Pagani Automobili S.p.A. is an Italian hypercar manufacturer founded in 1992 by Horacio Pagani in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy [1]. The company’s visual identity centers on an oval emblem that the brand itself refers to as the “Pagani ellipse logo” in its official merchandise descriptions [2].
Design and History
The Pagani emblem is an elliptical design in dark grey with the word “PAGANI” printed in white along the central horizontal axis, according to the official trademark registration filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The registration describes stylized letters “HP” in light grey at the upper left of the word “PAGANI,” a blue half-elliptical design to the left of the letter “H,” and two areas in the ellipse appearing in light grey with a constant, shallow borehole pattern [3].
The trademark registration, filed under the name “PAGANI AUTOMOBILI MODENA,” covers automobiles and racing cars [3]. The “Automobili Modena” reference connects the marque to its hometown in Italy’s Motor Valley region [4].
Pagani’s identity has remained notably consistent since the Zonda era of the late 1990s, with the oval badge becoming closely associated with the production cars [4]. The brand has not undergone frequent public logo redesigns, instead maintaining a consistent visual identity built around the Pagani name, an oval badge, metallic finishes, and Modena heritage [4].
Meaning and Symbolism
The Pagani emblem expresses precision, Modena craftsmanship, and the technical beauty behind Horacio Pagani’s hypercars [4]. The badge includes the Pagani name, the Automobili designation, and a reference to Modena, linking the marque to Italy’s Motor Valley tradition [4].
Beyond the ellipse logo, Pagani has developed a secondary visual identifier: the four exhaust pipe emblem. Since the initial models in 1999, Pagani’s cars have featured four channel exhaust pipes in the centre of the vehicles’ rear [5]. In 2016, Pagani filed and registered a figurative mark resembling the outer rims of the four exhaust pipes in Italy and at the EUIPO [5]. The official Pagani store describes this as “the unmistakable four exhaust logo,” which appears on merchandise alongside the ellipse logo [6].
Typography and Design
The trademark registration describes the word “PAGANI” printed in white along the central horizontal axis of the elliptical design, with stylized letters “HP” in light grey at the upper left [3]. The lettering is restrained and technical rather than decorative, with the name typically presented in clear uppercase forms that support legibility on small vehicle badges, interiors, digital headers, and corporate materials [4].
For the brand’s 25th anniversary, Pagani introduced a special anniversary logo featuring a blue profile, used on limited merchandise alongside the standard ellipse emblem [7].
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