensing means and so on, and so, this is the way I grew up, considering our activities as a game.”
Staying curious was a lesson passed down over three generations, from his grandfather Ferruccio who founded the Lamborghini business.
“The main lesson that my grandfather passed down to my father and my father transferred to me is that we always have to be curious. We have to always try to not feel satisfied by reaching certain points and we always have to look for something new to stimulate our curiosity,” he explains.
Creativity runs in the family, as the business has branched out into various models since his grandfather started with tractors – it has since moved on to cooling and heating systems, sports cars, hydraulic components, apparel, watches and wines.
“You must be a strong entrepreneur, but you also have to have a creative mind,” he expresses, adding that this is what led his father to venture into everything lifestyle-related through TL, from accessories to F&B and apparel to real estate.
“I always like to say that you can wear Tonino Lamborghini, you can drink Tonino Lamborghini, you can experience it at your home, thanks to the furnishings Tonino Lamborghini, you can experience it outside your home, through the hotels and real estate. So it’s a 360 degree vision that’s part of our DNA, from our point of view,” says Ferruccio.
From coordinating with his team to focusing on new ideas and strategies daily, Ferruccio manages the key areas of the business while being constantly on the lookout for new opportunities.
At the end of each day, carving out time for himself is essential.
“I would say I try to keep some free time for me, in order to refresh my mind and to not stay too focused on a specific aspect,” he says. “Otherwise, you may not have the wider vision anymore. For me this is quite important, trying to balancing the main aspects of the business with the right moments to look for the new opportunities.”
A project close to his heart
Ferruccio’s interest in motorcycles and his business know-how came full circle with the relaunch of the Iso brand in 2018, an endeavour that had been on his mind for years prior.
His father purchased the brand in 2011, as it had an important history dating back to a time after World War II.
“It became one of the main competitors to counter Vespa and Lambretta, then they (Iso) launched the Isetta, which is the bubble microcar which became a design icon in the automative industry, and then in the 60s, the sports car”.
Founded in 1939 under the name Isothermos, Iso is associated with the history of post-war enterprise in Italy – it produced mopeds, motorcycles, and light four-wheeled vehicles in 1948, and subsequently, launched the Isomoto, a motorcycle that was to become Iso’s bestseller.
“His vision since the very beginning was to look for opportunities in the EV segments,” says Ferruccio.
However, in 2011, the idea of electric vehicles was not as popular as it is today, and the company was developing other business lines at the time.
“So, we said, okay, let’s take this opportunity to have the brand in our portfolio, and let’s wait for the completion of other business developments that we were focused on.
“When I joined the company in 2015, I was aware of the fact that the Iso brand was in our portfolio, and I tried to push my father saying, ‘Come on, allow me to look for opportunities’, and he said ‘Okay, I trust you’.”
From mid-2016 Ferruccio began researching technology and searching for the right partners, and in 2018 he met with Singapore-based Giken Mobility (a subsidiary of Giken Sakata Group), an electric motorcycle company, with whom he had an immediate understanding and a shared vision.
Thus, the Iso Uno-X was born, a motorcycle that offers unrivalled stability and performance, while fulfilling sustainability goals.
The bike is the reason he has made his first international trip in two years, to the very region he visited many times in the past for motorcycle championships.
It was here in Malaysia, as well as several other countries in South-East Asia, where Ferruccio observed how motorbikes are very much a part of the culture.
“The South-East Asian countries, from my point of view, are our priority. Because motorcycles are part of the culture and there is of course, a huge customer base that can be approached,” he expresses.
“I’ve been impressed by how many motorbikes are on the street to how many customers are enthusiasts, real fans. I think that here, we have the right opportunities because when it comes to something new, and something that can stimulate the curiosity, here the mindset is aligned with us. So, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, I can name many others but generally speaking, the South-East Asian countries, from my point of view, are the best fit for starting our venture.
“Through Uno-X we are expressing, we are sharing with everybody our vision, which is to be fully responsible from A to Z of all the aspects of the development: design, batteries, IoT. We want to deliver not only a vehicle but a smart vehicle, with a solution for the different markets,” explains Ferruccio.
“I would say that apart from the performances that are at the top of the market, 115km/hour maximum speed, 130km as a maximum range, what we think is unique is the IoT that comes with the bike, a big seven inch dashboard that’s like a tablet,” he adds.
“The Uno-X is for sure, sporty, and also the economics suggest a sporty riding style and riding experience, and we are developing a more classic model that is more for a calmer approach on the streets.”
“Generally speaking, we want to target the different needs of the different customers and the different markets as well, because what is needed in Asia may not be the same in Italy, or other European countries, so we are very flexible. This is also thanks to the fact that the team developed a platform where our frame can easily fit different designs and different needs,” says Ferruccio.
As for Ferruccio’s future plans, on a personal level, there are other dreams he hopes to achieve.
One of these is potentially going into racing, with a team.
“Not as a racer, because time is up for me. But it would be nice to think of a team in some championship. I don’t know if it’s with traditional bikes or EVs but you know, it has been an important part of my life. And I think that I can match my knowledge of racing, of that environment, of that business with what we are developing right now.”
Does he still have time to take his bike out on leisurely rides?
Ferruccio laughs, saying he has bikes in his garage, but he doesn’t get to ride them as much as he would like.
“Because time is limited, and I try to balance my time with friends, with myself alone, riding the bikes, and others things. I try to stay safe as much as I can, because you know, having a past as a motorcycle rider, sometimes I exaggerate a bit,” he chuckles. “So, I don’t want to take risks, useless risks, honestly.”
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
