Koenigsegg turns 25 in 2019

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Koenigsegg’s inception, with the Swedish brand having since become one of the foremost builders of fast metal.

In 1994, a 22-year-old Christian started working on a prototype based on a sketch he created with Microsoft Paint – the Koenigsegg CC.

Picture: Christian and the CC prototype

The CC wouldn’t be complete until 1996, with six more years of testing and tweaking passing before the first customer cars – the Koenigsegg CC8S – were completed.

Before it was handed over to the first customer at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show, the 448kW CC8S had already earned a Guinness World Record for ‘World’s most powerful production engine’.

That first world record sparked the onslaught of accolades which Koenigsegg seems to attract effortlessly, the most recent slew of records having been awarded to the Koenigsegg Agera RS which laid claim to eight of the things in 2017.

Picture: The Koenigsegg Agera RS used for the world record attempt

“Koenigsegg has grown stronger every year,” Koenigsegg says, “designing new solutions that re-define what the world knows about the limits of automotive performance.

“Every model the company has released has raised the bar, either by setting mind-bending performance records or by introducing new, industry-first technologies.”

Since the CC8S, Koenigsegg has built 10 more models with another planned, the Jesko, named for Christian’s father.

Picture: Jesko von Koenigsegg

It draws on the brand’s heritage from CCR to Regera, and incorporates several wild and clever advancements in automotive technology. There’s no doubt it will be mind-bendingly fast.

Perhaps one of the brand’s most notable models is the Koenigsegg One:1, named as such for its 1:1 power to weight ratio in metric horsepower. It boasted 1360PS, and 1360kg. Conveniently, 1360PS also converts to one megawatt.

With Koenigsegg now looking to the future, more employees and more numerous model runs are on the cards, it says.

Picture: Koenigsegg One:1

“The Agera RS was a series of 25 vehicles. The Regera is a series of 80 vehicles. Koenigsegg’s new model – Jesko – will be produced in a series of 125 vehicles, reflecting the increased demand for Koenigsegg vehicles, worldwide.”

In the last few years, Koenigsegg has increased its staff from 70 to more than 200, and has been consistently increasing the footprint of its workspace.

Just last year, the brand opened up its first Australian dealership – a section of the well-established Lorbek Luxury Cars in Port Melbourne.

Picture: Koenigsegg Regera

Koenigsegg marks its 25th anniversary specifically in August, when Christian von Koenigsegg set off on his hypercar journey.

Here’s to another 25 years of ridiculously fast cars.