We dare say that Rienzi, the stately museum home in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston stable of riches, has never before witnessed a more high-powered gathering than the other night when Lamborghini roared in with four of its hottest numbers.
The occasion was a black-tie evening celebrating the U.S. dealership premiere of the new Huracán, a 10-cylinder, four-wheel drive, 600 horsepower, 5.2 liter sports car. This baby starts at $240,000. Fully-loaded, it's yours for around $275,000.
"Tonight, Rienzi is celebrating Italian in every sense of the word," said Lamborghini Houston owner Todd Blue. "It's celebrating the luxury lifestyle that Lamborghini represents and celebrating everything that's great about Houston. We put all that together and said, 'What a great place to have a party on a beautiful evening like tonight.'"
Blue pulled out the stops for Lamborghini aficionados, transforming the Rienzi courtyard into an open-air showroom and dinner setting with Swift + Co. providing all the touches from floral arrangements to lavish furnishings to the impressive buffet. Indoors, the ballroom had been cleared of its antiques so that songbird Yvonne Washington and Positive State of Mind could entertain. Yes, there was dancing on the parquet floors (the antique rug removed for cleaning).
In addition to the Huracán, which was ceremoniously unveiled later in the evening, guests could inspect the $500,000 Aventador (12-cylinders, 700-plus horsepower), a vintage SUV cum desert mobile that was designed for Saudi Arabian princes and the Super Trefeo race car.
Lamborghini today is owned by the Volkswagen Group and run by Audi, Blue explained, adding, "With Lamborghini, you have the Italian design and everything great about Italy — foremost in design and excitement and sexiness and luxury. And you have German engineering behind it all. So it's the best of both worlds in sophisticated cars."
Lucky ones on this invitation list included Kelly Wolf, Elias Alyassir and Gabrielle Green, Lisa and Phil Natland, Kelly and Albert Chlouber, Angie and Paul DeWeese, Haden and Dr. Michael Yafi and Justin Hopkins.
Kelly and Albert Chlouber.
