Page 101 - Bespoke_the_chic_and_the_cool

A son of a baker, Horacio Pagani quickly develo- his composite skills with consultant work for va-
ped an interest in engineering in general and cars rious customers in the area. His passion for mate-
in particular. He received some engineering edu- rials and lightweight constructions triggered his
cation but he felt the local school in rural Argenti- fascination for carbon fibre. He even mortgaged
na did not fulfil his creative needs. Inspired by Le- his house to buy an autoclave, which is a type of
onardo da Vinci, he went his own way and at the oven used to cure (bake) carbon fibre parts. At
humble age of 17 he opened a small shop where the time it was only the fifth autoclave installed
he worked with a wide variety of materials. His fi- in Italy. The most prominent of his clients was
breglass skills earned him a job to re-body a For- Lamborghini, for whom he designed and con-
mula Renault racing car. He employed the lessons structed carbon fibre parts. The body-kit on the
learned to design and build a Formula Renault car 25th Anniversary Countach was one of the cars
of his own. It was a startling 40 kg (88 pounds) Pagani contributed to. For Lamborghini he also
lighter than its contemporaries. Two examples of started work on a complete carbon fibre car but EACH PAGANI
CREATION HAS A
the innovative machines were built and their suc- this project was binned shortly after Chrysler took
LIFE OF ITS OWN,
cess brought Pagani in touch with his compatriot control of the company. This was the cue for Ho-
EVERY DETAIL MUST
and racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio for the first racio Pagani to pursue his dream building a super-
HAVE ITS OWN
time. After a visit to the Modena area and a mee- car of his own design. His story revealed that the
HARMONY IN LINE
ting with Lamborghini’s technical director Giulio recipe for success has been the right combination WITH THE SPIRIT
Alfieri, Pagani decided to move to Italy in 1982. of talent, passion, determination and, above all, a OF THE CAR. THE
Lamborghini hired him only for menial jobs like well thought through plan. Pagani is the manu- PAGANI HUAYRA
sweeping the floors and running errants but he facturer of one of the world’s most exotic cars; ROADSTER BECAME
quickly worked his way up the ladder. He even- the Zonda. It remained in production for more A PROJECT WITH ITS
tually left the Italian company again and honed than a decade after its debut at the 1999 Geneva OWN SOUL.

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