Sergio Pininfarina: not a goodbye, but until forever

At the age of 85, Sergio Pininfarina has died after “a long illness”, as it is usually said, but the real and tangible fact is that a whole dynasty of coachbuilders has gone, 50 years of the company’s history bear his stamp, having worked at Carrozzeria Pininfarina, the company inherited from his father Battista “Pinin” Farina.

Sergio’s career began at the Politecnico di Torino, where he was studying mechanical engineering. Within a few years, Sergio reached the position of CEO of his father’s company, and he became its general director five years later, in 1966.

The models the coachbuilder produced under Sergio Pininfarina’s direction include the Ferrari 250 GTO, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider, the Alfa Romeo Spider, the Maserati Quattroporte and countless models of Ferrari, such as the Testarossa. Coupés and less spectacular road cars such as the Peugeot 406 coupé were also reworked by Pininfarina, as were other practically unknown cars. Sergio was particularly proud of the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Special from 1965, among prototypes, demonstration cars and cars built to order for carmakers, as well as for private customers and even buses.

Besides his work at the company, Pininfarina served as head of the Italian confederation of industrial employees for four years. In 2005 he was appointed by the Italian government with the title of life senator, and he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2008, one of his last public appearances.

Today we have some rather sad news in this world. With Sergio Pininfarina we must say that it is not goodbye, but until forever. Few other coachbuilders have had so many varied models under the responsibility of their pencil that are so well remembered and will have such influence in the years to come.