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EUROWORKS EXOTICS HISTORY 6
Towards the end of 1997 Di Capua started negotiations with
Audi AG for the use of their 4.2-Litre V-8 engine together
with the Audi A8 Quattro four-wheel drive to be used in the
new 'Baby Lambo' since developing an all-new V-10 engine seemed
impossible at the time.
Suddenly in 1998 Ferdinand Piëch, top level manager at Audi
AG, offered to buy Automobili Lamborghini SpA, Di Capua managed
to convince the Indonesian owner to agree and on June 12,
1998 a 'letter of intent' was drawn up stressing both partners
to close this deal as soon as possible.
On July 27th Audi AG became the single owner of all Automobili
Lamborghini SpA shares, the necessary paperwork was finalized
on August 4, the amount of money that changed hands is however
still unknown.
The entire Board of Director was replaced by managers from
Audi AG on November 4, 1998 and during 1999 Automobili Lamborghini
SpA will be transformed into a holding, managed by Franz-Jozef
Pfaefgen, helped by Vittorio Di Capua and Rodolfo Rocchio.
The new Board of Directors for the Lamborghini Holding will
be made up of Werner Mischke, George Flandorfer, Helmut Aurenz,
Ditman Schimanski and Haydan Leshel as Sales Manager.
These people will actually run three different branches of
the Lamborghini holding, the Car Factory, the Marine engine
division and the new Lamborghini Artimarca, founded especially
for brand and image management.
To start working Audi AG already invested DM 50,000,000 in
the factory to get the research for the Canto back on its
feet. Since the Audi AG takeover the future of this 'small'
factory is looking better every day, once again there is enough
capital to develop the successor of the famous Diablo, and
even a smaller 'entry-level' follow-up to the Jalpa is under
consideration. Some sources even state that during the first
years of the next millennium, a new car will be designed like
the Espada in it's time, even a new off-road utility vehicle
is still possible, things we can only wait for and hope everything
keeps going in Italy without too many German influence from
Audi AG
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