The story of Pininfarina and Alfa Romeo is one of mutual admiration and a shared passion for innovation in automotive design that spans nearly eighty years. This remarkable partnership, which began in the early 1930s, reflects a continuous journey of creativity, prestige, and performance that has defined both brands.
The Journey Begins
The partnership truly began in earnest when Battista Farina, the younger brother of Giovanni Farina, the founder of Stabilimenti Farina, sought to establish his own company. With the foundation of Pininfarina in 1930, the relationship with Alfa Romeo blossomed. The brand’s powerful chassis became the backbone of many bespoke vehicles, appealing to a clientele that sought both luxury and performance.
Alfa Romeo: A Brand with a Strong Identity
Alfa Romeo was a brand with a distinctly characterized image, already well-established and having reached a pinnacle of fame, notably reinforced by its absolute victories in three consecutive editions of the Mille Miglia. It was during this time that the fledgling Pininfarina had the opportunity to include the 6C 1750 Gran Sport supercharged cabriolet among its prestigious references, alongside notable brands like Hispano-Suiza, Isotta Fraschini, and Lancia.
Access to chassis from such legendary brands was an unusual privilege for a new enterprise. Battista “Pinin” Farina would have had a much humbler beginning without the prestige he derived from being the legitimate heir to the finest coachbuilding traditions in Turin.
However, limiting himself to building elegant vehicles primarily for representational purposes could have risked stifling Pininfarina’s creativity within a classicism that had become substantially static. The “perpendicular” architecture of earlier coachbuilders like Carrozzeria Sala and Castagna, as well as his own family’s establishment, had already peaked before the end of the 1930s.
Battista Farina was able to leverage the prestige of these Alfa Romeo models, ensuring that Pininfarina’s designs were not merely beautiful but also synonymous with speed and performance. The powerful engines that Alfa Romeo produced offered a thrilling driving experience, and this allure attracted clients who desired not just luxury but a racing pedigree. For Pininfarina, this meant an opportunity to innovate without the constraints that often stifle creativity.
This formal cultural context was where Pinin reached the first maturity of his judgment. The risk of being constrained by these conventions was real; yet, he possessed the talent to exercise a prudent but profound generational critique—a significant impetus for his desire to establish his own enterprise.
Chassis of Prestige: The 6C
The first strongly inclined windshields, leading to an oblique structure in the overall design, began appearing on Alfa Romeo chassis like the 8C 2300 around 1932-33. By 1935-37, the 6C 2300 chassis showcased oval forms that pushed the boundaries of contemporary taste, reaching levels akin to what we might call a dream car today. There is no doubt that the role of Alfa Romeo’s chassis, within the diverse array of brands coachbuilt by Pininfarina in the first twenty years of its operation, served as a creative stimulus for innovation pursued not sporadically, but rather directed along coherent lines amid a multitude of experiences.
The strength of the interaction between Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina during this first two-decade span lies not so much in a programmatic continuity of image, but rather in the indescribable feeling that the various configurations manage to convey, hinting at the class and unique personality inherent in these chassis. .
In terms of presence and visual impact, this force of interaction was also evident in the sheer volume of examples produced. The enduring 6C 2500 chassis, available in three different wheelbase lengths and diverse configurations—from the spacious six-seater sedan to the sleek Cabriolet Super Sport—demonstrated this point vividly. It was indeed a 6C 2500 (chassis #915.169) that Battista Farina and his son Sergio drove to Paris for the Motor Show. However, due to the political situation in 1946, following the war, Italian manufacturers were forbidden from participating in the Paris Salon. To circumvent this obstacle, Pininfarina and Sergio took matters into their own hands, driving the Alfa Romeo and a Lancia Aprilia to the capital. After carefully cleaning both vehicles, they parked them right outside the Grand Palais. This adventurous act drew considerable amusement from the press, who quipped, “That old devil Farina has opened his own anti-Salon!”
The serendipitous circumstance that the 6C 2500 SS chassis—the most prestigious among those produced in Italy during the 1940s and beyond, until Ferrari’s ultimate rise—remained in production from 1939 to 1953 created a unifying thread that connected an array of stylistic experiences. Simply the quantity of variants proposed by Pininfarina on this chassis could provide substance to the catalog of a high-quality coachbuilder. While not all versions are equally convincing, some are absolute masterpieces. Others showcase innovative solutions, thanks in part to the genius of Mario Revelli di Beaumont, who introduced features like retractable headlights, dual headlights, and pioneering panoramic rear windows.
A New Era of Innovation
In the post-war era, Alfa Romeo emerged with a bold yet simplified image, reflecting the new market policies set by Finmeccanica. This period marked a pivotal shift for Pininfarina, which began proposing limited production runs of special versions, demonstrating its nascent identity as an industrial producer. The initial steps were somewhat muted, with only 88 units of the unified 1900 C Sprint cabriolet and just over a hundred understated coupés produced on the same chassis. Notably, a prototype for a fastback sedan intended for the 1900 L chassis did not proceed beyond the initial stages.
The real highlight of the 1950s was the global success of the Giulietta Spider, a small masterpiece originally designed exclusively for export to the West Coast of the United States. However, its immense popularity led to a demand for availability throughout Europe. The industrial development of the Giulietta Spider was extensive, beginning with prototypes in the winter of 1954-55, with deliveries in Italy commencing only in late 1956. The first 600 units were reserved for the original client, the U.S. distributor Hoffman. With over 17,000 units of the Giulietta version and nearly 10,000 of the Giulia variant produced, the Giulietta Spider’s legendary success significantly transformed Pininfarina’s fortunes and pointed toward its future as an industrial powerhouse.
The Duetto spider, developed with considerable production advances by both companies, emerged as a landmark model. Its design traces back to 1956 with the Super Flow prototype, further refined in the Giulietta SS spider prototype presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1961. The Duetto made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966 and, despite various updates and name changes, continued production until 1993, alongside the Alfa 33 Sportwagon, for which Pininfarina also designed and manufactured the four-wheel-drive mechanical transformation.
The Duettottanta Marks the End of New Alfa Romeo Models by Pininfarina
The collaboration continued to flourish through the years, culminating in the design of the successful Alfa Romeo 164 in 1987, which marked a revival of the Portello brand in international markets. In 1994, the Alfa Romeo GTV and Spider, both designed by Pininfarina, were unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and were restyled in 2003. In 1998, the Dardo concept car was unveiled. Based on a shortened 156 chassis.
In 2006 the debut of a new Spider, which remained in production until 2010. Built at Pininfarina’s San Giorgio Canavese plant, this Spider was designed as the open counterpart to the Alfa Romeo Brera coupé. Known internally as Progetto 939, it made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006 and was named Cabrio of the Year 2006 shortly after.
The Spider’s design heavily drew from the Brera coupé but featured significant modifications to its rear section. Its sleek lines, two-seat configuration, and fully automatic foldable canvas roof, which retracted in just 25 seconds, gave it a unique character. Both models were assembled at Pininfarina’s Turin facility, continuing the long-standing collaboration between the two brands.
The most recent project by Pininfarina is the Duettottanta, a concept car launched in 2010 to celebrate the company’s 80th anniversary while honoring the legendary Alfa Romeo Duetto. This concept embodies the spirit of an “open” Alfa Romeo, designed for those who appreciate the thrill of driving and the joys of open-air motoring.
The Duettottanta features clean, minimalist, and aerodynamically efficient design, with elongated lines that suggest movement. Its sporty proportions and prominently featured three-dimensional aluminum front grille reinforce the Alfa Romeo identity. Powered by a 1750 cc turbo engine, it pays homage to the Alfa Romeo 1750 Veloce from the late 1960s.
The Duettottanta serves as a modern reinterpretation of the iconic Alfa Romeo spider, blending beauty, performance, and a rich legacy while looking toward the future. This chapter exemplifies the ongoing collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina, highlighting their commitment to innovation and excellence in automotive design.
What’s Next for the Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina collaboration?
The collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina has been a remarkable journey, characterized by a shared commitment to innovation, elegance, and performance. From the early days of the iconic 6C 1750 Gran Sport to the stunning Duettottanta, each creation reflects not only the artistry of Battista “Pinin” Farina but also the rich legacy of Alfa Romeo as a hallmark of automotive excellence. As we celebrate this enduring partnership, we acknowledge that since the Duettottanta, there have been no new Alfa Romeo models designed by Pininfarina.
With the Stellantis Group now at the helm of Alfa Romeo, our hopes for future collaborations with Pininfarina seem dim. In recent years, we’ve seen a different partnership blossom, notably with Zagato, which produced the striking Giulia SWB. However, the desire for a revival of the creative synergy between Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina remains strong among enthusiasts. The automotive world thrives on innovation, and with the rich heritage of these two storied brands, we can only hope that the next chapter will see them come together again to create extraordinary vehicles that captivate our imaginations, just as they have in the past.
