Key Takeaways
- Christian von Koenigsegg’s first design started on an old IBM computer in Microsoft Paint.
- Every Koenigsegg except the Gemera has followed Christian’s original principles.
- Koenigsegg may celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special edition, but nothing has been teased yet.
Koenigsegg has spent the last 30 years building a reputation as a purveyor of highly innovative hypercars with mind-blowing technology and performance, capable of challenging global speed records, but its beginnings were far humbler. In fact, the first Koenigsegg was designed on a computer that had been out for five years using the most basic imaging software: Microsoft Paint. As part of a new social media series called Koenigsegg’s Throwbacks, the Swedish automaker has revealed on Instagram that Christian von Koenigsegg began designing his dream on an IBM 486, which had been released five years prior.
Despite being just 22 years old, Christian knew what he wanted back in August 1994: a mid-engine, high-performance, lightweight two-seat sports car with a removable and stowable roof. With the exception of the game-changing Gemera, every production Koenigsegg megacar since has followed that recipe.
The Koenigsegg Story
Over the coming weeks and months, we expect Koenigsegg to discuss its 30-year history in detail, but if you’d rather not wait, the history section of the Koenigsegg website gives a broad overview. Two years after penning that concept, the CC concept was driven in public for the first time, informing the wealthy that a new player wanted to join the super sports car game. In 1999, Koenigsegg moved to a new thatch-roofed workshop.
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The following year, the first CC8S production prototype was presented at the Paris Motor Show, and in 2002, the production engine took a Guinness World Record for horsepower while the body won a Red Dot Design Award. Things were going well, and in 2003, deliveries of the super rare CC8S began, but in February, that thatch roof caught fire, and many of Koenigsegg’s early records were lost forever. We’re just skimming the surface, and what remains of Koenigsegg’s fascinating history, which almost relied on Subaru power, will surely be explored further in this momentous year.
Koenigsegg Turns 30
In 2022, Koenigsegg used Monterey Car Week to present the world’s most interesting hypercar: the CC850. This manual-and-automatic marvel was introduced as a celebration of the CC8S, and just 50 were scheduled for production, a nod to Christian’s age that year. Another 20 were later added to the queue due to overwhelming demand. Koenigsegg has continually blown our minds, and having set a standard for doing so in celebration of its first model, is it greedy of us to expect something just as incredible in 2024 to commemorate the company’s founding three decades ago? Maybe, but we’d encourage all Koenigsegg fanatics to keep a close eye on the lawns of Pebble Beach. After all, Monterey Car Week takes place in August…