Artist research

History of Battista "Pinin" Farina

At age 11 he began working in his brother Giovanni's bodyshop, the "Stabilimenti Farina". During the First World War he personally supervised the construction of the "Aviatic" trainer planes, for which he received a commendation from the Office of Military Aviation.

In 1920, he went to the United States to see America and judge first hand the great developments in that country. In Detroit he met with Henry Ford, who asked him to stay in America and work for Ford Motor Company, but Pininfarina preferred to return to Italy. However, this American visit was of great value, not so much for new technological information as for the glimpse of the enthusiasm that private enterprise instilled in the American people. The feverish pace of the American life impressed him and encouraged him to take up the challenge of his lifetime.

In 1930, he left "Stabilimenti Farina" and founded ''Carrozzeria Pinin Farina".

His plan was to build special car bodies, but he aimed at eventually expanding beyond the level of manual craftsmanship. He wanted to transform car body manufacturing into an independent industry, giving employment to increasing numbers of people. With this in mind, he equipped the factory with new industrial tools and procedures. In brief time he had assembled a production line able to turn out small series of vehicles at a rythm of 7/8 vehicles per day.

Even before the Second World War, his plant in Corso Trapani had produced car bodies of revolutionary design, prefiguring the lines automobiles would have in the future. Before the war Pininfarina had established contacts with foreign car companies: General Motors sought his cooperation as did Renault. The war interrupted these contacts.

After the war, Pininfarina designed and produced, among other things, the 1946 "Cisitalia" shown in the Museum of Modern Art in New York as "one of the eight outstanding cars of our time". It was defined as the best expression of simplicity and beauty of design in the automotive field. It set the standards for the post-war era automobile. Twenty years later, the Museum of Modern Art in New York would present another Pininfarina vehicle, the "Sigma", a prototype of safety car that would receive praise world-wide and especially in the United States.

In 1961, after 50 years of activity, Pininfarina turned over the direction of the firm to his son, Sergio, and his son-in-law, Renzo Carli. This change, nonetheless, assured the continuation of Pinin's work, since they took place as designers as well as industrial managers.

http://www.pininfarina.com/en/company/history

Techniques

The techniques used to create the original design was created with pencil and paper. the design would be laid out with mathematics to ensure the design had 

Impact on Industry

Paolo Pininfarina

“A good design cannot exist if it is not practical, and perfect functionality cannot be achieved without perfect form”

Pininfarina has always drawn inspiration from the values of creativity and innovation, without forgetting the strength of tradition.

http://www.snaidero.com/paolo-pininfarina

They were always revolutionising the design of motor vehicles. They would make the cars look like they were from the future, they always wanted to be seen a making steps in the industry, so they were always ahead of other designers throughout the years. They gained contacts from many different manufacturers and non vehicle companies which made them completely different from other automobile design companies. They moved into different areas of design, giving them a better opportunity for more design possibilities.

http://italychronicles.com/sergio-pininfarina-creator-legends/

Pininfarina interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRip4l4-u8

History of the company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pininfarina

Pininfarina is an independent Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy. It was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.

Pininfarina has employed by a wide variety of manufactures to design vehicles. These firms have included long-established customers such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Fiat, GM, Lancia, and Maserati, to emerging companies in the Asian market with Chinese manufactures like AviChina, Chery, Changfeng, Brilliance, and JAC.

Since the 1980s Pininfarina has also designed high-speed trains, buses, trams, rolling stocks, automated light rail cars, people movers, yachts, airplanes, and private jets. With the 1986 creation of Pininfarina Extra they have consulted on industrial design, interior design, architecture, and graphic design.

Pininfarina was run by Battista's son Sergio Pininfarina until 2001, then his grandson Andrea Pininfarina until his death in 2008. After Andrea's death his younger brother Paolo Pininfarina was appointed as CEO.

At its height in 2006 the Pininfarina Group employed 2,768 people with subsidiary company offices throughout Europe, as well as in Morocco and the United States. As of 2012 with the end of series automotive production, employment has shrunk to 821. Pininfarina is registered and publicly traded on the Borsa Italiana (Milan Stock Exchange).