RE: RIP Sergio Pininfarina

[Twincam16]

slimbloke said:

Not forgetting the Brera - design-wise, one of the most beautiful cars on the road!

That was one of Giorgetto Giugiaro's.

[Schermerhorn]

I first saw this man in a magazine and remember thinking this man must have the best job in the entire world.

It was in 1996 and I was 10 years old. It was an issue of Car magazine and on the front cover was a red Ferrari 550 Maranello. It was the first time I'd ever seen a Ferrari and I just wanted to read more and more about it.
Halfway through the book was an interview with Sergio Pininfarina with his back to the Ferrari 550 Maranello and he talked about the leather, the ambienece, the evocative nature of Ferraris and all sorts of other things I didn't understand at the time. Since then I've been hooked.

RIP Sergio.

[DanB7290]

Very sad news, RIP and thanks for some of the most beautiful cars ever made!

[Barbon Star]

Thanks for the hours of fun you gave me studying my 1:18 F40 when I was a kid and the hours of frustration provided trying to draw it myself. My seminal petrolhead moments were designed by this man. RIP.

[benzito]

What a legend! RIP. My personal favourite:

[soad]

Steamer said:

What a legacy of beautiful design.

[DeltaEvo2]

Simply the BEST!

[Chris944_S2]

Such sad new
I've only ever owned one Pininfarina styled car, the Alfa 164. Not everyone finds it a looker, but to me it had really well balanced lines and just looked right from any angle. Aged much better than most other late 80's/early 90's cars in my view.

[Mouse1903]

RIP. So many beautiful cars made thanks to him

[dinkel]

My pick of the bunch:
1964 Ferrari 275


Pug 406 Coupe

[matthias73]

I'm going to buy a 406 coupe now, out of rememberence.

[kiteless]

A back-catalogue of car designs that - IMHO - will never ever be repeated. A giant in his field, and a massive loss to the automotive world I don't think we'll see his like again

RIP, Sergio and thanks for everything; especially this

[The Nur]

matthias73 said:

I'm going to buy a 406 coupe now, out of rememberence.

I too feel I should add a pinin car to the (rapidly growing) stable. Not that I will be able to buy a good one or even look after it, but I want one.

[Baggio850]

When he was asked what his greatest design was his reply was always "My next one...". It's such a shame we'll never see it, but what a legacy he has left. In my opinion the Ferrari Testarossa was his high point and one of the most iconic car designs of all time. I don't really care that they're not all that good to drive. I just want to buy one to park in my garage, pour myself a brandy and admire a great work of art.

[PaulG40]

A lifelong legend if there ever was one! RIP!

[rohrl]

There was nice little bit about him on Radio 4 news earlier, complete with Lancia and Testarossa sounds.

[Veeayt]

RIP



Dino 206GT, the most beautiful car in Gordon Murray's opinion

[petrolsniffer]

RIP designed some of the best looking peugeots before they went for the suprized fish look!

[Stuart]

Amazed that nobody has mentioned this. To have done this and the F40 and the 250SWB demands maximum

RIP, and thank you.

[Twincam16]

Stuart said:

Amazed that nobody has mentioned this...

That's because it was one of Leonardo Fioravanti's.

A lot of these designs were completed under Sergio's control of the company, but weren't actually his. The Dino, for example, was by Aldo Bravarone, Paolo Martin did the Fiat 130 Coupe among others, and Leonardo Fioravanti shaped most Ferraris from the Daytona to the 288 GTO, and penned the Alfa Romeo 164 before he left to set up shop on his own.

That doesn't detract from Pininfarina's own work for one minute - and he had the final say-so over all these designs - but a lot of those designs weren't just his idea.