Pininfarina

Battista Pininfarina	Battista beside Enzo Ferrari	Sergio Pininfarina

Battista Farina is born in Turin on November 2nd, 1893 as tenth of eleven children that is why he gets the nickname "Pinin", which is piemontic for "peewee". He was apprenticed to the car body workshop of his brother Giovanni and travelled to America in 1921 to study the assembly methods of the Detroit Ford Company. There he met Henry Ford who is taken by him and finally begged him to stay in America and work for Ford Motor Company. Nethertheless Farina prefered to return to Italy. The visit of the United States was not for nothing though – Farina is impressed by the assembly methods and the American manufacturer spirit. In 1930 he founds the "S.A. Carozzeria Pinin Farina" progenitor of today's "Pininfarina SpA" and makes his name as car body maker. So among others Lancia Aprilia Aerodinamica and Cisitalia 202 GT come into being, the last being so extraordinery with its innovative shape that shortly after presentation it as the first car is taken into the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Lancia Aprilia Aerodinamica 1937		Lancia Aprilia Convertible 1947

Along with the boom of the Italian car industry after the Second World War the procedure of the young buisinessman is changing. Instead of individual single manufacturing for wealthy privat customers one is applying oneself to the design of studies as well as the development of single modells which can be adopted by volume producers. Highest technical and aesthetical claims are drawn like a red thread through the company history since the beginning. Pinin Farina proves that the aesthetic component is also important for mass production and thereby is becoming one of the founders of the Italian automotive design. In the end the reputation of the design house is coming so large that in 1961 Italy's former prime minister Giovanni Gronchi is acknowledging the nickname "Pinin" per decree and permits to change Farina's surname into Pininfarina.

Cisitalia 202 GT 1948	Fiat 1100 ES 1951	Lancia Aurelia Spider 1951
Maserati A6 GCS 1953	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1955	Alfa Romeo Superflow 1956

In 1950 Sergio Pininfarina, Battista's son, enters the company and accompanies the first larger own production (Alfa Romeo Giulietta with a specimen of 27,000 samples). He innovates the spatial segregation of car formation and manufacturing. Until today Pininfarina's policy exists to keep aloof between the creative act and the production. Think mill and Design forge are based in Turino's district Cambiano, production is in the works in San Giorgio Canavese and Grugliasco. In 1957 Sergio Pininfarina takes over the management. Also other design areas next to the car figuration now are opened up and Pininfarina Extra is founded. This subsidiary company shapes products like lamps, furniture and accessories. Today the whole enterprise grouping has approx. 2,500 workers and offers both the design development and the production of complete cars and car parts to the customer. Chuck Jordan, former desgn chief of General Motors, about Sergio Pininfarina: " As a conductor of a big orchestra Sergio is determinating time, rythm and interpretation. His philosophy and his personality are reflecting in each Pininfarina creation and that proves the continous quality of the designs of his company."   The modells of the rich in tradition company are distingiushed by unvaryingly high-grade design. Still Pininfarina is acting as a self-contained design forge for different international car manufactures. To the customers are ranking among others: Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati, Cadillac, Nash, General Motors, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi und Daewoo.

Maserati Quattroporte 2003	Audi Quattro Quartz 1981	Lancia 037 Rally Stradale 1982

But first and foremost Pininfarina is connected with Ferrari. The first meeting of Battista Pinin Farina and Enzo Ferrari in the year 1957 today is to some extend legendary. One met on neutral ground, converged cautiosly – and according to Battista Pinin Farina's memoires noticed that "both loved a certain down-to-earth approach without things half done". Later Enzo Ferrari remarked according to the cooperation: "My marriage with the company Pinin Farina will linger for very long. It lasts now since 15 years. I remember how amazed Pinin was when I opened myself to him and how amazed I was when he opened himself to me.It was clear in a sudden that one of us was searching a beautiful and famous wife to cloth her and the other a tailor with international reputation to get some garments made." Alltogether more than 80 modells were developed for Ferrari which set standards and are matchlessly.

Dino 246 GT 1969	Ferrari 365 California Spyder 1966	Ferrari 410 Superamerica 1956
Ferrari 365 GT4 BB 1971	Ferrari 512S Speciale 1969	Ferrari 400i 1982
Ferrari Daytona 1968	Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 2004	Ferrari Rossa 2000

Since 1991 the Pininfarina Group is acting in Germany. 70 workers are working at Pininfarina Deutschland GmbH based in Stuttgart in projecting and design.

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