There are plenty of incredible Ferraris that have become timeless icons, representing significant chapters and moments throughout the marque's history and, more importantly, the legacy of Enzo himself. And sure, bearing witness to cars like the Ferrari 250 GTO reach the eight-figure range says a lot about their place in automotive history, but their true value lies in the inspiration they've provided for generations of designers, engineers, and manufacturers. One of those inspired minds is the founder of Pagani Automobili, Horacio Pagani, who recently sat down with Ferrari Magazine for a deep dive into his love for the Ferrari 275, and more specifically, his 275 GTB4. 
Horacio’s infatuation with the car started more than sixty years ago after seeing a light-blue 275 GTB on the cover of Automundo magazine, when the dream of owning it was purely that for the young Argentinian sketching cars, tinkering with engines, and carving detailed cars out of balsa wood. Once he moved to Italy and began achieving success producing supercars with his own name on the badge, the love for that Ferrari not only grew, but became a reality to own for Horacio. 
In 2022, Pagani purchased his Ferrari 275 GTB4 from Sotheby’s auction at Rétromobile. Not just another one of the 280 cars produced, chassis #09021 is the very first pre-series example produced and displayed at the Paris Salon de l’Automobile. Delivered by Ferrari to the importer at its Levallois-Perret headquarters, the 275 GTB4 was registered after the motor show and used as a demonstrator for dealership clients and press reviews.
That was only the beginning for Horacio Pagani. Before the car could return to the road, it underwent months of historical research with Ferrari Classiche expert Andrea Modena, followed by a restoration by Kessel in Lugano. Even in its remarkably original condition after decades of sitting, Pagani wasn't interested in preserving it. The car hadn't even been started in years, but for someone known for obsessing over the smallest details, originality alone wasn't enough. Every component, finish, and surface had to be brought back to the standard he believed the car deserved.
Ironically, the biggest challenge came after the restoration seemed to be finished. Unsatisfied with the new paint, Pagani dug deeper into the car's history with Ferrari Classiche, eventually uncovering a connection to its past. Egidio Bonfatti, one of the craftsmen who painted special-bodied Ferraris at Pietro Drogo's Sports Cars in the 1960s, had quietly kept an original tin of Rosso Rubino paint in his garage for more than half a century, and it was still usable. After months of testing sample after sample, the team recreated the exact metallic finish that first appeared on chassis #09021 when it debuted 60 years earlier.
Source: Ferrari Magazine
