Have you ever wondered why Pagani uses Mercedes-AMG engines in its cars? The answer isn't as simple as you might think. The story behind the automaker's choice of power plants was relayed by the man himself in an interview with AutoGuide during the Concorso Italiano, one of Monterey Car Week's many events. It all goes back to legendary F1 driver Juan Manuel Fangio. Fangio helped Pagani get his start in Italy, writing a letter of recommendation for the budding car designer that he used to help get a job at Lamborghini. This was back in 1983.

Fast forward to 1992 and Horacio Pagani has started his own car company. Fangio was still advising Pagani, helping him out with development of his first supercar, which was initially going to be called the Fangio F1. The Fangio F1 was to be powered by a Daimler V12, with Pagani inking a deal with the Germans in 1994. In 1995 Juan Manuel Fangio died at the age of 84. Pagani decided to rename his car the Zonda, and it debuted four years later at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. Pagani told AutoGuide that the reason why he still continues to source engines from Daimler, specifically Mercedes-AMG engines, is to honor Fangio. The Argentinian F1 racer drove for Mercedes-Benz and was named president for life (an honorary title) of Mercedes-Benz Argentina in 1987.

It was Fangio who told Pagani that he should source engines for his cars from Daimler. That bit of advice clearly worked out in spades, as the company is now known throughout the industry as one of the world's premier boutique supercar companies. Mr. Pagani isn't keen to switch suppliers or develop his own engine in-house any time soon as AMG gives him preferential treatment. Like all AMG engines, Pagani's are handmade, with only two people in the factory (and therefore the world) trained to build them.