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Sergio Pininfarina, 100 Years – Celebrating a Symbol of Italian Design and Industrial History
At Salone Auto Torino (11–13 September), a photographic exhibition and the Ferraris that defined Sergio Pininfarina’s legacy
Turin, 8 September 2026 – 8 September 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of engineer Sergio Pininfarina, an undisputed leading figure in Italian design and industrial history throughout the 20th century.
An entrepreneur and designer, Life Senator, Knight of Labour and President of Confindustria from 1988 to 1992, he led the company founded by his father, Battista “Pinin” Farina, for decades with a steady hand, taking it to the world stage while building on a tradition of elegance and style that was constantly renewed through the highest standards of beauty and technological innovation.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, Pininfarina will pay tribute to Sergio Pininfarina during Salone Auto Torino 2026 (11–13 September) with two special initiatives staged in the evocative Corte d’Onore of Palazzo Reale. The first, “The Ferraris of Sergio Pininfarina,” will bring together a selection of cars deeply connected to his professional history and creative legacy. Under the arcades of the Corte d’Onore, the photographic exhibition “Sergio Pininfarina. Beyond Time” will also be presented, offering a visual journey through the life of the man, entrepreneur and visionary who shaped the 20th century and helped design the future.
“On the centenary of his birth, we wish to pay tribute to a man who left a profound mark on the industrial, cultural and social history of our country, as well as on our Company and the Pininfarina Family,” says Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Pininfarina. “One hundred years after his birth, Sergio Pininfarina’s thinking remains remarkably relevant: the values that guided his life and work – from innovation to elegance, from design culture to an international outlook – continue to serve as a benchmark for the way we approach design. This is why the exhibition does not look solely to the past. The cars and images that tell his story bear witness to a vision capable of transcending time, reminding us of Pininfarina’s mission still today: to create beauty that enhances mobility, spaces and, ultimately, people’s lives.”
A mechanical engineer, Sergio Pininfarina took the helm of the company in 1960, first as General Manager and later as CEO, transforming it from an artisan-based operation into an industrial enterprise through close collaboration with automotive manufacturers. Under Sergio Pininfarina’s leadership, the company expanded internationally, broadened its activities to include technical services, made innovation its mission, made design a more accessible luxury, and extended its creative sphere beyond the automotive world. During his long career, Sergio Pininfarina was behind some of the most beautiful and significant cars in automotive history for brands including Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Peugeot. In 2006, he became Honorary Chairman and effectively handed over the leadership of the company to his sons Andrea (who died in a road accident in 2008) and Paolo (who passed away in 2024).
In addition to being an industrial leader, from the late 1970s onwards he became deeply involved in business and industry associations, during a particularly challenging period for Italy, marked by terrorism. In 1978, he became President of the Turin Industrial Association, and the following year, convinced that Italy’s future was also closely linked to restoring sound public finances, he entered the European political arena after being elected to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
It was precisely this commitment to business associations and to European ideals that led to his appointment as President of Confindustria in 1988, another role he carried out with the dedication, rigour and determination for which he continues to be recognised worldwide. In 2005, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi appointed him Life Senator, “for having honoured the nation through outstanding achievements in the social field.” In 2007, his name was added to the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, a prestigious honour bestowed on individuals who have made a lasting impact on the automotive industry. Sergio Pininfarina was also awarded four honorary degrees during his lifetime.
Following his death on 3 July 2012, the automotive and design worlds lost one of their most distinguished figures. A few months later, at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, his son Paolo Pininfarina unveiled the Sergio, a Ferrari-based concept car created in his memory. The project offered a contemporary interpretation of the values that had guided the Senator throughout his professional life: purity of line, harmonious proportions, innovation and passion.
Universally recognised as one of the great masters of Italian style, Sergio Pininfarina spanned more than half a century of industrial history, helping transform design into a universal language capable of bringing together beauty, functionality and progress.