“Death is a bug in our software that will eventually be fixed, and we’ll live for 200 or 300 years just by changing as many parts as break.” This was the bold view of Kostas Kavvathas, a man who remained steadfast in his belief, even as he acknowledged that the end was near after years of health struggles.

Born in March 1939 to Demetrios and Erasmia, Konstantinos “Kostas” Kavvathas’ life began amid the chaos of World War II. His first childhood memories were of the Neos Kosmos, Daphne, and Ilioupolis neighborhoods of Athens, at a time when the Germans occupied Greece, followed by the Decembrist events and the Civil War, making life incredibly difficult. A bombed-out house was his reality as a young boy, but he never lost his sense of wonder. When British fighter planes flew over his war-torn neighborhood, he looked up with awe, and thus began his lifelong love affair with aviation.

Kostas’ father, a lawyer, had hoped his son would follow in his legal footsteps, but young Konstantinos was never interested in the courts or the law. Instead, it was engineering, specifically the mechanics of flight, that captured his imagination. At 17, he fell in love with gliders, a passion that would endure throughout his life, even after his health prevented him from flying in his later years.

By the time he turned 18, Kavvathas was already earning his glider pilot’s license at the Tripoli Air Sports Center, and he aced his flying exams with the help of Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind. His academic career, however, was less remarkable; he was a poor student due to his rebellious nature, which led him off the “nerd” track. In 1958, after earning his pilot’s license, he moved to the UK to study Mechanical Engineering at the London Northern Polytechnic, though he left before completing his degree, finding chemistry at odds with his talents.

At the time, the UK was at the center of motorsport, and for a young man enamored with engineering and speed, it was a dream come true. He was hooked on motorsport, and after completing his military service as a reserve lieutenant, he decided to pursue a career in journalism, beginning with the magazine Tachytis. By 1963, he had joined Mesimvrini, where he wrote the car column for three years. Shortly thereafter, he attempted to launch his magazine, Trochoi & Dromoi, with his friend and advertiser Giannis Bardopoulos, but it failed. Still, his passion for cars led him to join Auto Express in 1967, where he quickly rose to editor-in-chief.

Kavvathas also became an active participant in Greek motorsports, competing in skill races, hill climbs, and rallies, driving vehicles like the Peugeot 204 and NSU 1200 TT under the nickname “Peleas.” In 1968, he married Sophia Bletsa, and a year later, they founded Technical Publications Ltd. Together with the late Aris Stathakis, Antonis Kollias, and Takis Pirpiris, Kavvathas created the legendary 4 TROXOI magazine in 1970, a landmark in the Greek automotive press. While his partner Sophia handled the business side, Kostas remained focused on content, and he never let cash flow or business dealings distract him.

His company soon expanded, producing a wide array of new magazines like Audio & Hi-Fi, Flight & Space, Traveling, 2Wheels, Boat & Sea, Computer, Video Inn, Science & Technology, and Formula 1, among others. A pioneer in digital technology, he also launched Techlink, one of Greece’s first private internet hubs, in 1994, and founded Greece’s first Road Safety Centre, Safetrack S.A., in the late 1990s. That same year, he helped launch the radio station En Lefko 87.7 FM.

Kavvathas was known for his unique, often peculiar, relationship with his employees, addressing them formally by their last names. He was a perfectionist, often frustrated when others changed the cover photos he’d chosen or moved cars he’d been eager to test. He was also a relentless critic of the automotive industry, expressing his disappointment in the marketing strategies that shaped the cars he loved. At times, he sarcastically referred to himself as a “Mantis Calha” (a prophetic figure), often feeling he foresaw the future more clearly than others.

His love for flying led him to earn a pilot’s license for helicopters and single-engine planes. His passion for aviation didn’t stop there—through Flight magazine, he had the chance to fly 28 types of fighter jets, including a MiG-25, and even experienced zero gravity conditions.

Kostas was a man of strong opinions and an even stronger will. While he could be difficult to work with—sometimes leaving events mid-flight or rejecting ideas that didn’t align with his values—his eccentricities never made him any less respected. People accepted his quirks with understanding, especially during the height of his success with 4 TROXOI, which dominated the market.

Despite his many successes, Kavvathas’ career was not without its challenges. His poor financial decisions—such as acquiring a stake in a printing company that failed disastrously—brought Technical Publications to the brink of bankruptcy. Despite the crises, Kavvathas remained resolute in his belief that he could weather any storm. Ultimately, Technical Publications was saved when the Lymperis Group took control, but it was a hard lesson in the cost of stubbornness.

In the end, Kostas Kavvathas cemented his place as the patriarch of the Greek special press. He revolutionized automotive journalism, transforming it from a niche industry into a flourishing world of innovation and excitement. His legacy lives on in the magazines he founded, the careers he shaped, and the passion he instilled in those around him.

Kostas Kavvathas passed away after a long health battle, but his spirit remains in the industry he helped build. His funeral will be held on Friday, April 11, at 11:30 a.m. in the village of Vytinaika near Pyrgos, Ilia, where he will be laid to rest next to his father’s family grave. Instead of wreaths, the family requests that donations be made to the Association of Parents of Children with Neoplastic Disease “Flame.”