We believe that only very few gearheads haven't heard about Pininfarina yet. This Italian car design firm and coach builder has built a global reputation for itself across its 90 years of operation. Although primarily known for its collaboration with Ferrari, Pininfarina is famous for many other design achievements conducted with big names such as Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Fiat, Maserati, and BMW.

Today, Pininfarina is perceived as a bearer of the aesthetic values of Italian design. The company works on both automotive and non-automotive designs, but it's primarily known for the former. It's no wonder why the beauties such as the Ferrari 288 GTO and Testarossa, the Alfa Romeo Giuletta Spider, the Maserati Gran Turismo, and many other models, all left the Pininfarina lines. Thus, there are many reasons to praise and love the design achievements of Pininfarina.

Now, you may know some famous Pininfarina accomplishments, but how much do you know about the company itself? As the car models designed by Pininfarina (both vintage and modern) continue to attract a lot of attention, we think it's only fair to explore the rich history of this celebrated brand.

Here, we briefly review the Pininfarina history and highlight some handsome models that come from this Italian designer.

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History Of Pininfarina: The Birth Of The Design Maestro And Early Years

The 1930 Corso Trapani in front of the Pininfarina company.
Via: Pininfarina

It was early spring in 1930 when Battista "Pinin" Farina founded Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in Turin. Since its early beginnings with about 150 employees, the company has built special car bodies for particular customers. Not long after the launch, Pininfarina appeared at the Paris Motor Show with Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Isotta-Fraschini, and Fiat car models.

The 1936 Lancia Astura Cabriolet surrounded by people.
Via: Pininfarina

In all these models, it was clear that Pininfarina spoke to wealthy buyers. The luxurious designs were reserved for loyalty, but without sacrificing performance. Pininfarina was always about preserving the car's identity, performance, and aerodynamics, which is one of the reasons why its designs stood the test of time.

RELATED: 10 Awesome Pininfarina Designs That Weren’t Ferraris

History Of Pininfarina: The Post-War Struggles And The Unexpected Collaboration With Ferrari

The 1947 Cisitalia front view.
Via: Pininfarina

Unfortunately, World War II soon ended automobile production for all brands, not only Pininfarina. The Carrozzeria Pinin Farina was destroyed during the war years, and afterward, the brand wasn't allowed to showcase car designs at the Paris Motor Show. However, Pinin and his son still went to the show and parked their cars in front of the building. They attracted so much attention that they gained a spot on the show tomorrow morning.

From that moment, Pininfarina grew steadily. The first big new design was embedded in the Cisitalia 202, now displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. With this car, Pininfarina wanted to step away from the old shapes and introduce new, smooth lines in the automobile industry. The same effort overflew into the Ferrari partnership that started somewhere in the 50s.

The 1967 Dino 206 Competizione Concept built for Ferrari.
Via: Pininfarina

At the time, most people thought that Pininfarina and Ferrari would make a bad match. How wrong they were! Pinin and Enzo Ferrari started a beautiful partnership that birthed amazing designs over the years.

But that wasn't all. Pininfarina also worked with Alfa Romeo in 1955 to produce the outstanding Giuletta Spider. In 1956, cooperation with Peugeot started, following the partnership with Lancia. It seemed Pininfarina wasn't planning to stop expanding any time soon, which we can now say with certainty.

Pininfarina In The '70s And The '80s

The 1978 Fiat Ecos2 concept by Pininfarina.
Via: Pininfarina

In the late '60s, Battista Pininfarina died and Sergio Pininfarina became the Chairman. Nothing changed for the company. Pininfarina continued to develop designs that made a perfect balance with qualities such as sensitivity, taste, technical research, and innovation. It continued to grow as well.

The 1989 Ferrari Mythos designed by Pininfarina.
Via: Pininfarina

Across the '70s, Pininfarina fought the global crisis the entire industry faced by focusing on the essence of aerodynamics more than ever. This extensive research continued in the '80s and led Pininfarina to open another design center. After the crisis, the future looked bright for the Italian designer.

The Pininfarina In Modern Time: A Blend Of Tradition And Innovation

The 2006 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti on display.
Via: Pininfarina

Pininfarina designed so many models and went through so many changes over the years that it's hard to note them all in this brief overview. Therefore, we'll mention only some of the important things that happened in modern times.

The 2005 Maserati Birdcage parked outdoors.
Via: Pininfarina

Firstly, Pininfarina designed four renewed models: the Ferrari 456 GT, the Coupé Fiat, the Peugeot 306 Cabriolet, and the Bentley Azure. Secondly, the partnership with Maserati was renewed and birthed the famous Quattroporte. Thirdly, Pininfarina continued to collaborate with the big names, and it produced its own vehicles until the production was halted in 2011.

The 2013 BMW Gran Lusso Coupe outdoors.
Via: Pininfarina

In terms of ownership, Pininfarina was acquired by the Mahindra group in 2015. Soon after, the company invested a lot of money in a lineup of luxurious electric cars. We've had a chance to see glimpses of extraordinary designs, such as the one highlighted in the new Battista. If all Pininfarina's future designs end up like this one, we can still expect great new things from this prominent Italian designer.