Battista (Pinin) Farina Italian car designer, founder of Carrozzeria Pininfarina Date of Birth: 02.11.1893 Country: Italy

Biography of Battista (Pinin) Farina

Battista Farina, an Italian automobile designer and the founder of Carrozzeria Pininfarina, is considered one of the greatest designers of his time. He was born in Turin, Italy, and was the 10th of 11 children. Due to his age, he was nicknamed "Pinin," which means "the youngest brother."

At the age of 12, Farina started working in his older brother Giovanni's workshop, where his interest in automobiles began to emerge. He collaborated with Giovanni's company, Giovanni's Stabilimenti Industriali Farina, for several decades. There, he learned various levels of complex bodywork and later began creating his own cars.

In 1930, Battista founded Carrozzeria Pininfarina, a company specializing in the development and creation of new car bodies. He excelled in this field, and his company quickly gained fame. During the 1930s, the Carrozzeria Touring project also enjoyed significant success.

In 1946, Battista Farina designed and created the "Cisitalia" car, which quickly gained recognition and became a benchmark in post-war automobile manufacturing. The "Cisitalia" was even exhibited in The Museum of Modern Art in New York as one of the eight most outstanding cars in history. Twenty years later, another creation of Battista's, the "Sigma," which was notable for its unique approach to driver safety, was also included in the same museum.

By introducing the "Cisitalia" to the world, Farina reaffirmed his reputation as an extremely talented designer, attracting the attention of major automobile manufacturers such as Detroit's Nash Motor. Battista's fame extended beyond his own company, as he achieved significant success in collaborative projects as well.

In 1952, Farina began working for Ferrari, a collaboration that is considered to be influenced by his son Sergio. However, Battista's own contributions cannot be underestimated. In the early 1950s, Giovanni Farina's company, Stabilimenti Farina, merged with the significantly expanded Carrozzeria Pininfarina.

In 1958, Pininfarina opened a new factory, which embodied the latest industrial architecture ideas of the time. The initial area of the plant was 75,000 square meters and was later expanded to 102,500 square meters.

Farina always had a sense of humor about his childhood nickname. He initially incorporated it into the name of his company, and in 1961, he officially changed his surname to "Pininfarina." This name change was approved by the president of the republic under the project proposed by the Minister of Justice.

The legendary "1600 Duetto," made by order of Alfa Romeo, is considered the last project that Battista Farina personally developed. This unique car was first presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Less than a month later, on April 3, 1966, Battista Pininfarina passed away at the age of 72.