Christian von Koenigsegg on how to start an automobile company.
If you want to start a car company, Christian von Koenigsegg is the right person to talk to.
His eponymous company produces only a small number of expensive supercars, but is still one of the few new car manufacturers to survive in the modern era. This short video features some of von Koenigsegg's quotes.
"It's hard work anyway. If I have any advice, it is to stay focused and never give up."
"It is also important, says von Koenigsegg, to master the day-to-day tasks of running a business without losing sight of the dream." According to von Koenigsegg, although his love of cars has always been a driving force, he started the company (at the age of 22) for the challenge.
"I wanted to prove to myself and everyone around me that if you really want to do something, you can do anything," he said, adding that he expected to be laughed at by those who didn't believe in him, but it made the company's early days of struggle bearable. [Koenigsegg was founded in 1994, and two years later its first prototype was built. However, the first production model, the CC8S, didn't appear until 2002. The company currently produces about 10 cars per year, with prices in the seven-figure range.
Chinese conglomerate Evergrande also has a controlling stake in electric vehicle manufacturer NEVS, which currently holds a 20% stake in Koenigsegg.
Koenigsegg has recently introduced innovations such as a "light transmission" that allows for near-instantaneous gear changes and a valve-less camless engine.
Koenigsegg has also embraced electrification. Its latest supercar, the Gemera, is a 1,700 hp hybrid with a 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged three-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor.