The Legend: History and Social Impact
The Legend: History and Social Impact
The Bull's first industrial factory
The Dome was built in the spring of 1960 in just 160 days. The building was conceived as part of Lamborghini Trattori's new production complex along the Bologna provincial road, on a total area of about 97,000 square metres.
Beyond tractor production, in the following years the plant also housed the manufacture of burners and air conditioners. The burner division was later moved to Dosso, while the Pieve di Cento site was progressively dedicated to agricultural machinery alone.
In 1963 Lamborghini announced to his staff the intention to begin producing cars as well, marking the start of a new entrepreneurial chapter. Around that time the company secured a major order from the government of Bolivia, which led to a temporary doubling of the workforce; a coup in the South American country, however, caused the order to be cancelled, leaving some 5,000 unsold tractors.
In 1971, thanks to an internal reorganisation and financial stabilisation, Lamborghini relaunched the plant, which raised its output to a rate of 40 tractors a day, with an annual potential of 40,000 units. The first floor of the Dome housed Ferruccio Lamborghini's personal office, in the south-west wing of the building.
Social and industrial importance
The Dome was regarded as the operational and symbolic heart of the company. For many workers it was also an important place of social gathering. The plant's presence contributed significantly to the economic and employment growth of Pieve di Cento and the neighbouring municipalities.
Through the 1960s, Lamborghini Trattori also stood out for introducing cutting-edge technical solutions, such as the synchronised gearbox as standard, and for expanding its product range, cementing its standing in the Italian industrial landscape. Today stands as a significant testament to the region's industrial history, declared a building of community interest.
The Lamborghini Trattori plant in Pieve di Cento was inaugurated on November 13, 1971, in the presence of the then Minister of Finance, the Hon. Luigi Preti, along with Ferruccio Lamborghini and his son Tonino Lamborghini.
The Enterprise
- 1959
The trip to the United States
Ferruccio Lamborghini visits the USA and draws inspiration from the Ford Rotunda and the Capitol in Washington for the future Dome's design.
- 1960
The Dome is built
The Dome is built in just 160 days and becomes the operational center of the tractor factory.
- 1971
The production relaunch
The plant reaches a capacity of about 40 tractors per day. The six-cylinder R6110-DT prototype debuts at the Paris Show and the Verona Fair.
- 1972
The maximum expansion
The entire management building, the production hall, and the canteen (which was later converted into an R&D facility) were built. The entire 86,000-square-meter complex was completed at its peak production rate: approximately 40 tractors per day.
- 1972
The Bolivian crisis
A major order from the Bolivian government is cancelled following a coup d'état: around 5,000 tractors are left unsold, with a heavy economic setback for the company.
- 1973
Acquisition Same
SAME purchases Lamborghini Trattori from Ferruccio Lamborghini and takes over management of the Pieve di Cento factory.
- 1981
Production Transfer
Production was gradually centralized and transferred to the SAME headquarters in Treviglio (Bergamo). In the mid-1980s, major labor disputes erupted over staff reductions in Pieve di Cento.
- 1991
The end of activities
The Pieve di Cento plant definitively ceased all production activities and was sold off to the SAME group. After its closure, the area remained abandoned for years.
- 2006
The demolition
The rest of the plant is demolished. The Dome is the only building preserved, recognized as industrial archaeology.
- 2024–2025
Restoration and rebirth
Eurotarget fully restores the building and reopens it to the public, declared a “building of community interest”: it is the new home of Eurotarget Automobili.
