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Christian von Koenigsegg

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Christian von Koenigsegg
Koenigsegg in 2007
Born
Christian Erland Harald von Koenigsegg

(1972-07-02) 2 July 1972 (age 52)
Stockholm, Sweden
Known forFounder and CEO of Koenigsegg Automotive
Height6 ft 1.2 in (1.86 m)
Spouse
Halldóra Tryggvadóttir
​
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
Parent(s)Jesko von Koenigsegg (father)
Brita Aasa (mother)
AwardsFIA President Innovation Medal

Christian Erland Harald von Koenigsegg (born July 2, 1972)[1] is a Swedish automotive engineer and entrepreneur. He is a descendant of the House and lineage of the Koenigsegg, a noble family from Germany. He is the founder and CEO of the Swedish high-performance automobile manufacturer Koenigsegg Automotive.

In 1994, Koenigsegg launched the "Koenigsegg project", which eventually became Koenigsegg Automotive.[2] Together with designer David Crafoord, Koenigsegg created a design concept following his original sketches. The first prototype enabled the foundation of Koenigsegg Automotive.[3] Koenigsegg and his wife, Halldóra, are leading the company.[4]

Early life

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Christian von Koenigsegg is the son of Jesko von Koenigsegg, CEO of JK Energiteknik, and fashionista Brita Aasa. The von Koenigsegg lineage is attested from CE 1171 and originates in Swabia, in the Holy Roman Empire, where his ancestors were knights (see Königsegg for details).[5] The current logo of Koenigsegg Automotive is based on the Königsegg familial coat of arms.[6]

Königsegg familial coat of arms

Koenigsegg grew up in Stockholm, and spent a year in high school in Danderyd before enrolling at Lundsbergs boarding school, and then studied economics at the Scandinavian School of Brussels.[citation needed] He showed an interest in cars from an early age, starting at the age of five when he watched the stop-motion film The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix, about a bicycle builder who built a racing car, Il Tempo Gigante [nb].[7] When he was six years old, he drove a go-kart for the first time, and he vividly recalls this as "one of the best days of his life".[8]

Koenigsegg Automotive

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Main article: Koenigsegg

Christian von Koenigsegg founded Koenigsegg Automotive AB in 1994 in hopes of producing a "world-class" sports car. This company was financed initially with money from Christian's previous business ventures. He also received $200,000 from the Swedish technical development board. Christian's father became an early investor and financed the operation for over 3 years.[4] Halldóra von Koenigsegg became involved in 2000 as the COO.[9]

Innovations

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Christian von Koenigsegg has developed many innovations and is a named inventor on several patents:

US Patents
  • US 7,958,871, Combustion Air Supply Arrangement[10]
  • US 8,800,510, Internal Combustion Engine Connected to Compressed-Air Tank[11]
  • US 8,807,929, Turbine Housing for a Supercharger[12]
  • US 9,988,952, Combustion Engine Including a Controllable Engine Valve,[13] an innovation that uses electronics and air pressure to actuate intake and exhaust valves which provides very high precision and unlimited timing control, instead of the traditional camshaft, allowing for engines to be much more efficient by reducing weight and size of engines, while making each cylinder able to be controlled independently, allowing for more complete combustion.[14]
  • US 10,077,689, Combustion Engine and Gas Handling System for Valve Actuator[15]
  • US 10,119,435, Combustion Engine and Mantle Assembly Therefore[16]
  • US 10,184,361, Combustion Engine with Pneumatic Valve Return Spring[17]
  • US 10,662,687, Synchro Helix Door Actuation System[18]
  • US 10,668,801, Powertrain for a Vehicle[19]
  • US 11,046,168, Powertrain for a Vehicle[20]
  • US 11,292,213, Fiber-Reinforced Structures[21] for a hollow core composite production system
  • US 11,401,982, Multiple-Plate Wet Clutch[22] for a direct drive transmission
Published US Patent Applications
  • US 2022/0399595, Liquid Heat Transfer Mixture and Use Thereof[23] for a dielectric coolant system
Swedish Patents
  • SE 0401084L, Exhaust Purifier for Internal Combustion Engines with Pre-Catalyst[24]
Other Innovations

Personal life

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Christian von Koenigsegg married Halldóra Tryggvadóttir in 2000, and there are competing stories about where they met. Some sources say that they met during their studies in Brussels,[26] while other sources say they met while in high school.[9] They presently have 2 sons, Sebastian and Samuel.[26] Sebastian von Koenigsegg currently works at Koenigsegg Automotive AB as a Brand & Content Manager.[9][27] Koenigsegg suffers from alopecia areata universalis, an autoimmune disorder in which the body turns against its own hair follicles.[28]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Christian Von Koenigsegg: Swedish Automotive Entrepreneur Legend (Part 1/4)". Car Throttle.
  2. ^ Christian, 5: Jag ska bygga en egen bil när jag blir stor, Aftonbladet, 12 June 2009 (Swedish)
  3. ^ "Christian von Koenigsegg, the man behind the world's fastest car | BBC News". BBC. Kim Gittleson. 25 April 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Christian Von Koenigsegg Keeps Chasing His Dreams". Sixtysix Magazine. 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  5. ^ Ointroducerad Adels Förening (2014). Ointroducerad Adel 2015. ISBN 978-91-637-6651-0.
  6. ^ Parker, Garrett (2018-05-06). "The History and Meaning of the Koenigsegg Logo". Money Inc. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  7. ^ "Koenigsegg Founder Tells The Story Of His "Stupid Business Idea"". MotorAuthority. John Coyle. 26 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Timeline | Koenigsegg". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  9. ^ a b c "Membership Spotlight: Meet really Halldora Von Koenigsegg, the COO of Koenigsegg Automotive AB". SACC-USA. 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  10. ^ "Combustion Air Supply Arrangement". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  11. ^ "Internal Combustion Engine Connected to Compressed-Air Tank". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  12. ^ "Turbine Housing for a Supercharger". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  13. ^ "Combustion Engine". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  14. ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22.
  15. ^ "Combustion Engine and Gas Handling System for Valve Actuator". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  16. ^ "Combustion Engine and Mantle Assembly Therefore". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  17. ^ "Combustion Engine with Pneumatic Valve Return Spring". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  18. ^ "Door Hinge". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  19. ^ "Powertrain for a Vehicle". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  20. ^ "Powertrain for a Vehicle". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  21. ^ "Fiber-Reinforced Structures". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  22. ^ "Multiple-Plate Wet Clutch". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  23. ^ "Liquid Heat Transfer Mixture and Use Thereof". uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  24. ^ "Exhaust Purifier for Internal Combustion Engines with Pre-Catalyst". google.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  25. ^ "Inside Koenigsegg Explains The Triplex Suspension: Video". MotorAuthority. Kurt Ernst. 16 January 2013.
  26. ^ a b Tutu, Andrei (2016-10-03). "Meet Halldora von Koenigsegg, The Hypercar Wife". autoevolution. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  27. ^ "Sebastian von Koenigsegg | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Koenigsegg became a wildly successful auto company on 12 sales a year". Newsday. Bloomberg News. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  29. ^ "FIA Prize Giving: 2023 champions honoured in Baku". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  30. ^ "Christian von Koenigsegg – EY Entrepreneur of the year". www.on-the-top.net. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  31. ^ "Bra bredd på prisade företagare - hd.se". 2014-05-15. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
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