The Winkelmann Appreciation Thread....

Yeh! I'll say he is faster. Remember how fast he ran from the Brunch appearance at the Fairemont about a year ago? What about those short pants he always wears? GEEK!

 

 

In all fairness...he DID NOT want to leave the Brunch...and he came all the way from Italy, knowing he may have an issue when he arrived..and it was all the cause of LOC and Vic..he had to leave as he was advised so as to not have Lawyers from Vic and LOC serving him papers here Stateside..as "those lawyers" arrived at the Fairmont...he was quickly escorted away by the Lawyers from Vw group...that was his higher bosses decision and he had to go with it..I do know he did not WANYT to leave and was dis-appointed that it came to that.

 

I know this as I was there in the crucial mintues that it unfloded as well as a short goodbye and sorry from him as we walked out the hallway to the rear. I could not read his mind, but I can say he was truly not looking happy and said more then once to me and others walking out with him to please pass on his sorrow for not be able to remain. There are times his hands are tied NO MATTER what, he just could not ignor his employeers instructions to leave the area.

 

As far as speaking with him one on one..I cant say I have to the extent of others. But when I have he was polite and did respond to me. I have more dealings with Manfred and others, who were always available and always did listen to me and take note. This does not mean they have to change what I say, but I am sure they made a concerned effort to listen and take it back to the meeting rooms.

 

As far as employee relations, when I was at the factory in Italy a few years ago...I arrived TOTALY un-annouced. At the time, I can easily say I was for sure not a "friend" of Lamborghini and its Dealers for various reasons. With in minutes, Manfred and Valentino appeared, SHOCKED would be an under-statement. They could have kicked me off the lot, but they took the time to reach out to me and gave me an "after hours" tour (on A Saturday) of the entire factory on the actual working areas and the grounds...not the standard tour..then I was taken into the cafateria, there was a light work force in place that day, given a nice desert, drink, introduced to a few people and all in all had a wonderful visit in my 2 hour stay.

 

I dont realy care to dwell in the past, it is the past and can not be changed..if it could I would be a perfect person today LOL BUT I do look forward and welcome, what appears to me, to be a new breath of air into the USA Market with Wolfgang. IMO, he is really trying and has been very accesable and seems to be trying his best to do new things and get more customer involvment and response.

 

I dont know how they do their inner workings and the red tape or the politics...but if all the "crap" I go through with my State laws, Federal Laws and just the plain selling of cars in an attempt to make all happy is even 10% of what they have...I think I would have jumped of a bridge by now. If it was not for the fact that I love these cars FIRST and sell them second...I would not be here...I do it for the challange, the fun, and the love of my job...and I think many at Lamborghini do as well.

Tommy with all the pull you are claiming to have with Lamborghini and their CEO I would expect you to bring a lot more to the table here on LP for your LP brothers

 

but the only thing you seem to be excellent at is taking their side when we express our concerns.

 

There is a lot Lambo can learn just by listening to us, the customer, if you have the in with your best buddy Winkelmann, we can put a nice letter together for you send you to Italy so you can personally deliver it to him than wait in the lobby to bring back the reply.

 

We all know how difficult their job is, we are all familiar with the world's economy, markets etc etc etc

 

but when I get a better treatment at Toyota when I drop $30k than at Lamborghini when I drop $600k you bet I am not happy.

 

I bought a new Porsche 4 years ago I still get from Porsche, magazines, letters, invites to events, test drives of new cars, Christmas Cards, Birthday Cards, bottles of wine, same from the Benz dealer.

 

I know it is insignificant stuff but it shows how committed these companies are to keeping in touch with their customer base.

 

Fortis, you're the last guy I care about appeasing.

 

 

 

 

Fortis, you're the last guy I care about appeasing.

 

don't I feel special?

 

Maybe if Lambo were as generous with me as they are with you maybe there would no need for you to appease me! (new word for Fortis's ever expending vocabulary)

The one thing I find disagreement with is this statement:

"...(The) company has a mountain of politics to overcome because of all the various brands, their interests, and a sea of red tape to overcome with ever changing regulations in every country where they sell cars. Yet he's managed to keep it moving forward...."

They've no more of a 'sea of red tape' than any other automotive manufacturers in the world-wide market. It goes with the job !

 

 

Not exactly the same. Exotics are not very PC in any country and are an easy regulatory target because there are so few to protest. Some countries want to limit horsepower- not an issue for the average car, but DEFINITELY an issue for Lamborghini.

don't I feel special?

 

Maybe if Lambo were as generous with me as they are with you maybe there would no need for you to appease me! (new word for Fortis's ever expending vocabulary)

 

Fortis, you seem like a bitter guy if you're that worried about me and my motives.

Not exactly the same. Exotics are not very PC in any country and are an easy regulatory target because there are so few to protest. Some countries want to limit horsepower- not an issue for the average car, but DEFINITELY an issue for Lamborghini.

Aren't these regulatory laws just applied equally across a country's automotive spectrum ? I'm was not aware that governments can pick and choose which companies or classes of cars must meet their legal 'blanket automotive regulations'. What I mean is: If, for example, seat belts are required equipment for cars; can the regulating authorities then demand that an exotic car have a special type of seat belt ?

Maybe they can, but if so, that seems odd. Something akin to making riders of all motorcycles above a certain horsepower range, wear a special type of helmet ??

Fortis, you seem like a bitter guy if you're that worried about me and my motives.

 

Worried? I wouldn't be worried even if you were sitting naked on top of The Empire State Building hugging the antenna , you got me all wrong, you do not give me a single reason to be jealous of you, hence bitter, none whatsoever.

 

I am trying to understand why you would call me bitter, not because I care but simply because I am curious.

 

Explanation:

 

Generally you come across as the guy that thinks is entitled to more respect than others and you aren't getting that from me hence your frustration with me; you don't really seem to enjoy being critiqued or asked to explain yourself, quite possibly because of your past success, position with your company/business life your reaction could also be influenced by your current financial and social status.

 

I also noticed how meticulous and thorough you are with all your presentations, a touch of OCD perhaps

 

I do understand that, perhaps we do have something in common, when in business if I make a decision I don't want to explain myself to anyone but I tend to draw the line there, this is an open car forum, this is not your company this isn't your universe or your little bubble where you rule the world, this is a place where you will always be held accountable for your comments/claims, we will always have to explain ourselves when questioned.

 

Others might think you are special and they treat you accordingly to me you are just another guy, just like everybody else on this forum, you aren't any more special than the guy that cut my grass this morning.

I don't care how many Lamborghinis you have or had, what company you owned or own, how small or how large your bank account is, whether you are having breakfast with Winkelmann or the Pope.

 

I treat everyone with the same amount of respect and I do respect everyone.

 

Based on the above I can see how you would perceive my attitude as insolence hence calling me bitter, people who know me personally would laugh at your statement but I can certainly excuse you, you do have to be very good in order to properly assess someone's character just by the way they write.

 

Quite often you come on LP throwing around big names, telling us how you fly over and have private meetings with the CEO of Lamborghini etc. based on your claims which BTW I don't doubt, I am simply saying that you should "feed" us a lot more inside info, but instead of you addressing my question in a friendly manner, you come on all defensive, high and mighty telling me that I am the last person on earth that you care to appease than calling me bitter ha ha ha

 

I don't understand why you are so worked up about it, it was a simple observation triggered by your claims, that's all.

 

 

 

 

"Fortis" I must say, you have put into words what I have always thought (not aimed at Tom what so ever here), but I could not have said it better, the parts about this is an open talk place and all get the same footing and respect...and be ready to take it or get out of the kitchen.

 

I am 110% aggree, if you open your mouth here (type the keyboard) you do so HAVNG to answer, some good, some bad...but you have to answer...you cant just say your piece and go away...or IMO your statements have no value at all.

 

I to own my own Company as well and THERE I can choose not to explain or answer..and if you dont like it...you can "leave my sandbox", I am the supreme ruler there..I have the power..

 

But here, we are all the same IMO and the "respect" retained is won or lost on your ability to treat all alike and put up or shut up...

 

GEESH, only everybody and thier cousin know I have had to back up my words, and at times eat them as well...AND for me, that is what makes this a Healhty board of information and exchange...if we all "thought" the same way...there would be MAYBE one thread a month here...and it would just be a "Happy Birthday" thread LOL LOL

 

 

 

 

 

"Fortis" I must say, you have put into words what I have always thought (not aimed at Tom what so ever here), but I could not have said it better, the parts about this is an open talk place and all get the same footing and respect...and be ready to take it or get out of the kitchen.

 

I am 110% aggree, if you open your mouth here (type the keyboard) you do so HAVNG to answer, some good, some bad...but you have to answer...you cant just say your piece and go away...or IMO your statements have no value at all.

 

I to own my own Company as well and THERE I can choose not to explain or answer..and if you dont like it...you can "leave my sandbox", I am the supreme ruler there..I have the power..

 

But here, we are all the same IMO and the "respect" retained is won or lost on your ability to treat all alike and put up or shut up...

 

GEESH, only everybody and thier cousin know I have had to back up my words, and at times eat them as well...AND for me, that is what makes this a Healhty board of information and exchange...if we all "thought" the same way...there would be MAYBE one thread a month here...and it would just be a "Happy Birthday" thread LOL LOL

GO SELL MY CAR!!!!

GO SELL MY CAR!!!!

 

 

I am trying, it is just that every one wants one that has been signed by "Winkleman" can you help me out here..?

I am trying, it is just that every one wants one that has been signed by "Winkleman" can you help me out here..?

I will keep the car rather than disgrace it!

Worried? I wouldn't be worried even if you were sitting naked on top of The Empire State Building hugging the antenna , you got me all wrong, you do not give me a single reason to be jealous of you, hence bitter, none whatsoever.

 

I am trying to understand why you would call me bitter, not because I care but simply because I am curious.

 

Explanation:

 

Generally you come across as the guy that thinks is entitled to more respect than others and you aren't getting that from me hence your frustration with me; you don't really seem to enjoy being critiqued or asked to explain yourself, quite possibly because of your past success, position with your company/business life your reaction could also be influenced by your current financial and social status.

 

I also noticed how meticulous and thorough you are with all your presentations, a touch of OCD perhaps

 

I do understand that, perhaps we do have something in common, when in business if I make a decision I don't want to explain myself to anyone but I tend to draw the line there, this is an open car forum, this is not your company this isn't your universe or your little bubble where you rule the world, this is a place where you will always be held accountable for your comments/claims, we will always have to explain ourselves when questioned.

 

Others might think you are special and they treat you accordingly to me you are just another guy, just like everybody else on this forum, you aren't any more special than the guy that cut my grass this morning.

I don't care how many Lamborghinis you have or had, what company you owned or own, how small or how large your bank account is, whether you are having breakfast with Winkelmann or the Pope.

 

I treat everyone with the same amount of respect and I do respect everyone.

 

Based on the above I can see how you would perceive my attitude as insolence hence calling me bitter, people who know me personally would laugh at your statement but I can certainly excuse you, you do have to be very good in order to properly assess someone's character just by the way they write.

 

Quite often you come on LP throwing around big names, telling us how you fly over and have private meetings with the CEO of Lamborghini etc. based on your claims which BTW I don't doubt, I am simply saying that you should "feed" us a lot more inside info, but instead of you addressing my question in a friendly manner, you come on all defensive, high and mighty telling me that I am the last person on earth that you care to appease than calling me bitter ha ha ha

 

I don't understand why you are so worked up about it, it was a simple observation triggered by your claims, that's all.

 

 

I stand by "Fortis" on this one. Arrogance is not a good quallity. Maybe Thats what TJ has in common with Winkie I have a CEO title too. Who cares! Pietro had a COO title and they let him go so he was forced to take a steep dive, step down many levels and become a GM. Manfred was let go too! (allegedly from sources I heard, big scew ups by these men and 2 cover ups by dismissal or was it forced resignation ) Maybe winkie is next. What goes up might come down quicker than you think. All previous lambo CEOs were forced to resign and were replaced. Its all about timing. So let's all stay humble here.

Just for the record, I met Tom for the first time at the Giro this year. He had the best car and had every reason to be arrogant and superior, but he wasn't. One of the nicest guys on the trip. I also didn't see Winkleman or for that matter any of the other management spending any more time with him than anyone else. Tom was kind enough to forward me some of his pics of my car and did a great write up on this board of the event. Based on my encounter with him, I would disagree with the assessment to date.

 

As in my previous post, I found Winkleman and Hoffman engaged and friendly. (Renee was the meanest one there but once he warmed up a bit, he was a big teddy bear.)

 

I've read this thread several times and haven't seen any specific complaint about the management team aside from comments about cranial/torso proportions. I'd like to hear some constructive criticism of Winkleman et. al. If we get our wish from the survey and Lamborghini actually comes over and looks, wouldn't it be better to have them see legitimate complaints instead of photoshop insults?

 

BTW: The best to our Australian friends. Fortis, those pictures are incredible and heartbreaking. I hope everyone is safe. Note, my handle is from an infamous fictional Australian.

Aren't these regulatory laws just applied equally across a country's automotive spectrum ? I'm was not aware that governments can pick and choose which companies or classes of cars must meet their legal 'blanket automotive regulations'. What I mean is: If, for example, seat belts are required equipment for cars; can the regulating authorities then demand that an exotic car have a special type of seat belt ?

Maybe they can, but if so, that seems odd. Something akin to making riders of all motorcycles above a certain horsepower range, wear a special type of helmet ??

 

Some countries have different levels of standards based on volume of cars built. Others are trying to apply efficiency standards that don't make sense for exotics, especially given the low volume and low miles they are driven. As an example, the SSC Ultimate Aero can be built lighter than other cars because it's produced in such small volumes that it doesn't have to adhere to the same regs as larger volume cars.

I stand by "Fortis" on this one. Arrogance is not a good quallity. Maybe Thats what TJ has in common with Winkie I have a CEO title too. Who cares! Pietro had a COO title and they let him go so he was forced to take a steep dive, step down many levels and become a GM. Manfred was let go too! (allegedly from sources I heard, big scew ups by these men and 2 cover ups by dismissal or was it forced resignation ) Maybe winkie is next. What goes up might come down quicker than you think. All previous lambo CEOs were forced to resign and were replaced. Its all about timing. So let's all stay humble here.

 

I don't believe Manfred was fired and I never thought it was appropriate to ask him directly, however I doubt the rumor. Is it just me or does LambPower seem to be on a path of always assuming the negative with everyone and everything lately?

 

Months ago, Manfred told me that once a design is selected, that head of the design is never again assigned to redesign the same model. This is a VW policy. Manfred's team won not just the current announced cars but something else in the pipeline. It meant that he'd have to either move to a different brand, position, or different company or stagnate in his role. He didn't know what he was going to do... Weeks later, we traded messages off topic, but we were both busy and didn't connect. I got the news that he left Lamborghini while I was in LA but given our prior conversation, I wasn't entirely surprised, which is why I doubt he was fired.

 

We spoke not that long ago. He was offered a much higher position with a company in Germany, not in the automotive arena. Furthermore, I was always under the strong impression that he and Winkelmann had a very good working relationship. He never ever spoke disrespectfully about Winkelmann and was always focused on the brand.

 

I think very highly of Manfred. I truly believe the guy had his heart in the brand 100% and was always working to make things better. If you want to see the strength of someone's character, watch them in an emergency situation. His actions during the Super Tropheo crash say it all. It's all there on YouTube. The guy has my deepest respect. He would also be the first to tell you that he and I didn't agree on a lot of things either, but he's a true class act.

 

This thread had a chance to start out as something constructive; likes and dislikes of the job Winkelmann is doing as CEO. Instead, it became personal attacks about the size of his head, etc. and when I and others disagreed, it became a discussion about me and my motives. I'll say it again, I'm not in the car business and I have a responsibility to protect what's shared with me in confidence, so I simply can't comment on a lot of stuff and you're free to paint me any way you want as a result.

Just for the record, I met Tom for the first time at the Giro this year. He had the best car and had every reason to be arrogant and superior, but he wasn't. One of the nicest guys on the trip. I also didn't see Winkleman or for that matter any of the other management spending any more time with him than anyone else. Tom was kind enough to forward me some of his pics of my car and did a great write up on this board of the event. Based on my encounter with him, I would disagree with the assessment to date.

 

As in my previous post, I found Winkleman and Hoffman engaged and friendly. (Renee was the meanest one there but once he warmed up a bit, he was a big teddy bear.)

 

I've read this thread several times and haven't seen any specific complaint about the management team aside from comments about cranial/torso proportions. I'd like to hear some constructive criticism of Winkleman et. al. If we get our wish from the survey and Lamborghini actually comes over and looks, wouldn't it be better to have them see legitimate complaints instead of photoshop insults?

 

BTW: The best to our Australian friends. Fortis, those pictures are incredible and heartbreaking. I hope everyone is safe. Note, my handle is from an infamous fictional Australian.

 

Thanks for saying all this. It was nice of you.

Funny, I just got a letter from Winkelmann (not personal to me but for a few selected ones) and a very cool magazine, maybe the big headed gestapo wannebe have gotten his shit together?!

Me too, he said "Let's fcuking drink KP"!!""

Me too, he said "Let's fcuking drink KP"!!""

 

Keith, you're drunk, I saw the sausages and the booze, LOL! Bombay for the win!

 

I'm actually semi-drunk when typing this, my new wine cooler has turn me into an alcoholic

LOL!!!!!!!!

 

Yes I am!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lets drink and kick ass!!!!

LOL!!!!!!!!

 

Yes I am!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lets drink and kick ass!!!!

On my way to Madeos to start the festivities!

I started at 10 am for the games! Get to it slacker!