In 1982, 27-year-old Horacio Pagani, a passionate young automotive designer from Casilda, Argentina, traveled to Italy with a letter of recommendation from legendary five-time Formula 1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Arriving in Modena, Pagani took an entry-level job at Lamborghini as a mechanic, quickly rising to Chief Engineer of Advanced Composites where he built the revolutionary 1987 Lamborghini Countach Evoluzione (the world's first carbon-fiber supercar chassis). When Lamborghini executives refused to purchase an autoclave to bake carbon fiber, Pagani took out a personal bank loan, purchased his own autoclave, and in 1991 founded Modena Design. In 1992, he established **Pagani Automobili**, unveiling the sensational **Pagani Zonda C12** at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show to global acclaim.