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Lamborghini beats the odds, sets delivery record in 2021

Lamborghini is one of the luxury carmakers that reported exceptionally strong sales in 2021 in spite of an ongoing global pandemic and a crippling chip shortage. Like Rolls-Royce and sister company Bentley, the Italian firm beat the odds by setting an all-time delivery record. Annual deliveries totaled 8,405 units, an increase of 13% over 2020. Lamborghini's biggest market remains the United States, where deliveries jumped by 11% to 2,472 units in 2021. Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao are lumped into second place, and deliveries there skyrocketed by 55% to 935 sales. Germany and, somewhat surprisingly, the United Kingdom are in third and fourth place, respectively. Deliveries in Germany rose by 16% to 706 and in England by 9% to 564. Italy, where regulations have historically (and ironically) been hostile to cars with large-displacement engines, likes Lamborghini's breed of bulls as well: 359 deliveries were recorded in 2021, a 3% climb. It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that the Urus was the best-selling Lamborghini in 2021. The company delivered 5,021 examples, so the SUV accounted for over half of the brand's sales. Second place on the podium is occupied by the Huracan, with 2,586 deliveries, followed by the Aventador, with 798 delivered units. While these numbers might sound insignificant in the grand scheme of things, putting them into context tells a different story. Lamborghini remains small, but it used to be a lot smaller: It built precisely 1,999 examples of the Countach during a production run that stretched 17 years. It made more units of the Aventador (pictured) in 2021 than of the Miura between 1966 and 1973. Another interesting point is that Lamborghini's total for 2021 seemingly only includes delivered units. The company left out the cars it sold but hasn't delivered yet, like the 112 planned units of the born-again Countach. The coupe was sold out before it was shown to the public. Lamborghini hopes to keep the momentum going, and company boss Stephan Winkelmann revealed that almost all of 2022's production capacity is already spoken for. The company also plans to unveil four new cars in 2022, including the Aventador's mysterious successor. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Valentino Balboni thinks the Miura greatest Lambo ever

Valentino Balboni spent 40 years at Lamborghini, a few years as a mechanic's apprentice at the beginning, then as a test driver at the request of old man Ferrucio himself. He is embedded in the brand, said to have driven 80 percent of the company's entire production until he retired in 2009. He has ridden and tamed so many bulls that they named one after him, the 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, and even made it rear-wheel drive because that's how he likes it. Balboni spoke to Road & Track in advance of an auction in New York on November 19 that will see a 1969 Miura P400S go on the block. A fixture from the days when mad men weren't merely characters on a television show, Balboni discusses taking customers for test drives, being sent on warranty calls, his favorite car, and why there will never be another one like it. Head over to RT to read the full interview from the man who helped make the original Countach, and therefore Lamborghini, what it is today. And in case you want in on the action, the pre-sale estimate for the centerpiece Miura is $800,000 to $1.6 million. Related Video:

Maurizio Reggiani talks racing, forced induction, and Lamborghini V12s

Maurizio Reggiani deserves his own chapter in Lamborghini's history. He joined the Italian company in 1995 and rose to the position of chief technical officer in 2006; he notably led the development of some of Lamborghini's greatest modern-day engines, including the 6.5-liter V12 that powers the Aventador. His time as the head of Lamborghini's research and development department ended earlier in 2022 and he now serves as vice president of motorsport. His successor, Rouven Mohr, is tasked with implementing an ambitious and far-reaching electrification strategy called Direzione Cor Tauri and outlined in 2021. As Lamborghini prepares to enter a new era, I sat down with Reggiani for a behind-the-scenes look at nearly 30 years of V12 development. [The following has been edited for clarity.] RG: Lamborghini has made other engines and other companies have made V12s. Why is the V12 so often associated with Lamborghini? MR: In a time when everybody started talking about downsizing and reducing cylinder count, we continued to say that the V12 is the flagship of the super-sports car. We were born with this: Lamborghini has made a V12 during every year of its history. We also did V8s in the time of the Jalpa, for example, but the V12 was every time the main pillar of this company. If you want to be considered the pinnacle of super-sports cars, no other engine can really speak to purists like a naturally-aspirated V12 can. In terms of power, in terms of sound, in terms of emotion, and in terms of, let me say, the coolest engine that's possible in terms of engineering definition. RG: What projects have stood out to you during your time at the head of Lamborghini's R&D department? MR: When I started my career, 40 years ago at Maserati, I worked in engine development. At Bugatti, I was responsible for powertrain, which of course includes the engine. For me, an engine is kind of like a first love, and you remain in love for all of your life. To look at an engine, to look inside, to discuss the components, to have an opinion, and to give a suggestion was my way of working every time. One of the projects that excited me the most was the Diablo GT. For the first time, we decided to put a single throttle per cylinder, and it was a level of sophistication that was more or less never used before by Lamborghini. You take experience from the past and try to apply it to [the present]. This improved a lot the performance, and it was really super exciting.