Speedhunting for me is as much a hobby as it is a profession. I’m lucky enough to work at Pininfarina here in Cambiano near Turin as a senior designer…just being here and part of this immense history is great, but to contribute to the design of some of the most iconic brands in the world of automotive is a fantastic opportunity.
I’ve worked on everything from city electric cars to supercars and everything in between with a very talented team; some of these guys here are legends in their own right, having created cars that you or I can only drool over, buy the poster of perhaps a scale model. Maybe some of the luckier people of there actually have or at least have driven some of these cars…I envy you!
Given this month’s Exotics & Luxury theme and the fact that some of the luckier speedhunters here have been travelling around Italy, I think it only fair that we honour one of the founding fathers of this genre. I am talking of Batista “Pinin” Farina. So here’s a little history of an incredible story
Battista, or Pinin as his nick name was to his friends and family (meaning “little” or “baby” in Piemontese dialect) started drawing this new automobile invention early on and soon became an apprentice mechanic at the age of 12 years old working in his older brother Giovanni’s coachworks in 1905. This informative period brought him into a new and interesting world, a period of time that both fascinated and scared western culture, where the machine was art and the firery mayhem of a racing car was the most awe inspiring sight -more beautiful than anything in the history of art, sculpture and music. The “Futurist” art movement of the early 20th century captivated this moment in history and Pinin wanted to be part of this.
Right in the very beginning, in 1910 (only 17 years old) Pinin won a
design competition submitted to Agnelli of Fiat. So impressed with the
idea and young Pinin’s honesty about his design ( he reportedly said to
him “ I prefer this one because I designed it”) that he was given a
special bodied version from Agnelli himself. Think about it he’s 17 at
this time, in 1910!
By 1930, he started his own works, fascinated by Henry Ford’s industrial spectacle and inspired by such figures as Le Corbusier, Channel, and Loewry. But it was Pinin’s strong sense of tradition and his love of modernism that carried him forward and has been passed down through his children to the current generation.
In 1952, Pinin met a certain man from Maranello. The agreement, never formally written down changed the world for both their companies, Carrozzeria Pinin Farina and Ferrari.
By 1958, Pinin relinquished control to his two sons, Sergio and his son-in-law, Renzo Carlo, both trained engineers. This year saw tremendous expansion, taking it from coachbuilder to major industrial group in a relatively short period. Together with another now infamous individual, Leonardo Fioravanti, Pininfarina became a leading authority in aerodynamics, something that Pinin held dear and still continues to be extremely important today in all design department activities. The first wind tunnel in Italy was installed in 1972 at the Pininfarina works.
In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Battista Faina’s company and indeed his surname was changed by deed poll by the President of Italy in 1961 to Pininfarina. This great honour solidified Pininfarina’s position in the automotive world. The great man, Pinin, died in 1966.
By the early 1980’s, Sergio’s children, Andrea, Paolo and Lorenza became actively involved with Sergio relinquishing control in the same manner as his father. Again, another period of growth followed with more infrastructure to support the now dedicated Research and Design Department in Cambiano.
It is with great sadness that I remember being in the studio one morning on August 7th, 2008 and being told of Andrea’s accident on his way to work. I didn’t quite believe it, much like anyone does at being told of when someone close to them has died. But reality caught us up pretty quickly. The family and indeed the automotive world lost a great man. But I have no doubt the company and indeed Paolo and Lorenza will continue to steer onwards through their loss and enrich the great history and name of Pininfarina.
There are some great books for the budding automotive historians out there, but let's get to the highlights: my personal 10 favourites. Part of the reason I became a car designer was because of some of these vehicles. But before I go on, I know some of you will have other top 10’s from Pininfarina. Feel free to comment below and let me know as I would love to hear which and why, but for me, we have:
Alfa Spider 1600 “Duetto.” Dustin Hoffman made this car infamous in the film “The Graduate” but just look at the sheer simplicity of it! The elegance, lightness and innocent nature of this little car from 1966 mask the joy an excitement of the drive. Original themes from 1956 on the 6C Super Flow experimental and the 1959 3500 Spider Super Sport culminated in this gem. And still reasonable affordable, if you can find one!
Maserati Birdcage. My jaw dropped when I saw this for the first time. I mean, look at it!
This is the return of the Hypercar, something this brutal (you have to hear this thing to believe it ) yet sensuous should be illegal.
Why aren’t we driving cars like this?
In the words of the exterior designer, Jason Castriota, this was designed to be “the new".
Modulo. This is where it started from for me.
Paolo Martin created something so far off this planet every time you see this you just stop. Everything.
I see this car every day in the studio building and still I can’t help but stop.
When Dino and Rod did the whole trip to Italy, they missed this. Next time!!!
It was built in 1970 and represented the Italian body building school at the Osaka Expo.
It was actually first shown in Geneva and was originally painted Dark Blue with white detailing and interior (I have a model on my desk) before being repainted to the infamous white with black.
It is actually built on a Ferrari 512 S frame and I think was the first to have the theory of 2 lines of symmetry in it’s design. To get in and out of this, the whole of the windscreen and side windows move forward on large linkages. Now that is how to make an entrance/exit! Just in case you’re curious , other noteable cars following this tough 2 symmetry aesthetic are the Bertone Stratos “Zero” and the Giugiaro Maserati Boomerang.
Another Paolo Martin: the Dino Berlinetta Competizione from 1967. Quite a seductive and rather small car, nevertheless very important to all later Ferraris.
The front and rear wings are fully adjustable from inside the cockpit, accessed by gullwing doors. The movie Director Jim Glickenhaus (of custom built Ferrari P4/5 fame) also purchased this car and reportedly enjoys this car both for the ride to work and for the occasional full on race.
I’m with him even one-off cars should be thrashed, it’s what they were born for!
Honda HP-X No, wait, I know what you’re thinking,but look at this for a minute. It doesn’t get any better than this in 1984. So simple in graphic execution with it’s single arc centre line, floating canopy and perfect for the product driven times of the mid 80’s. Underneath is just as interesting 2 litre, mid engine, 4 wheel drive. Why oh why did Honda not make this? Similar access to the Modulo with a full electronic interior. I want something like this as an everyday car.
So some of you may have also picked up on 1984 and the big news from this year, along with Don Johnson’s bright suit and silk shirt combos is this: The Ferrari Testarossa. I NEED one of these. Flowing yet very aggressive, this car rewrote the book.
Would you believe this is the first car to have a designated survival cell with a steel floor, roof and doors with the rest of the car in aluminium alloy. But the big attraction are the intakes for the F-1 style radiators. Never has this solution looked so good and so iconic.
Not too long ago, a Ferrari owner’s club showed up to Cambiano with a number of these in the group, mostly red, but one metallic midnight blue stood out. So now it’s a tough choice the blue or the white?
To tempt us further, one lucky Testarossa was given a new suit. The 1989 Mythos is a seriously cool car.
It also sits at work, still achingly modern in it’s form and design philosophy reminding us that dream cars are still possible.
It was created for the Tokyo motor show is a true interpretation of the classic 2 seat Barchetta. Another interpretation of this was mythic vehicle type was the Rossa, a front engined car designed in 2000 to celebrate 70 years of Pininfarina.
It’s all red from now on. This is Magnum PI ‘s bigger, tougher brother. The 288 GTO is a monster and marked another show stopper for 1984. Wider, faster, with a 400HP turbocharged heart, it marked the end of the 308 GTB style body.
I love this car, but it is unbelievable in yellow. Can this be the ultimate manly car? It’s interesting to note that, when designing this limited run legend, the GTO moniker was revived due to the extreme nature and sophisticated aerodynamics.
But what stands out is the use of the classical 3 outlet slots behind the rear wheel for pressure, where as on the original 250GTO they were behind the front wheel. It’s little things like this, that have a very functional yet pleasing and historical note to them, that is very Pininfarina.
Another show stopper here - the 1968 250 P5 Berlinetta. This radical culmination of the 60’s forms with the V12 visible under the rear glass is just beyond stunning. Look at the wheel arches!
But look at the front! 8 lights! 6 of which are main, 2 are turn signal. But the effect is just pure science fiction.
It is also the forerunner to a lot of themes seen later on the fins from the Testarossa, the big side intakes of the same and 288, soft volumes with subtle surface breaks. It was painted bright red with white wheels, akin to the Le Mans cars. The form itself was later evolved to the 1969 Alfa Romeo 33 Prototipo whilst certain elements like the linked front lights were revisited in theme on other cars like the Abarth 2000 Group 6 car and the Ferrari 365 Daytona.
This is another model I have on my desk and one I (and I bet the rest of the team) wish we had in the studio. Curves never looked so powerful.
Finally between the 288 and the modulo sits another car I like to sit in occasionally in the studio - and it is a really low seating position - the 1976 512 BB, derived from the 1971 365 GT. “BB” stands for Berlinetta Boxer given the nature of the engine.
It is ridiculously simple in design but incredibly sophisticated, with elements tat would evolve into the 308 but with the geometry and futurism of the Modulo.
The way the body curves away (called tumblehome in auto design slang) is beautifully punctuated by the almost naïve wheel arches that blend with the body side. Just perfect.
The interior is amazing with a fantastic mix of 70’s Italian product design...
...modernist furniture materials (doubt they would get this past fire safety now!) and military watches with the flourescent orange graphics.
And check out the rear deck... with that behind you I’m surprised anyone ordered the radio option! And just to emphasis the incredible coachwork, it’s in two tone. I’m completely sold.
There are of course so many wonderful creations from a whole list of amazing designers (called stylists here in Italy) of which I haven’t mentioned the Dino, the Daytona, the 512 S, the 308, the F40, F50, Enzo all these cars are held in awe by all of us, but being a designer puts me in a position find the lesser know sometimes more interesting cars.
I hope I’ve shed a little more light onto some of these exotic and luxurious creations and I hope you have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy them in many years to come.
Next year is Pininfarina’s 80th birthday, so you never know what may arrive to inspire us all over again.
Being here and seeing first hand the process and indeed how the process has changed is a real eye opener. From the countries and indeed the companies I have worked in, by far Pininfarina is the most unique, but then again you have to have a special process when you create automotive works of art like the above. I never imagined that I would have the chance to work here, especially when I think back to my university and college days.
For all us car designers, our dream is to see something you have imagined actually on the street, there in front of you. For me, to be part of that process and have my design on the street with a Pininfarina badge placed on the “carrozzeria” is the icing on the cake. This is still a family business and I’m proud to have been part of that family.
-David Beasley
Senior Designer
Pininfarina S.p.A.
Special June Exotics and Luxury Features on Speedhunters
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