pininfarina Archives

Pininfarina names Renault’s Fabio Filippini as design director

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Design/Style

Fabio Filippini

Independent design studios and coachbuilders – the famous Italian ones especially – are still facing tough times, with business waning and designers switching positions like a proverbial game of musical chairs. Pininfarina is among the most storied of them all, and has reportedly named a new design director to lead its activities.

According to reports, the latest man in the hot seat is Fabio Filippini. The Italian graduate of the Milan Politecnico comes to Pininfarina from Renault, where he has served as Vice President of Interior Design since 2008. Over the course of his tenure at the French automaker, Filippini oversaw the design of the latest Megane, was founding director of the satellite Renault Design Paris studio and has lived in France, Japan and Spain.

In his new capacity at Pininfarina, Filippini takes over from Lowie Vermeersch, who left the company late last year, and will report directly to Pininfarina’s CEO Silvio Pietro Angori.

[Source: Car Body Design]

Pininfarina names Renault’s Fabio Filippini as design director originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Ferrari, Design/Style

Ferrari P4/5

Ferrari P4/5 hits the track – Click above to watch video after the jump

It’s no secret that we wish James Glickenhaus would adopt us (Hell, your author would barely have to change his last name) and we’ve always been quite smitten with his one-off Ferrari P4/5. The Pininfarina-bodied car has been seen everywhere from New York City to a Gooding’s auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Palm Beach, Florida and even the Paris Motor Show. Now we have footage of it doing more than just looking good as Glickenhaus took the car across The Pond for some high-speed testing.

After calling it a day at the track, the P4/5 doesn’t get put on a trailer, it’s used to shuffle off into the city to enjoy the local night life. We’re pretty sure that Mr. Glickenhaus gets the velvet-rope treatment when he heads out, but it’s nice to see that the P4/5 does too.

Hop the jump to watch a short video of the Ferrari P4/5 in action.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing

Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: China’s BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina

Filed under: China, Rumormill

BAIC C71EV

BAIC C71EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, or BAIC, is looking to buy Italian design firm Pininfarina. The Chinese automaker is already working with Pininfarina in collaboration on its upcoming models based on older Saabs.

Since mid-2009, Pininfarina’s family ownership has been looking to unload its majority stake in the company. Interest from several Chinese automakers has been piqued and BAIC is not alone in bidding for the right to purchase the design house. Brilliance and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile have put in bids, as have Indian automakers Mahindra and Bajaj Auto and Canadian parts supplier Magna International.

Regardless of BAIC submitting a winning bid, work with Pininfarina is proceeding and we expect to see the fruits of both companies’ efforts at a car show sometime in the very near future.

Gallery: Beijing 2010: BAIC Saabs

[Source: Gasgoo]

Report: China’s BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Ferrari SA APERTA is a limited-edition homage to Pininfarina

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Ferrari

Ferrari SA APERTA

Ferrari SA APERTA – Click above for high-res image gallery

Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina would be proud. The Ferrari SA APERTA has made its global entrance, so stare at it while you can because you might never see one in person. Just 80 sans-roof examples of the front-engined V12 hot-rod will be built. That number serves to honor the 80th anniversary of Pininfarina, just as the letters S and A honor Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina.

It’s not entirely topless, though. It does come with a lightweight soft-top which can be installed if the rain begins to fall. We imagine the procedure for putting that top on is surprisingly difficult and it would be smarter to just drive faster and evade the weather. It would be a shame to muffle the open-air song from that 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, even just a little bit.

The Ferrari SA APERTA (aperta is Italian for “open”) is a wonderful way to pay tribute to two men and a company that have played an important role for Enzo’s company.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Ferrari SA APERTA

Ferrari SA APERTA

Paris 2010: Ferrari SA APERTA is a limited-edition homage to Pininfarina originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Lancia Stratos is a Pininfarina-designed one-off

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Fiat, Specialty, Luxury, Lancia

Turns out Italiaspeed had it right: the remade Lancia Stratos spotted on a Fiat test track in Milan is a coachbuilt one-off for a European client, and has nothing to do with Fenomenon. As the story goes, a certain unnamed industrialist asked Pininfarina – not Bertone, the Stratos’ original designer – to pen a body with a traditional front end true to the icon.

Of several tips we’ve received on the car, one stated that the body would fit over a greatly-shortened Ferrari F430 chassis and retain the F430’s V8, “so just like the original car it will try and kill you.” Although this isn’t the best news for anyone hoping for a Stratos revival, we can’t wait to see this bespoke Stratos on display at some future show. Hat tip to Lindz.

Rumormill: Lancia Stratos is a Pininfarina-designed one-off originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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