As the man behind one of the world’s best bespoke supercar manufacturers, Horacio Pagani has no dearth of exotic machinery at his disposal. Still, it must be quite the special treat for him to once again get his hands on a very special car that left the Pagani factory nearly twenty years ago, this 2006 Pagani Zonda F. This isn’t just any hypercar, though. It’s the machine that belonged to Horacio Pagani’s mentor, first customer, and dear friend Benny Caiola, making its journey back to the maestro himself more meaningful than any typical supercar transaction.
The 2006 Pagani Zonda F represented the pinnacle of analog automotive artistry, powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter Mercedes-Benz AMG V12 engine producing 594 horsepower. This carbon fiber hypercar can sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 214 mph. Only 25 Zonda F models were ever produced in coupe form.
What makes this particular Zonda F special isn’t just its performance specifications. The car wears the distinctive Bianco Benny paint scheme, a pearl white finish that became synonymous with Caiola’s taste. This wasn’t just any white paint though it was a custom shade that was modeled after Caiola’s snowy white hair.
Benny Caiola was more than Pagani’s first customer, he was Horacio’s mentor and close friend, someone who believed in the young Argentine’s vision when others might have dismissed it as overambition.
When Caiola passed away from cancer in 2010, his loss deeply affected Horacio, who later honored his friend with the track-focused Huayra BC (Benny Caiola) in 2016. Caiola’s car collection is itself the stuff of collectors’ dreams, with the man having been a huge fan of Ferrari before Pagani came around.
Originally priced at $519,000 in 2006, the Zonda F market has exploded in recent years, with pristine examples now commanding upwards of $10 million at auction. This particular Bianco Benny example recently underwent comprehensive maintenance in Copenhagen, costing $11,200, almost pocket change when you’re dealing with a car worth more than most people’s houses.
The car was last spotted in France after its last service, though given its provenance and emotional significance, it’s likely found its way back to Pagani’s collection. After all, some relationships are simply too precious to let market forces determine their fate. Even when those forces involve eight-figure price tags.
