LA STAMPA, CORRIERE DELLA SERA, IL SOLE 24 ORE (Italy)
TURIN - Sergio Pininfarina, among history’s most accomplished car designers and a symbol of “Made in Italy” style, has died at the age of 85. Italian media reported Tuesday morning that Pininfarina died at his home the night before after a long illness.
Noted for his designs of Italian sedans and sports cars, including models for Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo (see Giulietta Spider below), Pininfarina was also much sought after by carmakers around the world like Peugeot, Rolls Royce and Cadillac.
His death was top news on virtually all Italian news websites:
Milan daily Corriere della Sera: “Farewell Pininfarina: Genius of the Automobile”
Business daily Il Sole 24 Ore: “Death of Pininfarina, Father of Italian Auto Style”
Taking over the family business of car design and production, he built an empire that also included train and bus design, and eventually pushed him to the leadership of Italy’s industrial association and the appointment as a Senator for Life.
But he will be best remembered for his designer’s eye that married cutting-edge with a classic touch.
“What is essential is to conserve the patrimony of the past but know how to point toward the future, anticipating the times,” he told La Stampa, the daily based in Turin, Pininfarina’s hometown and the hub of Italy’s automobile sector.
