Paolo Pininfarina has died

The automotive world is mourning the death of Paolo Pininfarina, president since 2008 of the Italian design company of the same name and 'father' of several concept cars that have written the history of the Italian automobile.

The son of "senator for life" Sergio Pininfarina and grandson of Battista "Pinin" Farina, founder of the coachbuilder turned design company, had been ill for some time. He leaves behind his wife Ilaria, his mother Giorgia and his five children. The Motor1 editorial team sends its condolences to his family and friends.

A life for cars

Paolo Pininfarina's career began in 1982, after graduating in mechanical engineering from Turin Polytechnic and gaining some professional experience abroad. Five years later, in 1987, he became Chairman and CEO of Pininfarina Extra, a company specialising in furniture, architecture, nautical, aeronautical and industrial design.

The following year, in 1988, he became a member of the company's Board of Directors and, in 2002, joined the Management Committee, becoming Vice-Chairman in 2006 and Chairman in 2008, following the sudden death of his brother Andrea.

Among the cars born from his pencil, special mention goes to the Ferrari Sergio Pininfarina, created in memory of his father in 2013.

Ferrari Sergio Pininfarina

Motor1 also had a special link with Paolo Pininfarina and his company, which in 2020 created   our new logo, used by all the network's publications.

Paolo Pininfarina at the presentation of the new Motor1.com logo in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Silvio Angori, Managing Director of Pininfarina, commented:

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Board of Auditors and all Pininfarina employees, I express my deep sadness and grief for the loss of our beloved Chairman. We are all extremely grateful to engineer Pininfarina for his extraordinary contribution to the company and for always working passionately, in the first person, to protect our history and our corporate identity, both in terms of style and ethical and behavioural choices."

"I am personally grateful to him for confirming me at the head of the company, after the death of Andrea Pininfarina in 2008. Over the years, we have shared many triumphs, but also many challenges, advising and supporting each other. The best way to honour his memory is to continue, as he would have wished, to work hard for the future of Pininfarina".

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