Founded in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista “Pinin” Farina, the company was initially a coach-building firm focused on specialty cars. Since then, Pininfarina has collaborated with a plethora of top automobile manufacturers, notably Ferrari, Maserati, Cadillac, Jaguar, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, MG, and Lancia - working on iconic models such as the Ferrari Enzo, the Maserati Birdcage, and the Ferrari F50. Pininfarina is now one of the major suppliers of design, product and process engineering of niche vehicles on the international automotive scene, and with a long history of innovative design securely under their belt, the company have expanded the scope of their operations considerably.

In 1986, guided by Paolo Pininfarina, the firm formed Pininfarina Extra, specializing in interiors and product design. Having completed projects for Snaidero kitchens and appliance specialist Gorenje, Pininfarina Extra recently stepped into the sphere of architecture, having just completed the luxurious Keating Pininfarina Hotel in San Diego, California. There are other ventures on the table – including top end interiors for Torre México, a residential design project in Mexico City scheduled for completion in 2009.

What are your central design philosophies? Were these in any way formulated or discovered through different aspects of car design?

The central values of our design activity are innovation, essentiality and elegance. Innovation means continuous research of advanced design solutions that are never inspired by contemporary trends; essentiality means enhancement of functional features to provide the products with a clear and strong visual personality; elegance is the result of the best selection of materials, colours and finishing and sense of harmony and proportions. The car sector is one of the most complex sectors of design and it has historically been the usual ground of expression for our values.

How do these carry through to other design encounters? Does this provoke new and creative design solutions?

We have experienced that the transfer of ideas and know-how from one sector of the industry to another generates the so-called “cross-fertilization” that provokes creative ideas and innovative solutions. It is like watching the same object from a different perspective. The partnerships are stimulated by the different backgrounds of each partner.

Pininfarina (the company) is infamous for embracing new technologies, is this something you actively seek?

The move into the electric car sector is a clear demonstration of our continuous interest for new technologies. In this sense, design becomes “the way to humanize technology”.

Is there anyone’s work you admire in particular?

I admire many great design innovators of the 20th century; they come from different countries and I like to list my favourites in alphabetical order: Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames, Alec Issigonis, Le Corbusier, Dieter Rams, Richard Sapper, Philip Starck. But obviously, there is an Italian designer that I especially admire: my Grandfather Pinin Farina.

Do you think that your work contains an Italian sensibility?

I like to think that Pininfarina design is Italian but it has a very clear international flavour. In fact, our designs are successful worldwide, in countries with very different heritages and tastes.

What are you currently working on and which projects do you aspire to get involved with?

The last project, presented last week to the press, is a proposal of interior design for the regional jet aircraft SCJ100. A very interesting project that was developed for the Italian company Alenia Aeronautica and outstanding design exercise for my team and myself.

Another sector where I aspire to get involved more and more in the future is the area of interior design. For example I designed a boutique hotel named “Keating-Pininfarina” in California (San Diego). Why shouldn’t I do something similar in Malta?

Is the cultural and industrial heritage of Torino an important source of inspiration? Do you think that the design and artistic continuity provided by Pininfarina an important consideration that underlies its mission?

Our Company has deep roots in the territory of Piedmont. In the automotive sector we still have a strong relationship with the Fiat Group and in other sectors, I have developed several successful partnerships with leaders such as Lavazza, Lauretana, Gancia, Gobino and lately, Alenia Aeronautica. The design of the torch for the 2006 Torino winter Olympic Games was another great opportunity to show the connection between Torino and Pininfarina. We feel the mission to continue a long-lasting local tradition in the field of design engineering and industrial innovation.