Anyone interested in automobiles is not only be familiar with the name Lamborghini, but likely harbours a secret lust as well.

No matter if you are a Chevy guy, a Porsche enthusiast or a Ferrari connoisseur, the sight of a Lamborghini Countach, Diablo or Murcielago will make your heart flutter just a little.

Ferruccio Lamborghini founded his car company in Sant'Agata, just a short way from Modena, Italy, in 1963.

He had made a fortune after the Second World War building farm tractors from war-surplus materials and became the owner of a small number of high-performance cars, including a Ferrari.

The Ferrari proved troublesome and, when local mechanics could not repair it, Lamborghini decided to visit the car's creator just down the road in Modena. His meeting with Enzo Ferrari did not go well. Enzo was very disrespectful and kicked Ferruccio out of his offices, complete with some disparaging remarks about farmers.

Lamborghini was so put out he decided to beat Ferrari at his own game.

A couple of years later, the Lamborghini 350 GT prototype was shown to the world and would prove to be a consummate sports car of the period. A string of successes followed as the company became identified with the ultimate in sports cars -- and it was the Countach that became the first true exotic.

The Countach was an outrageous car, truly as much sculpture as automobile. (At my first sight of one, I walked around it at least five or six times, taking in the breathtaking curves, angles and symmetry of the body.)

An enthusiast car, the Countach was extremely powerful but demanded the full attention of its driver. It could be exhausting to drive and, because it offered zero visibility through the rear window, backing up was difficult. (The driver had to pop open the door and sit up on the door sill looking over the top of the roof to see behind the vehicle.)

The Countach was replaced in 1990 by the Diablo, which had an entirely new body and was a deserving successor to the crown. The Diablo lasted until 2001, when Lamborghini unveiled the Murcielago. This was a completely new car and, while it was greeted with mixed reviews on its unveiling, it has proven itself to be every bit a Lamborghini.

The Murcielago is the most sophisticated, driver-friendly car the company has produced.

I took a friend's for a rather sedate drive a few days ago. The caution was the result of my acute awareness of the value of the car but, were it mine, look out! The car was fairly easy to get in and out of and retains the eccentric but aesthetically pleasing forward-lifting doors.

The seats and seating position are very comfortable and the car even has a dead pedal to put your foot on while not declutching -- something far too many exotics ignore with the result that you spend most of your time trying to find somewhere to put your left foot.

As a passenger, I actually felt G-forces around my eyes, something I am more used to feeling in an airplane than a car.

My modified Dodge Viper shares a 600-plus rating with the Murcielago's 12-cylinder engine, but the Viper's rear-wheel drive will not launch the car the same way the Lamborghini's all-wheel-drive does. While the Viper is constantly trying to kill you, the Murcielago seems to have far better manners, no doubt a result of its sophisticated suspension system and all-wheel drive.

The Murcielago's limited production and price tag (base price of around $385,000 for a 2004 model) will insure it is rare enough to demand attention wherever it goes, but even so its ability to draw a crowd is certainly as good as its forebears.

When we pulled up in front of my shop, the showroom emptied and the car was surrounded before we had even opened the doors.

While Lamborghini always came close to Ferrari's ascendant position, it has not been until the Murcielago that Ferruccio's dream of surpassing Enzo may have well come to pass.

David Grainger owns an automotive restoration company