Horacio Pagani awarded an Honorary Degree in Design and Engineering by the Politecnico di Milano

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Horacio Pagani, founder and Chief Designer of Pagani Automobili, yesterday was awarded a Honorary Master's Degree in Design & Engineering by the Politecnico di Milano. This was in recognition of the immense contribution that the Italian-Argentine entrepreneur has made to the automotive industry through his creative genius: a talent that led him to design and build a Formula 2 car for the official Renault Argentina team, to then move to Italy to work at Lamborghini, and finally to start his own hypercar company, Pagani Automobili, introducing huge innovations into sports car design. 

After greetings from the Rector Donatella Sciuto and a tribute by Giorgio Colombo, Professor of Engineering Drawing and Methods at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Horacio Pagani gave a keynote address. 

The ceremony concluded with the official proclamation, prior to which Professor Francesco Zurlo, Dean of the School of Design, explained the reasons for awarding the degree:

"The Honorary Degree in Design & Engineering awarded to Horacio Pagani is in recognition of a creative professional career that exemplifies the synthesis between art, science and technology — the three founding principles of the culture at the Politecnico. The reasons for this award lie in Pagani's extraordinary ability to blend technological innovation with experimentation with materials and forms, following the great Italian tradition of sports car design. His work embodies a vision in which the design concept is combined with flawless engineering, producing cars that are both objects with considerable technical content and contemporary works of art.

Right from the start, Horacio Pagani has pursued the idea of design as total expression, where every component – from the shape of the bodywork to the structure in composite materials, from the interior to the mechanics – helps to create a cohesive aesthetic and sensory experience. The pioneering use of carbon fibre, the relentless search into innovative techniques and materials and the consistent attention to detail have made his cars a global reference point for quality, performance and beauty.

He seeks in his creations to combine the beauty of original and highly customised works with state-of-the-art technology, adopting a harmonious and recognisable approach in his attention to detail. 

In his ability to combine artistic vision with technical rigour, Horacio Pagani represents a proper contemporary example of the Renaissance craftsman, bringing the Italian tradition of "mastery" into the modern world, while also adding a global dimension.

With this award, the Politecnico di Milano wants to celebrate someone who embodies the essential values of the culture of design: creativity, skill, innovation and passion. His career shows how the interaction between design and engineering can create works that combine functionality and beauty, technique and poetry, technology and humanity — values that have always inspired the mission of our University in education and research."

HYPERCAR ON SHOW: The Forms of Air – from Leonardo da Vinci to Pagani Utopia

To accompany the award of the degree, the Politecnico di Milano is staging an exhibition at its Bovisa campus :"The Forms of Air – From Leonardo da Vinci to Pagani Utopia", collated by Pagani Automobili. The exhibition pathway relates Leonardo's thinking to Pagani's engineering and design: from research on aerodynamics to the beauty that comes from function, the exhibition explains how the luxury sports cars known as hypercars were developed by combining art, science and Italian techniques of manufacturing.

There are three cars on display in the B2 building (via Durando 10) until 12 December 2025, available to view at the following times: Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. 

Here are the technical data sheets for the cars on display:

ZONDA ROADSTER F – 2006

The name Zonda references the wind that blows fiercely across the Argentine Andes, and so relates to the origins of the company founder Horacio Pagani and the natural force that inspires his philosophy. The letter F is a tribute to the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, the "Master" who encouraged Pagani in his dream of building a car that could combine beauty and technology. 
The vehicle is as light as its Coupé counterpart: with the redesign of the frame and the use of new triaxial carbon fibre fabrics, the Zonda Roadster F has an overall weight of just 1,230 kg. The experience of open-air driving has no bounds: new aerodynamic research and better flexural and torsional rigidity allow one to travel at full speed in complete safety and comfort. This was achieved by developing special reinforcements for the area of the sills and tank, designing roll bars that also perform a structural function in the frame, and the use of three-way high modulus carbon fibre composites. Under the carbon fibre monocoque frame throbs a 7.3-litre aspirated Mercedes-AMG V12 engine, able to produce 650 hp and 780 Nm of torque, combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox plus reverse. There are only twenty-five examples of this model, each made with the meticulous craftsmanship of Atelier Pagani. 

HUAYRA ROADSTER – 2017

The Huayra Roadster was unveiled in 2017: a car where every mechanical component is proudly on display, celebrating the care taken over each individual detail. "Everything had to be unique, like a car made from a block of Carrara marble." The name Huayra comes from Huayra Tata, the Andean deity of the wind, a symbol of strength, freedom and movement. Like the wind that sculpts the forms of nature, Huayra embodies the relationship between energy and lightness, the core of the Pagani philosophy that unites Art and Science.
The whole design project has a special place in the hearts of all the Pagani team, as it represents the first example of a roadster that is lighter than its coupé counterpart. This special model combines the sleek, sinuous features of the Huayra Roadster and sophisticated aerodynamics, with a splitter and rear diffuser to manage engine performance more effectively. The twin-turbocharged Mercedes-AMG V12 6.0L engine is able to produce 764 hp and 1000 Nm of torque at 2,400 rpm. The frame consists of a central monocoque in Carbo-Titanium HP62 G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62, with front and rear sub-assemblies in chrome-molybdenum steel.

UTOPIA – 2022

Pagani, Act III. Utopia is based on three concepts: simplicity, lightness and driving pleasure. This is a hypercar, whose sinuous contours transcend time, combining inspiration from the fifties and sixties with the distinctive stamp of Pagani's personality. The classic four exhausts are included, and the carbon monocoque frame: further improved to make it even stronger and lighter with the use of new composite materials such as Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62. The design is extraordinarily efficient, without the need for any external appendages. The superior handling and stability has been achieved through aerodynamic research and sophisticated technology, including active aerodynamics systems, electronically controlled shock absorbers and double wishbone suspension made from aerospace-grade aluminium alloy. The Utopia is therefore not afraid to go against the grain: the interior - for example - adds the appeal of an analogue instrument panel. You can also buck the trend by choosing to drive with a seven-speed manual gearbox, or opt for lightness with a twin-turbo V12 engine constructed by AMG on the instructions of Pagani. Production of the Utopia Coupé has been limited to ninety-nine examples.

HORACIO PAGANI – BIOGRAPHY

Horacio Pagani is the founder and Chief Designer of Pagani Automobili. After heading the Composites Division at Lamborghini, he began designing his own car in 1988, including some highly innovative features. The result of this idea was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999 under the name of Zonda. The reception was immediate and overwhelming, ushering in the era of the hypercar. The Zonda has evolved into many versions over the years, each with increasingly sophisticated technical solutions. It is now considered an icon among sports cars, one of the best loved and most desirable vehicles for admirers and collectors around the world.

In 2011, Pagani brought out the Huayra, a hypercar that set a new standard in the automotive industry. It was a pioneer of new technologies such as active aerodynamics, which can change the behaviour of a vehicle in real time, and for the use of advanced composite materials to ensure exceptional strength and lightness. In 2012, the Huayra won the three most important awards in the sector such as Car of the Year, strengthening Horacio Pagani's reputation as a visionary in the automotive world.

His subsequent projects have further consolidated this status, confirming that Pagani models are among the most advanced and desirable hypercars in the world. For over forty years, he has been in relentless pursuit of excellence, making continuous investments in research and development. In 2022, he won the prestigious Compasso d 'Oro, bestowed by ADI – the Association for Industrial Design, in the "Design for mobility" category: an award for successfully combining form and function, which is central to his philosophy of design. In 2024, the GIOYA institute in Malta awarded Horacio Pagani an Honorary Degree in International Business & Entrepreneurship.

The third stage in a creative journey that aims to combine sophisticated technology with timeless design has come to fruition in the presentation of the Utopia project. In addition to hypercars, Pagani has also turned to new horizons with Pagani Arte, a division dedicated to interior design, where expert craftsmanship and high-tech solutions are applied to living spaces and to objects with a special character.