Vittorio di Capua
Vittorio di Capua joined the Board of Directors of Automobili Lamborghini in August 1996, and became Managing Director on 12th November the same year. Lacking payment from the US importer forced di Capua to halt all deliveries to the USA for a short time. He was convinced that Automobili Lamborghini would have to grow in order to survive, and wanted the Project 147, the successor of the Diablo, ready as soon as possible. However, the economy would not allow this.
Di Capua entered negotiations with Audi AG to find out whether Lamborghini could use some of Audi's products in a planned model. In early 1998, Ferdinand Piëch, manager of Audi AG, surprised everyone with his offer to buy Automobili Lamborghini. After recommendations from di Capua, the present Indonesian owners agreed to sell the factory. Di Capua became an assistant of Franz-Josef Paefgen, the manager of the all-new Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A.