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Automotive Industry
AUTOS: Designer Sergio Pininfarina Dies
The head of the famed Italian design house for more than 40 years, he helped create the style of key Ferrari models, as well as Alfa Romeos and Maseratis.
Sergio Pininfarina headed the legendary design house for more the 40 years after the death of his founding father. (Photo: Pininfarina)
Sergio Pininfarina, who ran the famous Italian automotive design company of the same name for 40 years, has died after a long illness. He was 85.
Pininfarina, the son of company founder, Battista "Pinin" Farina, had the last word on the company's design projects for almost 50 years. During his time leading the design house, he created some of the most famous production cars and concepts of the second half of the 20th century.
Among the production cars were the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT, the 1975 Lancia Beta Montecarlo and the 2003 Maserati Quattroporte. The best-known concepts included extreme sports cars such as the 1968 Ferrari 250 P/5 and the 1970 PF Modulo, plus the 1980 Pinin, a Pininfarina proposal for a Ferrari four-door sedan.
Fabrizio Giugiaro, head of styling at Italdesign Giugiaro, said Sergio Pininfarina was a pioneer in the transformation of Italy's small, family-run small coachbuilders into full-fledged contract manufacturers.
"Sergio had an extraordinary taste in design," he added. "We have lost a longtime great friend."
Pininfarina is largely credited for crafting the look and image of Ferrari. Luca di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, called him “an exceptional person who connected his name indissolubly with our history and our success,”
“Calling his relation with Ferrari legendary is insufficient,” di Montezemolo said in a statement. “First with Enzo, and then with me, he designed some of the most iconic models, such as the Testarossa or the Enzo, just to name two.
“I wish to remind you of the work we've done together for the Maserati Quattroporte, which remains one of the most beautiful cars ever built. He was a great advocate of Italian design, thanks to his sense for elegance.”
The most recent example of the partnership, the F12 Berlinetta—the fastest Ferrari ever—was designed by Pininfarina, though Ferrari did some style work in-house.
Sergio Pininfarina joined his family's company in 1950 after earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the Turin Polytechnic.
During his time as head of the company, Pininfarina introduced its three most successful production models, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider, built from 1966 to 1985; the Alfa Romeo Spider, produced from 1966 to 1993; and the Peugeot 406 coupe, built from 1996 to 2004.
Pininfarina was particularly fond of the 1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale, a concept car that deeply influenced the design of mid-engine Ferraris for 40 years.
He became CEO of Pininfarina in 1961, taking on the additional role of chairman in 1966 following the death of his father. The Pininfarina company was synonymous with beauty in automobiles, but Sergio believed that design should be as simple as possible.
"Ever since I was a young boy, I remember my father yelling out to his staff: 'Make it simpler!’" he once said.
He relinquished the CEO position in 2001 to his son, Andrea, but remained chairman, progressively reducing his day-to-day involvement in the company. Andrea Pininfarina died in a motorcycle accident in 2008 and was replaced as company chairman by his younger brother Paolo.
In the same year, the company's creditor banks won control of the firm when they bailed out the company that had become heavily indebted after expanding its coachbuilding operations in a so-called "pay-for-production" scheme. The Pininfarina family was left with a symbolic 1.2 percent stake in the company.
One of Sergio Pininfarina's last public appearances was in March 2008, when he was inducted as a member the European Automotive Hall of Fame, joining his father Battista, who was made a member in 2002.
In November 2011, Sergio Pininfarina resigned from the board of Ferrari after serving for more than 40 years. He said he was stepping down for personal reasons.
He is survived by his wife, Giorgia, his daughter, Lorenza, and his son, Paolo, who is Pininfarina chairman.
This story originally appeared at AutoWeek.com.
Pininfarina, the son of company founder, Battista "Pinin" Farina, had the last word on the company's design projects for almost 50 years. During his time leading the design house, he created some of the most famous production cars and concepts of the second half of the 20th century.
Among the production cars were the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT, the 1975 Lancia Beta Montecarlo and the 2003 Maserati Quattroporte. The best-known concepts included extreme sports cars such as the 1968 Ferrari 250 P/5 and the 1970 PF Modulo, plus the 1980 Pinin, a Pininfarina proposal for a Ferrari four-door sedan.
Fabrizio Giugiaro, head of styling at Italdesign Giugiaro, said Sergio Pininfarina was a pioneer in the transformation of Italy's small, family-run small coachbuilders into full-fledged contract manufacturers.
"Sergio had an extraordinary taste in design," he added. "We have lost a longtime great friend."
Pininfarina is largely credited for crafting the look and image of Ferrari. Luca di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, called him “an exceptional person who connected his name indissolubly with our history and our success,”
“Calling his relation with Ferrari legendary is insufficient,” di Montezemolo said in a statement. “First with Enzo, and then with me, he designed some of the most iconic models, such as the Testarossa or the Enzo, just to name two.
“I wish to remind you of the work we've done together for the Maserati Quattroporte, which remains one of the most beautiful cars ever built. He was a great advocate of Italian design, thanks to his sense for elegance.”
The most recent example of the partnership, the F12 Berlinetta—the fastest Ferrari ever—was designed by Pininfarina, though Ferrari did some style work in-house.
Sergio Pininfarina joined his family's company in 1950 after earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the Turin Polytechnic.
During his time as head of the company, Pininfarina introduced its three most successful production models, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider, built from 1966 to 1985; the Alfa Romeo Spider, produced from 1966 to 1993; and the Peugeot 406 coupe, built from 1996 to 2004.
Pininfarina was particularly fond of the 1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale, a concept car that deeply influenced the design of mid-engine Ferraris for 40 years.
He became CEO of Pininfarina in 1961, taking on the additional role of chairman in 1966 following the death of his father. The Pininfarina company was synonymous with beauty in automobiles, but Sergio believed that design should be as simple as possible.
"Ever since I was a young boy, I remember my father yelling out to his staff: 'Make it simpler!’" he once said.
He relinquished the CEO position in 2001 to his son, Andrea, but remained chairman, progressively reducing his day-to-day involvement in the company. Andrea Pininfarina died in a motorcycle accident in 2008 and was replaced as company chairman by his younger brother Paolo.
In the same year, the company's creditor banks won control of the firm when they bailed out the company that had become heavily indebted after expanding its coachbuilding operations in a so-called "pay-for-production" scheme. The Pininfarina family was left with a symbolic 1.2 percent stake in the company.
One of Sergio Pininfarina's last public appearances was in March 2008, when he was inducted as a member the European Automotive Hall of Fame, joining his father Battista, who was made a member in 2002.
In November 2011, Sergio Pininfarina resigned from the board of Ferrari after serving for more than 40 years. He said he was stepping down for personal reasons.
He is survived by his wife, Giorgia, his daughter, Lorenza, and his son, Paolo, who is Pininfarina chairman.
This story originally appeared at AutoWeek.com.
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