If there's one company that has helped Ferrari become the automotive giant it is today, it's Pininfarina. Pininfarina is a legendary Italian design house and coachbuilder that has designed some of Ferrari's greatest cars, including the 288 GTO, F50, Testarossa, and more. Pininfarina has been so important to Ferrari over the years that when its founder's son Sergio Pininfarina passed away in 2012, the automaker honored their partnership with a special car - the Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio.
While Pininfarina is mostly known for its Ferrari designs, it has also worked with other automakers on many occasions. This article explores ten of the greatest non-Ferrari Pininfarina designs of all time.
10 2020 Pininfarina Battista
Pininfarina typically designs cars for other automakers, but in 2020, it decided to create the first-ever car bearing its own name - the Battista. The Battista is named after the founder of Pininfarina - Battista Farina - which means it was meant to be special from the get-go.
The Battista is an electric car based on the Rimac Nevera. It has a unique design but comes with the same powertrain as the Nevera - a 120 kWh battery pack powering four electric motors with a combined output of 1,877 hp. It takes less than 2 seconds to get to 60 mph and has a top speed of 250 mph, making it one of the fastest EVs in the world.
9 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider
Pininfarina designs are typically reserved for the most expensive sports cars, but not always. The company has worked on several affordable sports cars over the years, with one excellent example being the Alfa Romeo Spider.
This car is the perfect example of Pininfarina's 'less is more' strategy - it has a simple, elegant silhouette that's still recognizable to date. The best thing about the Spider is that it's still one of the most affordable European classic sports cars today.
8 2007 Maserati GranTurismo
For decades, Maserati has struggled to command the same respect its big brother Ferrari has. However, Maserati had a plan to change that in 2007 with a special car - the GranTurismo.
To ensure that the GranTurismo was a winner, Maserati needed to get the design right, which is why it hired Pininfarina. Pininfarina didn't disappoint, as the GranTurismo turned out to be a stunner. It also had the power to match, thanks to a 4.2-liter V8 producing 400 hp.
7 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Rondine
The second-generation Corvette is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful American cars ever. However, GM design executive Bill Mitchell still wanted a European interpretation of the C2 Corvette's design, so he hired Pininfarina to handle it. The result was the one-of-one Rondine Coupe.
Pininfarina left the Corvette's chassis, frame, and standard 5.4-liter V8 engine untouched. However, they worked on the exterior, resulting in a gorgeous coupe with unique body lines that looked different from the US Corvettes.
6 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
The 124 Sport Spider is a fantastic roadster produced from 1966 to 1985. The car was designed by Pininfarina and manufactured by Fiat in Turin until 1981, after which Pininfarina took over the production.
At the heart of the 124 Sport Spider was a double overhead cam 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 89 hp. Granted, this car wasn't fast, but it was not built for speed - more for cruising leisurely on the highway with the top down.
5 1975 Rolls-Royce Camargue
When it comes to building fantastic full-size luxury sedans, no one does it better than Rolls-Royce. The 1975 Camargue shows why that's the case. The Camargue - named after the coastal region in Southern France - was the first post-war Rolls-Royce not designed in-house, and it turned out to be a huge success.
At launch, the Camargue was the top-ranging Rolls-Royce and also the most expensive production car in the world. It was worth every penny, though, thanks to its elegant design, upscale interior, and massive 6.75-liter V8 under the hood.
4 1962 Lancia Flavia Coupe
In 1961, Lancia introduced the Flavia, aiming to take on the executive car market. The Flavia was a great car, but it was lacking in the design department. So a year after its introduction, Lancia hired Pininfarina to design the coupe version of the Flavia on a shortened platform. The result was the gorgeous Flavia Coupe.
The Flavia Coupe was powered by a 1.5-liter Lancia four-cylinder engine producing 89 hp, giving it a 0-60 of around 18 seconds and a top speed of 92 mph.
3 1987 Cadillac Allante
In the '80s, Cadillac needed a new, aspirational model to help maintain its position as the top luxury car producer in the US. Cadillac's plan was simple - to combine European design with American power. That's how the Allante was born.
Cadillac's plan almost worked, as many gearheads loved the Allante's design. Unfortunately, production costs were just too high since the bodies had to be shipped 4,600 miles from Pininfarina facilities to the US. In the end, only 21,000 Allantes were built.
2 1966 Fiat Dino Spider
The Fiat Dino Spider is not a Ferrari, but it has a strong connection to the Maranello-based marque. This front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car was introduced by Fiat in 1966 but was named after Ferrari's new Dino V6 engine.
The Fiat Dino's design was created by two of the greatest design houses in Italy. The coupe was designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, while the Spider was designed by Pininfarina.
1 1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
The Giulietta is a family of automobiles produced by Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was available in multiple body styles, including 2+2 coupe, estate, four-door saloon, spider, and Sprint.
While all Giuliettas looked great, we have a soft spot for the Spider. This is the only version designed by Pininfarina, which is easy to tell since it's the best-looking of the bunch.