AutoWeek says Ferrari's broken ties with Pininfarina?

Sergio's still around - he was in charge during the glory years, before the company was bankrupted by investing too heavily on the manufacturing side.

 

Are you referring to these:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140181215&postcount=4

If not, where did you see them and how to they differ from these? Thanks.

 

Jason Castriota has his own design company and is hired by SSC & Saab. As far as I know he (himself) isn't on Saabs payroll. Saab only make use of his services, although they make it seem that Jason works exclusively for them.

http://jasoncastriotadesigns.com/
http://jasoncastriotadesigns.com/blog/

PS Jason Castriota will also be designing a new (smaller) model for SSC
http://wot.motortrend.com/ssc-hires-jason-castriota-to-design-next-ultimate-aero-new-smaller-model-7898.html

 

Ferrari obviously is not going to use them if they are owned by another automaker.

 

Ding ding ding...

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110104-702009.html

 

That statement was in response to an investigation by the Italian equivalent of the SEC into the big rise in stock price of PINF on rumours of a buy-out by Chinese manufacturer, BAIC.

Hopefully, they can stay independent (unlike ItalDesign) under the umbrella of someone like Magna, and continue to create timeless beauties, including Ferraris.

Still, it's not a good sign, I think, that their design director has resigned - wonder what he knows, or where he's going next. I notice Lambo fired their design chief...

 

Look at Ferrari history. Which cars are the superstars of today's Pebble Beach--the Ferraris with designs by various & sundry firms other than Pininfarina, such as Zagato, Bertone, Frua, Ghia, etc. So I for one would like to see the design assignments for new Ferrari exteriors spread around, even reviving suppliers like Bertone. That way they wouldn't have all their eggs in one basket, if a design direction proves to be a wrong road (think of Cadillac and their "art and science" binge, it has hit a dead end...)

There are still other Sergio Pininfarina sons and daughters, why do you think the death of Andrea hobbled the firm so much. On the other hand, when Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son sold Ital Design to VW recently, maybe the writing's on the wall, it just cost too much to be an independent design firm. So the Giugiaros decided to be multi-millionaires and just work for The Man for awhile and enjoy life.

But I do hope if other firms do Ferrari designs they at least keep the round taillights and the eggcrate grille.

Look at clothing design firms, they change head designers all the time, and yet many of them still survive. The key thing is to get a head designer that respects the past, the tradition, without being a slave to it.

 

Good points.

Re. your last sentence, I think that is exactly what has been making Pininfarina and Ferrari design so innovative and good - you never really know what to expect from them as they're always changing things up, but ultimately, they always look good, without relying on too much old designs. Case in point, the 612 replacement.

 

A friend of mine (Ferrari Manager) shown me. The F151 on those last sketches was argento, had only two rear lights (bigger and California Style), some more rear intakes, an higher rear diffuser and longer headlights. But overall the car matches to the red sketches.

 

Yes, but that´s mostly because the non-Pininfarina Ferraris are rare.

 

Thanks. So, it's styled by Pininfarina, yes?

BTW, apart from the rear lights as you described, am I close with my sketch:
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Looks like a design for a new Subaru?

 

Quite close...
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subaru.. maybe the new BMW Z5 Coupe..

 

OK. Grazie!

 

Wow...I'm saddened that this is happening. I think Pininfarina hit car design out of the ballpark with the 458 (the side-sculpting is just absolutely, heart-achingly brilliant, and the GT version with its grille even more so), not to mention other fantastic designs from the past.

Like another poster mentioned, barring a few exceptions, Ferrari and Pininfarina go together like hand and glove. I'm just very disappointed.

 

I had heard a few months ago that interest in Pininfarina from India and China (Chinese Automotive) was strong and would most likely go to a buyer in one of these countries. If the 612 replacement is done in house, is a shooting brake style and doesn't work, there will be many questioning the future of Ferrari design and the company itself.

 

P 4/5 used a lot of Ferrari Sports Racing DNA and I think it's fair to say that The 458 used a bit of P 4/5 DNA.

The 458 interior was designed by Ferrari's in house staff.

 

The California interior too...

 

For the record, I am not a fan of the interior dash trimings. The rest I love.. And minus the catfish whiskers up front. Thats it for now