BAIC could acquire Pininfarina

A report from Asian sources indicates that Chinese manufacturer Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC) wants to buy the Italian design house, and although the details are limited, it seems the Chinese company wants Pininfarina to help it create a new generation of cars based on the Saab 9-3.

Without a doubt this is news that could surprise many users; however, we must remember that last year the CEO of Spyker announced that he would sell the saloon’s architecture to other companies; therefore, it is not surprising that BAIC reports that it acquired the intellectual property rights to the 9-3 in 2010.

In addition, a Chinese news portal indicates that a Beijing Automotive executive went to Italy to negotiate the development of a new model based on the Swedish car’s platform, and the saloon is expected to debut at the 2011 Beijing Motor Show.

On the other hand, it is not yet known which company would have the greatest purchase option over the design giant (BAIC, Brilliance Auto and Anhui Jiangling from China; Mahindra and Bajaj from India; and Magna International), however it is expected that the outcome of the contest will favour the Italian designer.

Source | Inside Line