Koenigsegg CC

1994 – The Koenigsegg project was launched. With a long tradition of building high quality cars and a large number of suppliers to the racing car industry, Sweden offered a suitable breeding ground for the development of a world-class supercar.

The concept for this supercar was set from the start, a two-seat mid engine construction with a hardtop; all based on state-of-the-art Formula One technology. A network of competent designers and engineers, with connections to both the Swedish car industry and the universities, was tied together.

1995 - Koenigsegg moved into new premises in Olofström, Sweden. The company was then ready to construct the first prototype. The newly assembled Koenigsegg team made an extraordinary effort: in just one and a half years a fully operational prototype vehicle was finished, ready for media promotion and further testing.

1996 - This was a year of heavy testing on racetracks, roads, and in the Volvo wind tunnel. Among the well renowned racecar drivers to test the prototype were Picko Troberg, Calle Rosenblad and Rickard Rydell. They were all very impressed by its outstanding performance. The concept worked. It was time to present the car to the public.

1997 - Koenigsegg CC prototype was shown during the Cannes film festival and it was received with great enthusiasm. The satisfactory test results and massive media coverage at Cannes enabled the company to proceed and create a finished product. An entirely new car was brought into the world. Sticking to the basic concept of the prototype, the entire chassis was now made of carbon fiber, and a unique module system was developed so that the car can be configured to every desired setup.

1998-99 - The Koenigsegg team worked full speed ahead for the specified product model. The car went through fiftyseven different tests in order to comply with international certification regulations. Maintaining a low profile towards the media, all concentration was focused on perfecting the final product.

An ideal new facility near Ängelholm was purchased, and the build up of a series production infrastructure was started. Since nearly every key part of the Koenigsegg CC is specially designed and unique, highly qualified composite engineers and CAD/CAM technicians were employed. Modelers with experience from SAAB, Bentley and Bugatti created the final body. A three dimensional measuring system with full CAD/CAM capabilities was set up in the modeling workshop.

2000 - The first production vehicle was assembled and tested during the spring and summer. The deadline was set for September 28th, when the finished product met the jury of the world: the Premiere at the Paris Motor Show. Meanwhile, at the Koenigsegg facility a full-scale production line for manufacturing the cars was being organized.

2001 - The silver production prototype CC 8S created a sensation following its presentation at the Paris Motor Show. Articles about it have been published in most of the world's car magazines. It has received several design awards, among them the prestigious German Red Dot award and a prize for excellent Swedish design. The Swedes recently voted the Koenigsegg CC the Car of the Year in the Swedish magazine Automobil. The magazine Car and Driver performed a series of tests on the car and found it beating its competitors on most counts, such as acceleration, lateral G and braking.

2002 - The first customer Koenigsegg CC 8S has been assembled and handed over to its proud owner at a ceremony at the Geneva Motor Show in March. This stunning red car is scheduled for an attempt at breaking the world speed record later this year.

Source - Koenigsegg
Unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, the silver production Koenigsegg CC prototype was received by the viewing public with immense enthusiasm. The Koenigsegg CC was produced from 1998 through 2001. The Koenigsegg Company went on to finish the final product following amazing media coverage and competent test results. The new vehicle, though keeping the same basic concept of the model, was an entirely different car. The whole chassis was constructed of carbon fiber and the car could be configured to every desired setup because of a unique module system.

Officially launched in 1993, the Koenigsegg CC was created by Christian von Koenigsegg, who based this futuristic vehicle on Formula One technology. Koenigsegg is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance vehicles based in Ängelholm and the company has gone on to become the creator of the fastest streetcars worldwide. In 1994, the first prototype vehicle was constructed, merely one and half years following the company being established. Famous drivers including Calle Rosenblad, Richard Rydell, Picko Troberg had tested the model and found it quite an amazing ride.

Christian von Koenigsegg produced the company with the intention of producing a world-class supercar. Christian took his first steps in the business world in his early 20's by running a trading company called Alpraaz in Stockholm, Sweden. His success was immense and Koenigsegg now had the financial backing to launch his career as a car manufacturer.

Koenigsegg Automotive was originally based in Olofström, but in 1997 the company needed a larger facility and chose to relocate to Margretetorp, barely outside of Ängelholm. On February 22, 2003, the facilities caught on fire, and the damage was irreparable. With aid from 40 firefighters from a variety of departments, the fire was extinguished. A total of 15 cars, body parts, engines and machines were saved before the fire grew uncontrollable. A short-circuit in the company kitchen dishwasher was determined to be the cause of the warehouse fire, and it eventually spread to the thatched roof. The Koenigsegg Company moved to a Swedish Air Force base near Ängelholm on the same day. Several days later, the decision was made by von Koenigsegg to remain in the earlier former wing of the burned building. The building had been converted from two large fighter-jet hangars and an office building into a car factory after 2003, and today the factory continues to be active in Ängelhom airport. Clients can arrive at the airport by private jet, right next to the actual factory.

The idea to construct his own vehicle came about after von Koenigsegg watched the Norwegian puppet movie Pinchcliffe Grand Prix when he was younger. The prototype was required to be a two-seater, mid-engine layout with a hardtop. Von Koenigsegg drew the initial sketches and took them to Industrial Designer David Crafoord who helped develop a scale 1:5 model. David finished the model by adding his personal touches, and the model was later scaled up by Sven-Harry Åkesson who created the base plug for the original prototype that was completed in 1996. Several new prototypes were constructed over the next few years.

At the 2000 Paris Motor Show the production prototype was finally unveiled to the public and the press. The initial custom Koenigsegg CC was dubbed the CC 8S. Assembled, the CC 8S was assembled and hand-delivered to its proud owner at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2002. Four more models were constructed this year. In Asia, the Koenigsegg was later established that year with a premiere at the Seoul Auto Show.

The further enhance the drivability and look the model was tested by Koenigsegg test drivers on roads and racetracks alike. The Koenigsegg cars earned the Guinness World Records in 2003 as the most powerful streetcars. Meanwhile, Koenigsegg company engineers continued to work on steadily improving the CC, and new design and visual enhancements were adapted on the '03 model CC 8S.

In March 2004, the all-new Koenigsegg CCR debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. The badge of the Koenigsegg automobile company was created and designed by Jacob Låftman in 1994. The badge was based on the family shield of the Koenigsegg family, and the shield was the family's coat-of-arms since the 12th century when a family member had been knighted by the German-based Holy Roman Empire. The insignia on the Koenigsegg's rear window is an acknowledgment to the Swedish squadron that operated from the F10 base and featured a ghost at its emblem.

One of the few car manufacturers worldwide that has successfully managed to apply clearcoat to a carbon fiber construction, Koenigsegg shows the all-carbon material that the car is made of, even on the outer skin. The 2008 CCXR Edition was the first example of this construction, as the body was made of seamless and matched visible carbon fiber.

By Jessica Donaldson