Italian design consultancy Pininfarina has entered a new era under. The appointment of CEO Paolo Dellachà – formerly the boss at Automobili Pininfarina. Dellachà brings a wealth of experience to the design agency mothership, responsible not just for ongoing automotive consultancy to companies around the world, but for a burgeoning portfolio that encompasses everything from product design through to architecture.
Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Pininfarina SpA
As to the relationship between Automobili and the main consultant, the former was spun off from the consultancy in 2018, following the acquisition of Pininfarina SpA by India’s Mahindra Group. ‘It’s the same brand, but a completely different company,’ Dellachà acknowledges, explaining how Automobili Pininfarina, with cars like the Battista and concepts like the Pura, exists in that rarefied world where high-end coachbuilding and cutting edge technology comes together.
Vittori Turbio hybrid hypercar
In comparison, the long-running Pininfarina consultancy arm has parlayed the car-obsessed skills of its founder, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, into a richly diverse world of design, from mass transit through to perfume packaging. Paolo Dellachà also has an unashamedly automotive background. ‘Cars were my passion – they led me to take the path of mechanical engineering,’ he explains, ‘as a child, most of the cars that allowed me to nurture this passion were designed by Pininfarina, and many of these were Ferraris.’
The long-running Ferrari-Pininfarina partnership is no more (for the time being), but the consultancy shows no sign of losing its automotive edge, despite the broadened horizons. ‘I have the honour of leading this incredibly company, founded in 1930,’ Dellachà, ‘we’ve been responsible for designing some of the most beautiful cars in history but also mobility design, architecture and industrial design – which is a big change for me.’
As a B2B design consultancy, Pininfarina SpA offers its clients the option of licensing the Pininfarina name – and the famous script logo – on all its projects. Whilst that might sometimes lead to incongruous pairings for a name associated so strongly with sports cars (high-rise apartments, trophies, caravans and more), it taps into the hunger for design authenticity with heritage and experience.
Ferrari Pinin Concept, 1980, created to celebrate Pininfarina's half century
‘Besides cars, I have a passion for design,’ Dellachà confirms, ‘I’ve loved many of the products and architectural designs the company has completed over the years. These are growing sectors, allowing us to enter new markets in China, Latin America and the Middle East.’
Architectural projects include the Palazzo Tissoli, a mixed-use development that’s part of the AED 1.2 billion Al Marjan Island project in the UAE. Described as a mix of ‘Italian design heritage with Arabian Gulf living,’ the 13-storey Palazzo has a curvaceous, linear profile inspired by the region’s sand dunes and mangrove swamps. The company’s first architectural venture in Ras Al Khaimah, it culminates in a rooftop infinity pool and sky bar overlooking the Arabian Gulf.
This architectural project, and others like the Savassi residences in Minas Gerais, Brazil, soon to be the tallest tower in the city, represent the tip of a focused drive on expanding the reach of the Pininfarina brand. ‘We must be ambitious,’ says Dellachà, ‘this brand is unique with an enormous potential but can be leveraged further. We should try to increase our business in new segments – like the beauty sector, for example.
Les Exceptionnels collection for Lancôme
The recent collaboration with Lancôme resulted in the Les Exceptionnels collection, which transforms packaging into enduring objects formed from crystal, brushed gold and porcelain to celebrate the French company’s 90th anniversary. ‘Lancôme fits perfectly with us,’ Dellachà continues, ‘we work with some of the best premium and luxury OEMS.’ That said, he acknowledges that ‘our doors are always open to automotive brands – with the full respect of their brand.’
A perfect example is the ongoing collaboration with British manufacturer Morgan. The Morgan Midsummer Barchetta, launched in 2024, recently completed its run of 50 unique limited-edition cars.
The famous Pininfarina logo on the Morgan Midsummer Barchetta
‘It’s a perfect example,’ Dellachà enthuses, ‘Morgan are very confident with their design and DNA, but even given that it was possible for us to envision a collaboration.’ Pininfarina’s past experience with not just designing but also building cars carries through to the modern day. ‘We’re not only designing but taking care of engineering,’ he says, ‘everything from 200 cars to a one-off. We can do design, engineering, concepts – it can even extend to a full consultancy service.’
The recently unveiled Bria electric sedan from Taiwanese manufacturer Foxtron is a case in point. Leveraging the Pininfarina name is also an art. ‘Licensing the brand can provide upside revenue, but we treat it on a case-by-case basis,’ says Dellachà, ‘you want to avoid the dilution of the brand.’ You could be driving a Pininfarina-designed car and not even know it.
On the product side, the scope is similarly vast. ‘We recently launched the ultimate trophy for F1,’ says Dellachà, ‘it is very good in terms of our footprint in motorsport.’ Recent trophies include Monumental, destined to be lifted by the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix 1 in Madrid this September, and the trophies for the 2023 F1 Japanese and US Grand Prix trophies, created in collaboration with Lenovo and described as the ‘world’s first kiss-reactive trophies’, complete with reactive sensor. Both were won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on his way to his third Drivers' Champion title. Pininfarina had also shaped the Olympic Torch for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
The contemporary Ola Kitchen by Snaidero
These days, mobility embraces everything from motorbikes to ski lifts. Despite this vast spread of interest, it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the first non-automotive design came from Pininfarina. That was the Ola Kitchen for Snaidero, launched in 1990 as a result of a collaboration between then CEO Paolo Pininfarina, grandson of Battista Farina. It remains in production.
The record-breaking Destriero, designed by Pininfarina
‘One collaboration that makes me personally very proud was the Destriero, the motor yacht which won the Blue Riband in 1992,’ says Dellachà, ‘a record which still stands.’ The 67m monohull was awarded the Virgin Atlantic Challenge trophy for the fastest ever one-way Atlantic crossing, as well as the Columbus Atlantic Trophy for the fastest round-trip. As well as shaping the hull and superstructure, Pininfarina did all the fluid dynamic calculations.
The Destriero spearheaded Paolo Pininfarina’s move into the world of boats and yachts. The company’s nautical portfolio embraces everything from 80m superyachts to speedboats and sailboats. This year, at the Miami International Boat Show, Pininfarina introduced the compact F-330 tender by Argos Nautic, complete with innovative hydro-jet propulsion system, and the Villa 50, a floating architectural concept from Arkhaus that blend houseboat design with high-end hospitality living.
‘We have very recognisable lines in automotive design,’ says Dellachà, ‘and we have that same flow, purity and curve in architecture. In the future, we’re looking to expand to hospitality, offices and maybe cultural spaces.’ Ultimately, it’s all about transferring a slowly, meticulously evolved design DNA to different facets of visual culture. ‘Having a recognizable DNA is very important,’ stresses the CEO, ‘in cars, it’s about proportion, purity of line and the control of light and reflections. We can bring that into architecture.’
The reach and scope is vast, whether it’s bespoke architectural coatings, like those developed by Ezy Color and inspired by the heritage of Italian modernism, or the clean lines and compact, function filled interiors of the AI Transformer Home Trailer created with American company AC Future, the unique InkPoster from Duna or the JAS Tensei, a contemporary update of the 90s-era Honda NSX that's part restomod, part all-new supercar.
Another benefit of luxury mobility projects is that the original spirit of Pininfarina stays fresh in the public perception; the Vittori Turbio hybrid hypercar that debuted in Miami last year is a case in point - limited to just 50 units, it incorporates the kind of V12 drama that the electric-only Pininfarina Automobili can't provide. On two wheels, the limited-edition Phelon & Moore Capetown 7X by Pininfarina brings this bespoke design detail to the world of performance touring bikes.
With its centenary fast approaching, Dellachà is helping Pininfarina set itself up for another century of innovation in engineering and design. 'I'm still in the learning phase,' Dellachà admits, ‘the more I know about our history, the more I can see how our future will be.’
