Pininfarina: 6 Stunning Concepts and Road Cars that Defined Design

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Posted by George Kennedy 

 

                               

 

One of the most storied and respected design houses was saved this week. Italian design firm Pininfarina was purchased by Indian industrial manufacturer Mahindra. The move keeps the doors open on a company that has been around since 1930, and has crafted some of the most beautiful cars of all time.

 

Here are some of our favorite concepts from the design studio. There are countless cars out there with design that came from Pininfarina, but these are concepts and production cars that specifically have Pininfarina listed as the brand or model

Racing in the 1960s was deadly, and as cars were getting faster, the specter of danger to drivers continued to loom. The Sigma showcased many safety innovations that would become staples of F1 cars of the future, including complex safety harnesses, multi-later fuel tanks, a fire-suppression system and a hardened survival cell. It also looked like something from the future.

For the 1970 FIA racing campaign, Ferrari needed to build 25 road-going examples of its 512 S racecar for it to be homologated. This car was given to Pininfarina which turned it into a design study, with an enclosed and extremely low canopy. All four wheels are partly covered for improved aerodynamics.

Long hood, barely any windshield, roll-bar, short rear deck. These are the hallmarks of an incredible speedster.

 75 units were built in 2005 as a means to celebrate 75 years of the design house. Quite a birthday present.

Stock market magnate James Glickenhaus loved old Ferraris, but wanted a car with the classic look grafted onto a modern chassis. The car was technically originally designed by Ferrari, but redesigned by Pininfarina.

The car was set up to go racing, which is something Ferrari was not interested in doing, and the company distanced itself from Glickenhaus, which led to the creation of the SCG 003, one of the coolest cars you will ever read about.

Speaking of complex inter-company relations, this car was a modern homage to the stunning Lancia Stratos, and was commissioned by German businessman Michael Stoschek.

 The one-off mid-engined sports car uses a Ferrari 430 as its base, and is a truly honest interpretation of the classic Stratos.

Lancia has proved it knows hot to celebrate milestones. This car was built to commemorate the life of Sergio Pininfarina, who ran the eponymous company for 40 years (he was also the man who convinced Enzo Ferrari to move to mid-engined car layouts).

 This stunning concept features such a mid-engined design as well as an open cockpit that looks like a love letter to Italian car design.