Can You Believe This Koenigsegg is 19 Years Old?
The first-ever Koenigsegg prototype recently made a trip home to the Swedish automaker’s factory.
The car resides at the Motala Motormuseum some 124 miles from Stockholm, but the prototype made a trip to Koenigsegg’s factory to be part of a photo shoot, joining a number of important Koenigseggs including a CC8S, CCR, CCXR Edition, CCXR, Agera R and the One:1. Powered by a standard 4.2-liter V8 engine sourced from Audi, the prototype sports a six-speed manual transmission, full composite bodywork and three-piece BBS wheels with custom centers featuring Koenigsegg shield cutouts.
SEE ALSO: Koenigsegg Could be Developing a Track-Only Hypercar
According to Koenigsegg, the prototype took the best part of two years to build and was finished in 1996. It was initially painted silver when it debuted at a track meeting in Anderstorp with Swedish racing driver Rickard Rydell behind the wheel. After that, the automaker outfitted the prototype with an early version of the company’s unique dihedral synchro-helix door mechanism, causing some minor body work to be done, resulting in the prototype being painted black.
But black proved too hard to maintain, so the prototype was painted the metallic brown it is today. Funny enough, CEO Christian von Koenigsegg actually wanted to paint it a burnt orange shade from Volvo, but something got lost in translation while Koenigsegg discussed the paint color over the phone with the painter.
Discuss this story on our Luxury Lifestyle Forum
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
More by Jason Siu
Comments
Join the conversation
Beautiful car!