Pininfarina CEO Dies in Road Accident

by Brian Potter
August 7, 2008 3:30 PM
Filed Under: Corporate/Financial, European, Pininfarina

Andrea Pininarina, CEO of Italian car design and manufacturing firm, Pininfarina, died this Thursday morning in a road accident while riding his motorcycle to Pininfarina's design and r&d center in Cambiano near Turin. Police reports state a car crashed into Pininfarina's motorcycle in the city of Trofarello.

Currently, the family-controlled company is undergoing financial restructuring following consolidated net loss from last year increased to 114.9 million euros from 21.9 million euros the previous year.

Pininfarina, 51, is the grandson of founding father Battista Farina. Pininfarina leaves behind his wife, two sons and a daughter.

A successor will most likely be named when the company issues a statement later today.

Source: Automotive News (Sub. req.)
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Comments

Rest in peace Paesano. Ferrari was nothing without you.

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by nurchus | August 7, 2008 3:36 PM
RIP. I can only imagine what the family would be going through.

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by si1982 | August 7, 2008 4:30 PM
Rest In Peace....An obviously Great Man.

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by Xanavi23 | August 7, 2008 4:38 PM
Ferarris' reason for having such gorgeous cars.

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by Xanavi23 | August 7, 2008 4:39 PM
Rest In Peace. He was not only great for those designs of Ferraris but so many other beautiful pieces of motoring art like Alfa Romeo, Peugeot etc...

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by samuelzeus | August 7, 2008 4:58 PM
One of the greatest company leaders in Europe and obviously great man died. J'ss on bike to work, to lead greatest car design and most beautiful kitchen furniture makeing on that planet!!! Oh' Andrea!

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by alessandro | August 7, 2008 5:05 PM
Wow, RIP man. RIP

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by benz_man | August 7, 2008 5:13 PM
Rest In Peace. The Lord Giveth...The Lord Taketh.

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by isaacu | August 7, 2008 5:14 PM
RIP you are Ferrari

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by dbehmoaras | August 7, 2008 5:24 PM
RIP.. your company and your family are my role models. Car design is nothing w. out you.

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by desiathate | August 7, 2008 6:04 PM
Rest In Peace.too bad news,too bad :(

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by mhamini | August 7, 2008 6:05 PM
R.I.P. and god bless his family through their difficult time.

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by FOXHOUND | August 7, 2008 6:09 PM
R.I.P,he was a unique man.

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by designerr | August 7, 2008 7:40 PM
I join with you in this. just saw news from RAI UNO, it wasn't bike but "scudere", Andrea's vechicle, so common in italy - Vespa. Oh'God.

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by alessandro | August 7, 2008 7:44 PM
wow, this is truly sadening...RIP.

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by jakemiles | August 7, 2008 8:11 PM
it was a vespa GT60...

and a 78 year old failed to yield and andrea rammed into the side of the ford fiesta... being killed instantly... with 50km/h that's all it takes, someone is distracted by a cell phone or talking to someone and forgets to double check for traffic while making a left turn onto the main street in Trofarello, just a few km from turin.

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by smokeonit1 | August 7, 2008 11:46 PM
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smokeonit/2740669155/ photo of the accident site after it was cleared. only the vehicles are left in the shot...

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by smokeonit1 | August 7, 2008 11:48 PM
So sad... What a shame...RIP

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by Paulds | August 8, 2008 12:54 AM
Truly a great designer, whose designs will live and be remember forever! RIP ...

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by JTZ | August 8, 2008 2:06 AM
RIP.. I'm sure his legacy will live on in his work

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by Gumball | August 8, 2008 2:28 AM
R.I.P. Andrea. R.I.P. Beautiful Cars..

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by joshg_5 | August 8, 2008 2:52 AM
RIP, he is always my idol in my designing study.

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by Cozy7 | August 8, 2008 4:14 AM
..RIP..it was a tragedy

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by phobos | August 8, 2008 5:04 AM
R.I.P The automotive world has lost and now morn a ledgend. May your spirit live on through your love ones and may you always have a place in automotive history.

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by tootall | August 8, 2008 9:27 AM
A note to all WCF members: Don't ever own a bike. EVER!!!!!

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by GranTurismo | August 8, 2008 9:40 AM
automotive design personified ... RIP ...

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by rehanyf | August 8, 2008 4:38 PM
RIP man i hope who ever takes over the company makes just as good models

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by sammy_r-gti | August 8, 2008 11:57 PM
the pininfarina family gave something to the world and purely through passion. huge loss Rest In Peace

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by aesthetics | August 9, 2008 5:00 PM
if they good design then why he not profit like german company? RIP

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by carfan58 | August 11, 2008 12:56 AM

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