Stephan Winkelmann is the President and
CEO of Lamborghini. Are you jealous? Thought so. As corporate
ladder-climbing goes, you're unlikely to be offered anything more
highbrow than this. Amongst the high-end and unattainable Supercar
brands, Lamborghini stands out as the definitive Bad Boy.
Sitting at the back of the classroom with its feet resting on the
chair in front, Lamborghini callously fires rubber bands and staples
at the teacher, while she hands out boring lectures on recession and
downsizing.
Born in Berlin but raised in Italy, it
is hugely fitting that this graduate of political science should go
on to become the sharp-suited custodian of Automobili Lamborghini
S.p.A. Audi bought the troubled firm back in 1998, and since then,
the stability that this has afforded the company has enabled them to
increase both production output and profit. Indeed, there may come a
time soon where the company's historic factory in Sant'Agata is too
small to keep up with demand. Winkelmann joined Lamborghini from
Fiat in 2005, and has seen only happy days since then. In the
corporate and pale-faced world of car manufacturing, Stephan's sense
of style and modernity has come as a refreshing change.
Perhaps Winkelmann's greatest talent is
his ability to realise the importance of team with the organisation.
He once told Top Gear Magazine, “I'm only as good as the team of
people who work for me. You find the right people, put them in the
right jobs and let them get on with it.” When everyone else seems
to be laying off staff and shutting down production facilities, it
just shows that it is possible to think differently, and that
the market for exotic metal is still alive and kicking.
Automobili Lamborghini was forged out
of a desire to build a sports tourer which would outperform rival
Ferrari. This single-mindedly aggressive modus operadi has
given life to some incredible cars in the past, from Miura to
Countach, but it is also a part of the reason why ownership of
the firm has changed hands so many times. Winkelmann says that it is
easy to do “things that everybody loves but are not profitable”.
Take the old Diablo as an example. It was utterly mad and
wonderful in its outlandish profile, scissor doors and monstrous
power, but it never really made any money. Stephan knows that
products like this have the potential to destroy the brand, and that
would be a loss to us all.
It would be easy to become carried away
if you were in Winkelmann's position. Amid the girls in black
cocktail dresses and the belting rock music and the flash metal, it
helps if you have a logical mind, and two feet placed firmly on the
ground. Winkelmann recently said in an interview that he approaches
each day by examining four topics: New items, Problems, Products,
Financials. It is perhaps refreshing to discover that a celebrated
gentleman in such a coveted position within the industry still sets
out tasks in the same way you might do; break it down, examine, and
then move onto the next task. At certain times in the past,
Lamborghini has lacked this left-brained attention to detail that
Stephan has brought to the party.
What you are likely to see in the
future is a series of revolutionary cars, but based on the need to
sell towards real-world users. Winkelmann jokes that Lamborghini's
target market consists of “just 25,000 people worldwide, who are
then watched by 6 billion others”. This means that they must also
consider how to reduce Co2 production in future cars. This company
will always refuse to compromise, but there is no reason why advances
in technology cannot be embraced, and this is where Audi and parent
Volkswagen will go on to become a huge asset. Winkelmann is keen to
state that Lamborghini still has a thought to spare for the
environment. Shortly after the Frankfurt Motor Show, he commented,
“although we are not adding much to emissions on a worldwide basis,
we believe that we have a social responsibility like everybody else”.
Stephan opened the Lamborghini press
conference at Frankfurt by driving onto the stand in a new Reventon
Roadster. It's a shocking and slightly irrelevant car, which was
styled to look like an F-22 fighter jet and costs 54 million baht.
It was an exciting entrance from a man who really knows how to turn
the establishment on its head. But the focus now is on producing a
top-drawer luxury four-door saloon. Winkelmann has said several
times before that a car of this type is essential if the Italian
marque is to double in size. How many makers do you think are
currently looking to increase production by 100%? It will not
happen overnight, but Winkelmann's effervescent thought process and
ability to manage future goals without losing sight of past glories
will surely guide Lamborghini towards a brightly coloured, exciting
and noisy future.
