Born 28 August 1958 in Turin. Died 9 April 2024 in Turin.
‘Classic cars are very nice, but they represent the past. The past is important as a reference, but we are working for the future. We are a design house, not a museum.’
Paolo Pininfarina was an Italian engineer and designer.
He became CEO and Chairman of Pininfarina in 2008 following the sudden death of his brother.
Whilst he is known mainly for creating timeless, elegant, and innovative designs in the motor car world, he was also a recognised designer in furniture and architecture.
His style was strongly Italian and balanced beautifully with modern innovation.
As the son of Sergio and grandson of Battista ‘Pinin ‘Farina, who created the business, he also changed the Farina family name to Pininfarina in 1961.
His father, Sergio Pininfarina, greatly influenced him. He taught him the company’s ethical values and how to balance creativity with pragmatism.
Paolo Pininfarina is the fourth member of his family to run the business founded by his grandfather; Paolo’s father, Sergio, and brother, Andrea, preceded him before their deaths.
Post-war, Pininfarina developed a partnership with Ferrari, which resulted in Pininfarina becoming the exclusive design house for the Prancing Horse brand.
Mahindra bought the majority of the Pininfarina shares from the Italian company Pincar Srl. The association with Ferrari ended.
Although the company has been majority-owned by the Indian industrial conglomerate Mahindra since 2015, it still operates independently.
This partnership allowed Automobili Pininfarina to create the stunning Pininfarina Battista.
At the time of the launch, it was the most powerful car ever made in Italy and the fastest-accelerating car globally.
Will the timeless modernism, this kind of sporting elegance under Paolo’s tutelage, continue?
I, for one, sincerely hope so.
