Detour Pit Stop #72: Museo Horacio Pagani, Modena, Italy
Photo Sudhir Matai
All petrolheads should visit the Italian ‘motor valley’ at least once in their lives. If you do, a stop at the Museo Horacio Pagani is a must, so says Sudhir “Banzai” Matai.
Signor Horacio Pagani should need no introduction. The Italo-Argentine’s creations are lust-worthy to anyone with a drop of petrol in their veins. But the road to legendary status was long. You get a snapshot of his career in the Pagani Museum, official title Museo Horacio Pagani, which indicates this is as much about the supercars as it is about their creator.
There’s no need to pre-arrange a visit, though several companies will help if needed. Simply pitch up at the reception desk of the factory/atelier and hand over a few Euros to gain access to this walk down Pagani memory lane. You can gawk at whatever happens to be patiently awaiting its new owner in the lobby (a black Huayra with ‘wings’ aimed heavenward on the day we visited) alongside a grand piano, or turn left and head into the museum.
In this bespoke showcase you are greeted by the very first “Pagani”, an F2 racer that the young engineer optimised for competition duties before moving to Europe. It is flanked by a Lamborghini Countach – one of Horacio’s favourites, we are told.
Many don’t know that he started his supercar career down the road at Sant’Agata. Had his former employers shared his vision for using lightweight, composite materials in production cars Pagani Automobili may not exist. They didn’t and thankfully they parted ways.
On the walls are photographs of various cars and Horacio himself at various points in his career. There are early sketches of the Zonda and Huayra, in hardtop- and open style as well as a few sketches by Leonardi da Vinci.
There are also Mercedes-AMG engines on display, a nod to the fact that every Pagani since day one has been powered by the German brand. The original letter written by Juan-Manuel Fangio to Mercedes’ board vouching for his countryman is displayed in the museum.
The hall is full of special and significant cars, none more so than one affectionately called La Nonna (Italian for grandmother). It is Zonda 002, car number one was sacrificed for crash testing. This car has over one million km on the clock as it has been used to test and develop parts on roads and racetracks the world over. It has since been retired, but not before getting a complete makeover by the factory and presented to the boss as a present - grande!
La Nonna sits alongside other Zonda’s of various specifications and body styles. Book-ending the display is the menacing, track-only Zonda Revolucion that set a Nurburgring lap time of 6 min 47 in 2010.
On the way out I pop by the men’s room before hitting the road. In there I see a counter and basin that are made from carbon-fibre… of course they are.
Words and Photography Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Twitter | Instagram
