The 90th anniversary of Pininfarina

Pininfarina begins the celebrations for its 90th birthday with a day-long event at the Milan Triennale speaks of origins, history and – above all – the outlook for the future

Making innovation, for 90 years. The path of Pininfarina is an industrial history handbook of success, of Italian brilliance that becomes a legend in the world. On 22 May 1930 Battista Farina, known as “Pinin,” opened his first body shop in the Trapani racing establishment in Turin. Today, 9 decades and 3 generations later, the group combines its historic skills in automotive design with complete turnkey solutions for a range of different sectors (from real estate to telecommunications, nautical to retail).

Management e istituzioni alle celebrazioni ufficiali dei 90 anni di Pininfarina. Al centro Presidente Paolo Pininfarina
Management and institutions at the official celebrations of Pininfarina’s 90th anniversary. President Paolo Pininfarina at the centre

The story of Pininfarina was the focus of a one-day event on Tuesday 18 February at Triennale di Milano, kicking off the official celebrations for the brand’s 90th anniversary.

“If we are here, it is because we have done new and surprising things for 90 years,” said the president of the firm Paolo Pininfarina, grandson of the founder now at the helm of the company, in a generational transition that reflects extraordinary rigor in conserving values and attitudes, in spite of the exponential growth of the brand. “I have learned a lot from my predecessors: from my grandfather I took the vision and consistency, determination and courage; my father Sergio taught me discipline, respect for others and a work ethic. I like to think I have taken the courage to look ahead, to see future opportunities, from my brother Andrea.”

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Vision, design by Pininfarina for Snaidero

From this family synergy projects have been created that have marked the phases of evolution of the company, from the first industrial design effort in partnership with Snaidero (a relationship lasting 30 years), to the first interior design project for Allianz Stadium in Turin (for which the Pininfarina Extra team concentrated on all the internal areas accessible to the public) and the first architectural work, with the construction of the Cyrela tower in Sao Paulo (Brazil). 

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Torre Cyrela by Pininfarina, San Paolo

For the 90th anniversary, the company announces a new collaboration in the field of architecture, with the Spanish developer EXCEM Real Estate, for a new residential complex (38 extra-luxury units) in Estepona (Spain).

“The group has changed radically, but in keeping with the passion for things ‘done well,’ the ability to see the future even in the midst of difficulties,” says the managing director Silvio Pietro Angori. Difficulties and challenges that in 90 years have faced Pininfarina, across a World War, social and economic changes, an energy crisis, and the technological and digital revolutions. There has also been an obligatory change of the family surname, when in 1961 a presidential decree altered Farina into Pininfarina, confirming the worldwide recognition of the brand, a synonym of Italian industry and style.

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Princess R35, design by Pininfarina

While the past is a constant inspiration, the present involves services for the automotive sector (design, engineering, bespoke production), industrial design and architecture, with seven offices, 700 employees and sales of 105.3 million euros (2018). But the main focus is the future. “Our unique character as a global supplier of services – Angori concludes – is the capacity to create value for companies, constructing new customer experiences. To guarantee harmony between the various phases of the experience of a client, the key is Pininfarina design, known around the world for its combination of beauty and innovation. Relying on this particular aspect, we can proudly state that for 90 years we have been designing the future.”