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Chronicles of Pininfarina

Pininfarina S.P.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder based in Cambiano, Italy. The firm has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers such as Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, Jaguar, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. Pininfarina was run by Battista's grandson Andrea Pininfarina until his death in 2008. Thereafter, Andrea's younger brother Paolo Pininfarina was appointed as the head. The Pininfarina Group employs more than 3,000 people in subsidiary company offices throughout Europe, as well as in Morocco and China.

Here are some interesting facts about Pininfarina:

It was founded by Battista “Pinin” Farina as Societa anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina on May 22nd 1930 in Turin. The company was designed to build special car bodies for individual customers or in small production runs.

In 1931, the Lancia Dilambda, the first official Pinin Farina special, appeared at the Concours d'Elegance at Villa d'Este.

Few weeks after the end of the World War in 1945, Pinin Farina starts the production with the Lancia Aprilia Bilux.

In 1946, as Italy was barred from participating in the Paris Motor Show. Pinin and his son Sergio set off from Turin for France driving two new cars, an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S and a Lancia Aprilia cabriolet. When they reached the Grand Palais in Paris they parked the two cars in front of the entrance of the Motor Show, where anyone going in or out can see and admire them.

The following year “Running Sculpture” from its firm became the first car in the world to be permanently displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, as “one of the eight outstanding cars of our time”.

In 1952, it started cooperating with Ferrari, which strengthened over the years to the present day.The next year, Pinin Farina is appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro by the then President of Italy. In 1954, at the Bruxelles Motor Show, Lancia Aurelia B24 S debuted. It is one of the best-looking cars ever. Many of the 761 units produced are sold in the United States, opening up a significant export flow.

The Ferrari 250 GT ShortWheel Base evolved from Pininfarina in 1959 and was presented at the Paris Motor Show.

The following year, Pinin Farina turned his firm over to his son Sergio and his son-in-law, Renzo Carli. Moreover, the President of Italy authorised the change of Farina's last name to Pininfarina.

In 1963, at the Paris Motor Show the Chevrolet Corvette Rondine was unveiled. Furthermore, at the Turin Motor Show the Pininfarina Sigma with a bodywork study with fourteen technical safety solutions, eight of which are currently used in the production of the cars, was showcased.

On 3rd April 1966, Battista Pininfarina died and Sergio Pininfarina becomes the Chairman of Pininfarina. That year at the Turin Motor Show, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider became one of the most successful models of Pininfarina and later was exported in large numbers to the United States.

In 1967, the Pininfarina Calculation and Design Centre was set up.In 1969, the Peugeot 504 Cabriolet made its world debut in Paris Auto Show. Together with the cabriolet version also came the Peugeot 504 Coupe which was presented in Geneva Motor Show. Besides, the Sigma Grand Prix was previewed which showed seven important safety features proposed for the F1 cars to reduce the element of risk in the sport.

At the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari Modulo from Pininfarina house won the International Design Awards.In 1972, Pininfarina sets up the first full size wind tunnel for aerodynamic research in Italy. Four years later, Sergio Pininfarina is appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of Italy.

In 1978, the Echos is presented at the Turin show as a study for an eco-friendly electric city car, realised in co-operation with the Fiat Research Centre. Also that year, the Jaguar XJ Spider was launched at the Birmingham Motor Show.

In 1979, the evolution of Pininfarina by sectors of activity led to the creation of an industrial group held by a holding company, Pininfarina S.p.A., responsible for coordinating the financial activities and image of the various subsidiaries.

The Ferrari Testarossa came into being in the 1984 Paris Motor Show.To celebrate Ferrari's 40th birthday in 1987, the Ferrari F40 is presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

An agreement was made with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1997 for the production of the Pajero Pinin in the new Pininfarina plant in Bairo Canavese, Italy. The 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show witnessed the debut of Metrocubo, a project for eco-friendly car, developed with 9 technical partners and in particular with Michelin and Fiat Wish, conceived by Pininfarina to commemorate the Centenary Fiat, a technological study for a 2+2 convertible capable of being transformed in a few seconds from Cabriolet to Coupe and back.

With the beginning of the new millennium, Pininfarina's seventy years in the business was celebrated by the world preview of the “rossa” research prototype and received the Concept Car of the Year Award at the Turin Motor Show.

In 2002 the new Engineering Centre was inaugurated that enhanced Pininfarina capabilities, enabling the Company to offer engineering services on the market alongside its traditional styling and design skills. It signed Memorandum of understanding with Volvo Car Corporation. Moreover Battista “Pinin” Farina entered the European Automotive Hall of Fame.

In 2003, it acquired Matra Automobile's engineering, testing and prototyping businesses. World debuts of the Maserati Quattroporte and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, both designed by Pininfarina and celebration of the collaboration with Jaguar on the X-Type Wagon, a first example of the Pininfarina activity in the product engineering field.

Unveiling in the heart of Turin of the 2004 Winter Olympic Games Countdown Clock the torch and the cauldron designed by Pininfarina. Partnership with Ford Motors of Europe was extended signing a new contract to build, at Pininfarina's manufacturing facilities, the new Focus convertible. Handover of Pininfarina's 50 per cent share in the joint venture Open Air Systems GmbH to Webasto.

In 2005, Pininfarina celebrated 75 years of activity with the world debut, in Geneva, of the concept “Birdcage 75th”, realised in collaboration with Maserati and Motorola, which won the “Best Concept” Award.

In 2006, “Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award” assigned to Maserati Birdcage 75th. On May 12 2006, the Board of Directors elected Andrea Pininfarina Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Paolo Pininfarina Deputy Chairman. Sergio Pininfarina was elected Honorary Chairman by unanimous voice vote.

On 7th August 2008 Andrea Pininfarina was the victim of a traffic accident. The Board of Directors, which met on August 12th, elected Paolo Pininfarina Chairman and Lorenza Pininfarina Provisional Deputy Chairperson. The Board of Directors also co-opted and appointed to the Board Silvio Angori and Gianfranco Albertini, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Pininfarina SpA, respectively.

Pininfarina was judged the best designer of the year 2009 for the fourth time.

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