Pagani's Original Supercar Wasn't Even Road Legal In America - But It Is Now

The Pagani Zonda represents the first era of a supercar dynasty, with the Pagani-produced weapon acting as the springboard to some of the most fearsome and iconic performance cars of the last two decades. Without the Zonda, we'd have never been treated to vehicles such as the Huayra, Zonda R and the Utopia.

Unlike later examples though, the first ever version of the Pagani Zonda, the C12, has never been fully road-legal in the US. Thanks to the 25-year rule, the circumstances have now changed. There are some important caveats to this news, just in case you were planning on getting one imported any time soon.

The Zonda C12 Was Born From A Dream

Firstly, it's important to note where the Zonda came from. It was the brainchild of former Lamborghini engineer Horacio Pagani, who founded and ran the firm's composite department during the 1980s. Toward the end of the decade, he founded his own company, named Pagani Composite Research, which had clients such as former employer Lamborghini on its books. Before too long, Pagani felt he could take the Italian marque on in the supercar space with his own creation.

By 1991, his composites company was in such high demand that he founded another one called Modena Engineering to help pick up the shortfall. His successful engineering outlets allowed Pagani to push full steam ahead with the development of his supercar, which was initially known as the C8. He even planned to name it after legendary Formula 1 racer Juan Manuel Fangio at one point, though he changed his plans after the Argentinean passed away in 1995.

Having struck up a deal with Mercedes-Benz in 1994 as an engine supplier, the finished V12-powered car was finally unveiled to the world at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. Pagani's target was to build a supercar that not only flew down the straights, but could cut through the bends like a smaller sports car. Most start-up supercar manufacturers tend to disappear as quickly as they emerge, though the exquisitely engineered Zonda hinted that this story would turn out differently.

Pagani's Composite And Engineering Knowledge Were Crucial To The C12's Success

While some supercars, such as the Ferrari F40, were renowned for their agility, many examples of the time were heavy beasts that weren't the most enchanting to drive. Models like the Lamborghini Diablo could blaze down the straights, but were not quite that dynamic and light-footed when it came to attacking corners. Pagani was focused on not falling down the same trap, so he ensured the C12 would be as light as possible.

This is where his background in composite materials came in clutch, as a bespoke aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber body were designed for use in the vehicle. Despite looking heavy due to its broad and imposing design, the final product weighed just 2,755 pounds. Aside from its light and ultra-stiff construction, the Zonda was also graced with double wishbone independent suspension front and rear, which was joined by adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars.

The Zonda's electric handling highlighted the route that supercar building was heading, and it was arguably the first of the breed. Before too long, it would need to battle for supremacy against other new-generation offerings like the Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Murciélago, and the Ferrari Enzo.

The Zonda Isn't As Powerful As You'd Think

That said, the OG Zonda didn't quite have enough grunt to compete with its upcoming challengers. Its 6.0-liter V12 had previously been used in Mercedes' flagship models like the S 600 and CL 600, and would also be used as the foundation for the engine used in its CLK GTR FIA GT racer.

The naturally aspirated unit only offered up 450 hp in the Zonda, though its light weight meant the car could still hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Unsurprisingly, the power was sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. Knowing this level of power would be inferior against the upcoming competition, later variants of the Zonda were afforded enlarged 7.0-liter versions of the powerplant.

The C12 Was Never Road Legal In The US

Why The Zonda C12 Is Now Road Legal

• Cars that are over 25 years old no longer need to meet federal EPA laws
• This means vehicles never sold in the US can be imported and made road-legal
• Zonda C12 examples built in 1999 or 2000 now comply with this rule, meaning they can be driven at will on US roads by their owners

While the C12 marked a change in how supercars were designed, any gearheads wanting one in the US had to stomach some bad news. In most countries around the world, cars need to be evaluated and passed by their automotive governing body before being allowed to be driven on the road. The C12 was never officially offered in the states, so it was never declared fully road-legal in the country. Had Pagani undertaken US testing, it would have needed to meet a range of criteria that covered areas like safety and emissions.

That doesn't mean you couldn't have one in the US, and you can thank Microsoft founder Bill Gates for that. Having imported a Porsche 959 into the country in the early 1990s, another car that hadn't been passed to be road legal in the country, it was quickly impounded by the government. Feeling this was unjust, he led a movement alongside fellow gearhead Bruce Canepa to come up with a new law concerning non-road legal supercars like the 959.

Essentially, the new law, called Show and Display, allowed cars not passed by the Department of Transport to travel up to 2,500 miles per year as long as they met the regulated EPA standards. The C12 met these requirements, which were sworn in by President Bill Clinton in 1998, so they could be driven restrictively under the law.

The C12 Is Now Fully Road Legal

While the C12 could be driven restrictively for the last quarter of a century, the 25-year import rule has changed that. The law allows any car that was produced at least 25 years ago, whether it was sold in the US or not, to be road legal, even if they don't meet modern EPA criteria. As a result, any Zondas built in 1999 or 2000 can take advantage of this, meaning they can be imported and be driven at will by their owner.

Good Luck Finding One

While it is now possible to fully enjoy the very first edition of one of the most-revered supercars ever built, actually sourcing one to ship across the Atlantic is tricky. Looking to stay in the conversation for the long haul, Pagani started out small and steadily built up. As a result, the brand only built six original C12s before it was replaced by the upgraded C12-S in 2002. Five of these were coupes, while the last was a roadster. Two of the former were reserved for testing too, so only three of these found owners.

This extreme exclusivity means only one thing; cash. The public examples rarely come up for sale and, when they do, expect to pay multi-millions of dollars for the honor of securing it, though models like the 760 LM are worth even more. Still, at least the option is now there to utilize one as a daily driver whenever you wish.