Is Stephan Winkelmann leaving Lamborghini?

Speculation is rife that Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini's charismatic leader, will step down after the Geneva motor show.

Winkelmann joined Lamborghini as President and CEO in January 2005. His departure in February will see him exit after a period of unrivalled success as one of VW Group's longest serving CEOs.

It is rumoured that Winkelmann will be offered the role as the head of quattro GmbH for Lamborghini’s parent company, Audi, where he will replace the retiring Heinz Hollerwege. That will make him responsible for all RS models, including the R8, which is related to the Huracan.

Under his tenure, Lamborghini experienced unprecedented growth and expanded into lucrative markets such as China, resulting in a near doubling of sales over the last decade. They’ve shot from 1,600 units in 2005, to more than 3,000 cars in 2015.

During his time, Winkelmann and the team at Sant'Agata became the headline act at myriad motor shows, with highlights including the Reventon, Sesto Elemento, Aventador J and Veneno.

See Winkelmann’s Lamborghini highlights here

In addition to his company's domination of the lottery-win fantasy list, few people better understood the supercar market, and its desire for all things new. The Gallardo spawned more than 30 derivatives and special editions with each model becoming increasingly more focused.

And there's plenty more to come. The Urus, Lambo's new SUV, has now been confirmed as a turbo V8 and will reach production in 2018.

Plus, Winkelmann will have one last opportunity to steal the limelight at the Geneva motor show next March when he introduces the ‘Centenario’ concept - Lamborghini's celebration of 100 years since their founder Ferruccio's birth - making this a fitting time to move on.

One thing's for sure, no other CEO personifies their brand quite as well as Winkelmann and it will be hard to find someone as well suited to leading Lambo as he is. Rumours abound that ex-Scuderia Ferrari team principal and current Audi employee Stefano Domenicali will be Winkelmann's replacement, which in turn could put paid to the rumours of Audi entering F1 any time soon. Time will tell.

But with a CV like Winkelmann's, it's hard to see him settling for a role in a sub-brand of Lambo's parent company, Audi.

Car companies, or more specifically supercar manufacturers, need figurehead leadership. They need people their clients want to talk to and who have the vision and determination to remain loyal and deliver on the core values of their beloved brands. 

Winkelmann has that skill set in abundance and we doubt it will be long before he resurfaces in a more prominent position.