It takes a real car enthusiast to start their own car company — and that’s exactly what Horacio Pagani is and what he did. After developing composite materials for Lamborghini, he eventually created Pagani Automobili and released his first model, the Mercedes-Benz V-12-powered Zonda. But being an automotive enthusiast, Pagani doesn’t just have his own cars — he’s the proud owner of an especially significant Ferrari 275 GTB4.
The public first saw the 275 GTB4 at the 1966 Paris Motor Show. Like its 275 GTB predecessor, it had a 3.3-liter Colombo V-12, but the 300-horsepower updated version incorporated new heads with dual overhead cams, and dry-sump lubrication. Pagani wasn’t at the show, but as a child in Argentina, he was stunned by a light blue 275 GTB he saw on the cover of Automundo magazine. That started a decades-long trip toward Pagani getting his very own Ferrari.
After consulting with one of Ferrari Classiche’s research specialists, Pagani made that dream come true in 2022 when he bought a 275 GTB4 at the Rétromobile classic car show. That was a fitting place for the Prancing Horse because it was the first pre-production 275 GTB — the same one shown at the Paris Motor Show 56 years earlier.
“Although it was entirely original, I still wanted it restored,” Pagani said. “I am a perfectionist and everything must be immaculate.”
Pagani’s exacting gaze focused on the fresh paint laid down during the overhaul. Something about it just wasn’t right. Luckily, Egidio Bonfatti, a partner in Pietro Drogo’s Sports Cars who used to paint cars in the body shop, was still alive — and he had a can of Rosso Rubino paint in his garage. Amazingly, it was usable after being in storage for more than 50 years. The bad news is that it took three months to get the perfect shade because Rosso Rubino has a superfine metallic grain that affects the way light reflects off of it.
Was the Ferrari 275 GTB4 worth the wait? It sure sounds like it. Pagani said, “Settling into the enveloping seats, starting the 12-cylinder that sings like Pavarotti, watching the rev counter quiver, engaging a gear and setting off – when I drive it, I feel the same excitement I felt as a child, when I didn’t have a peso to my name and could only daydream about these cars.”
