Story of Zonda Creator Horacio Pagani’s Life!

Last Updated on October 18, 2019

Don’t you wanna be one of the people that sees a supercar all over the news and think, “Yeah, I built that car!” Well, Horacio Pagani is one of them!

Horacio is the founder of the Italian class automobile company Pagani Automobili S.p.A. commonly known as Pagani. Learn his story from creating wooden carvings of a car to creating a record-breaking supercar.

Horacio’s Net Worth

The skilled engineer, Horacio is a multi-millionaire with a humungous net worth of $50 million. But money means nothing when you have the dedication and skills. Money just flows in when your skills catch the public eye.

The car enthusiast has his own collection of cars ranging from American Vintages like Model T, A Fords, and Chevrolets to Beasts like Porsche 918 and Ford GT Gulf. But the car collection represents his taste in cars rather than just price lists.

Where it All Began

Being born in Casilda, Argentina, Horacio had a keen leaning towards engineering from his very childhood. He used to make supercar figurines out of balsa wood. Who knew the wood carving car fanatic would own a massive car company of his own.

The passion for cars once drove him to the point where he chased down a Jaguar E-type with his bicycle when he was only a little kid. He discovered the existence of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati in Modena. Now he knew exactly where to shoot!

Starting the Engine of His Career

Pagani started off working in a small workshop to support his University studies. But, his real motive was to gather all the basic knowledge to achieve his dream.

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By the age of 20, he built his very first F3 racer and by 22, he was the creator of a dune buggy and “the first real Pagani,” a single-seater Formula 2 race car, Limitada Santafesina. The young talent designed everything but the engine. The engine was out of his league so, he burrowed one of the Renaults’. He was now a step closer to his future.

The engineer’s flair was noticed by Renault’s racing division and hence, he was offered a job there. This was where he crossed paths with the F1 racer, Juan Manuel Fangio. Juan recognized Horacio’s passion for cars and recommended Lamborghini to hire him but he was only given the spot of an unskilled laborer.

And Off He Goes

Horacio, however, did not despair and accepted the job. Not the one to be shot down by mere obstacles, he showcased his talents and experience to the higher-ups. Impressed by his proficiency, the personals upgraded his post.

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Still unsatisfied, he further worked his way up to become the leader of the team responsible for the development of the carbon fiber concept Countach Evoluzione in 1987.

The Evoluzione was the revolutionary step in the supercar series for it’s lighter composite chassis. As the leader, he put forward the idea that Lamborghini buys an autoclave allowing them to manufacture their own carbon fiber. But the company declined, stating that since Ferrari didn’t own one, they also don’t need it.

Finding His Own Company

The Argentinian was destined to achieve something far greater than just a team leader’s position. It inspired him to buy his own autoclave. In 1991, he parted ways with Lamborghini and found his own company.

Pagani started a business, Modena Designs that created carbon-fiber parts for Ferrari’s Formula 1 team. With the help of his friend Juan Fangio, he started his work in his first car, Fangio.

Pagani Automobili Modena and The Zonda

Modena Designs later turned into Pagani Automobili Modena. And with the beginning of his Motor company, so, began his very first creation, The Zonda.

Horacio started working on Zonda with a low budget which caused the project to last longer. He admitted to the fear of failure that came with it as he spectated the fall of greater companies like Bugatti, Mclaren, and Rivolta e Cizeta that had a massive more budget than they could ever afford.

Set on creating the next generation cars, he stopped at nothing; not even the pile of money he was offered for his project. His old pals at Lamborghini offered to buy his project. But he trusted his own instincts and with a little support from his children, Pagani stuck with his idea.

After seven years of constant effort, Pagani released the Zonda C12 in the Geneva Motor Show with a price tag of $250 thousand. His first ever creation was out to the world, for the world to gaze their eyes upon. 57 customers were instantly struck by its beauty and made purchase orders.

Horacio did not stop there! It inspired him to go even beyond. His Zonda HP Barchetta is his most expensive creation selling at the price of $23.65 million.

The Next Big Thing

Horacio Pagani is a Voyager, jumping into the unknown and trying out new things. In 2012, he exposed a new creation, the Huayra. The audience’s jaws dropped so low it almost hit the ground. The Huarya could top the speed of 383 km/h and accelerate to 97 km/h in 2.8 seconds.

The latest Huarya Roadster BC sells for $3.5 million and is one of its most-expensive series until now. Despite the absolute performance provided by the Huayra, the creator pointed out that the Zonda will always be his favorite. He added that the Zonda marked the dawn of his career and is extremely important to him.

Horacio Pagani creates every machine by his own hands and with utter care. All and every part of the machine is the embodiment of his thoughts and ideas. Additionally, he also usually produces cars matching the customer’s desire. You can say every car he makes is his ‘Mona Lisa.’

Married with Two Sons

The Pagani Automobili owner, Horacio has agreed to devote the rest of his life to his wife Cristina Pagani. Consider yourself lucky if you find the couple hanging out together in public as they rarely make public appearances.

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The duo had already exchanged vows by the age of 19. Cristina trusted her husband’s ambition and stood by his side. She supported his crazy yet miraculous ideas. She stayed with him when he had nothing; when he had but a tent to live in.

The happily married couple has two lads, Christopher Pagani and Leonardo Pagani. Horacio mentioned that it was his sons that advised him to focus on the future rather than money and to decline Lamborghini’s offer.

The 63-year-old Horacio is still very much active and looks forward to creating many more fantastic machines. He stated that he still wants to achieve more and is far from retiring. Talk about a man with passion and determination!

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