Planes have been receiving a stylish welcome at Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi airport in central Italy recently - with a Lamborghini 'follow-me' car, no less. The 610 horsepower supercar, capable of a top speed of 200 mph (325 km/h) has a price tag nudging £200,000 (€230,000), but the airport hasn’t paid a penny. They were lucky enough to be given it on special loan from the local car manufacturer.
Throughout the month of January, this exceptional runway vehicle guided aircraft along the ground on the airport platform to their parking point. With a flashing light on the roof, a luminous sign displaying messages like "Follow-Me" and a radio connecting it to the control tower, Lamborghini’s glamorous track vehicle hardly went unnoticed. Of course all this attention has proved good publicity for both the Italian airport and the raging bull brand.
It’s not a first for the famous racing car maker. In May 2013, Lamborghini lent the airport a "runway" Aventador to celebrate the company’s 50th birthday. For the last four years, Bologna’s airport has featured an exhibition space showcasing some of these supercars.
The Lamborghini factory is only 15 miles (25 km) away in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Who knows, this might have given ideas to another Italian supercar-maker, in nearby Maranello. Ferrari’s prancing horse is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The 812 Superfast transformed into a Follow-Me car? Runway security staff at Bologna airport would certainly enjoy that. Never say never.
