Andrea Pininfarina Dies in Road Accident

Local police reports say a car crashed into Pininfarina’s motorbike in the city of Trofarello, Italy while he was riding to the company’s design and R&D center in Cambiano.

Andrea Pininfarina was a CEO of the great design firm since June 2001 and he was also appointed chairman in May 2006. The grandson of Pininfarina founder Battista “Pinin” Pininfarina, he is survived by his wife Cristiana, and two sons and a daughter.

The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in a statement “Pininfarina was the representative of a dynasty that helped bring the story of ‘made in Italy’ to the world.”
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said. “Italy, Turin and the Fiat group have lost a business figure who knew how to follow and develop the work of his grandfather Pinin and his father Sergio.”

In 2004 Andrea was named by Businessweek as one of the “25 stars of Europe”, in the category dedicated to the innovators, while in 2005 he received the Eurostar 2005 award from Automotive News Europe, awarded to “top managers who have particularly distinguished themselves in the business sectors covered by their respective automotive companies.

Pininfarina’s death comes at a time when the family-controlled company is in the midst of a crucial restructuring

According to Reuters, Pininfarina, is sticking to its restructuring plan after naming Paolo Pininfarina as chairman following his brother’s death last week.
The family wants to raise 100 million euros ($148.9 million) to finance a joint venture with French Financier Bollore to develop an electric car, a project that is pivotal to Pininfarina’s revival.

With his appointment as president of the Board of Directors of Pinnfarina, Paolo Pininfarina, 49, reaffirmed his commitment to the plan. “Together with the board, my job is (to make sure) that the development program drafted by my brother continues,” he said in a statement.
Lorenza Pininfarina will now serve as the vice president of the Board of Directors.