In May 1963, a car was born. In the small town of Sant'Agata Bolognese in northern Italy’s humid plains, the up-and-coming mechanic and entrepreneur Ferruccio Lamborghini set up his eponymously titled company, releasing a two-seated, two-door grande coupé, the 350 GT.

The 47-year-old businessman had a rural upbringing, and had made a name for himself designing tractors for Italy’s farmers. But within a few years, his surname would become a byword for unapologetic opulence and Italian glamour, and a rival to Italy’s signature powerhouse, Ferrari.