PINin

Pinin is the nickname of Giovanni Battista Farina, an Italian automobile designer and founder of the Turin-based design house Carrozzeria Pinin Farina, which later became Pininfarina. Born in 1893, Farina earned the nickname “Pinin” in childhood, a moniker that would accompany him throughout his career. In 1930 he established Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in Turin, a studio that gained renown for coachbuilt bodies and for shaping many Italian cars during the mid-20th century. The name Pininfarina combines his nickname with the family surname, and the company adopted this brand identity early on.

Under Farina’s leadership, the studio produced designs for Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, Fiat, and other manufacturers, and later became a prominent designer for Ferrari and Peugeot. Notable collaborations included several Alfa Romeo and Ferrari models, helping to define Italian automotive styling in the postwar era.

After Battista Farina’s death in 1966, his son Sergio Pinin Farina (1926–2012) led the company, guiding its expansion into global markets and its evolution as an international design house. The firm continued to operate as Pininfarina S.p.A., maintaining a reputation for innovation in styling and engineering across production models, concept cars, and design consultancy.

Today, the name Pinin remains primarily associated with Battista Farina’s legacy and the Pininfarina brand, recognized for its long-standing influence on automotive design and its ongoing role in shaping vehicle aesthetics and function through decades of collaboration with major automakers.