Christian von Koenigsegg

His story began at the age of five, after watching a Norwegian stop-motion film about a bicycle repairman who built his own racing car; that day, he decided that he would dedicate his life to building the perfect car.

Born into a family with noble lineage, his father, Jesko, was an energy sector entrepreneur, and his mother, Brita, was a hat designer for royalty. He was a self-taught and rebellious student who, instead of pursuing a traditional university degree, immersed himself in the world of business and practical mechanics. By the age of 15, he was already known in his town as the best moped tuner, and at 18, he founded a successful import-export company dealing in products as varied as frozen chickens and plastic bags.

In 1994, at just 22 years old, he wrote a technical manifesto and founded Koenigsegg Automotive. He wasn’t simply looking to create a fast car, but to challenge giants like Ferrari or Bugatti through radical innovations. In 2003, a fire devastated his factory, forcing him to move production to hangars that had belonged to the Swedish Air Force’s “Ghost Squadron.” As a tribute to the pilots and to maintain the mystique of the place, he adopted the symbol. Today, his customers consider that little ghost a mark of honor.

Although its cars cost millions of euros, it is exploring the possibility of creating a “simpler and more affordable” sports car (in the price range of a Ferrari or a Lamborghini), to increase production volume without losing the technological essence of Koenigsegg.

He achieved a combustion engine without a camshaft, allowing each engine valve to be controlled independently.

He invented a 9-speed, 7-clutch gearbox capable of shifting from any gear to any other, something impossible with a traditional gearbox.