Pour one out for an extraordinary machine. A one-off Pagani Zonda 760 LH, designed for and owned by Sir Lewis Hamilton, is out of commission for the foreseeable future after it was badly damaged in a crash.
The accident occurred on the A55 Expressway in the Penmaenbach tunnel in Conwy, Wales. Supercar photographer Ethan Gale happened to be at the scene, and he says that the driver accelerated upon entering the tunnel, lost control, and spun the vehicle, crashing it into a wall. The driver was not injured, and other casualties haven't been reported, which is the only piece of good news here.
One dashcam video recorded by another driver (and available below) confirms this. The Zonda lost control and smashed into the tunnel wall, bouncing back in its lane afterward. The gentleman driver emerged unharmed and signaled that he was ok.
The Pagani Zonda 760 LH is a one-off, designed at Lewis Hamilton's request and delivered to him in 2014. The "LH" in the name indicates its one-off status and outstanding features, including a manual gearbox. This is the first Zonda 760 with a manual gearbox and was a request Hamilton personally made with Pagani.
Photo: Instagram/Ethan Gale
Powered by a 7.3-liter naturally-aspirated V12 engine, this isn't the only Zonda 760 out there, but it's instantly recognizable for its plum purple exterior with matching accented interior and exposed carbon fiber. No wonder, then, that when Gale posted the first photos of it looking worse for wear on a flatbed, his followers immediately knew it to be Hamilton's.
It's true that this was Hamilton's car, but he no longer owns it. He sold it in 2021 to a UK buyer for a reported £8.5 million, so approximately $10.8 million at the current exchange rate and more than four times what he must have paid for it. The car was still in brand-new condition, with less than 1,000 km (621 miles) on the odo when it changed hands, but it had already been involved in a crash.
In 2015, shortly after taking delivery of it, while in Monaco, Hamilton bumped it into a parked car. He later explained the mishap by saying that he'd been running on too little sleep and too many training sessions and parties. Damage on that occasion was minor, but not the same goes for the 2023 accident.
Photos snapped after the accident show the Zonda emerged out of the tunnel with a broken rear axle, a cracked windshield, missing lights, and plenty of tears to the body. This one won't buff out, but it's not the end of the world, either. Given its one-off status and spec, and its celebrity provenance, we have a hunch this second owner will do whatever it takes to put it back on the road.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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