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Sergio Pininfarina, who headed the legendary Italian design house his father founded and was responsible for some of its greatest works, passed away in his home in Turin, Italy, late July 2 after a long illness. He was 85.
Some of the cars created under Pininfarina’s guidance include the Fiat 124 Spider, Peugeot 406 Coupe, the Ferrari Testarossa and more recently the Ferrari 458 Italia and Sintesi concept car. For Pininfarina, the best designs were simple and elegant.
Sergio PininfarinaPininfarina, son of Pininfarina founder Battista Farina, was involved with the firm for more than 40 years and helped with its expansion, helping to make it one of the most renowned design firms in the world today.
Born in Turin in 1926 and originally a student of mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic of Torino, Pininfarina graduated in 1950. He would start work in the family firm several years later. He initially undertook the responsibility of general manager before becoming managing director in 1961 and chairman of the company after his father’s death in 1966.
One of his final public appearances was in 2008, when he was named as a member the European Automotive Hall of Fame, joining his father, who was made a member just six years earlier.
He is survived by his wife, Giorgia, his daughter, Lorenza, and his son, Paolo, who is the current Pininfarina chairman. Pininfarina had another son, Andrea, who passed away in 2007 from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident.
