Super Cars: The 10 Greatest Automotive Designs by Italian Firm Pininfarina

Image via Complex Original

Some of the best supercars have been dreamt up by design firms, not the nameplate manufacturers themselves. Pininfarina, founded in 1930 by Battista Pininfarina, is one of the leading Italian car design firms (and also car-maker), which boasts prestigious clients such as Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, and Alfa Romeo.

Today, car manufactures are bringing a lot of their design operations in-house to cut costs, and independent contracts have dwindled, pushing firms like Pininfarina and Bertone (responsible for the Lamborghini Countach) to the verge of bankruptcy. Pininfarina hopes to find it's niche – in order to steer away from any more red ink – with its own line of electric cars, but before everything goes eco, take a look at the Pininfarina’s top 10 car designs of all time.

10. Cadillac Allanté

1987-1993

Designed by Group Pininfarina

This makes the list because the idea of an Italian-designed Cadillac is craze. The Allanté at the time was pretty sick, and was Cady's first luxury roadster offering. Looking at it closely, it has lines comparable to a Maserati from that era, but Caddy likely toned down Pininfarina’s best ideas when the car went into final production. Style-out with one of these today for a mere 3K, or take it further and join the

Allanté Club.

9. Ferrari 412

1985 - 1989

Designed by Pininfarina founder Battista Pininfarina

The sharp-edge styling on this car resembled Lamborghinis, and some argue this car is not an official Ferrari as the bodies were constructed in the Pininfarina factory and shipped to Ferrari for their mechanical components. The six circular taillights are sick though, and so discotheque-y. Daft Punk used the 412 for one of their music videos.

8. Rolls-Royce Camargue Coupe

1975 - 1986

Designed by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina

This was the only Rolls not designed by the parent brand, and when it launched, it was one of the most expensive cars in the world clocking in at about $150K. It was also one of the most massive and hulking whips ever, even for a Rolls. It had somewhat typical RR stylings at the front, but along the side and rear you can sense the angular Italian vibe.

7. Maserati Quattroporte V

2004 - present

Designed by Head Designer (at the time) Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina

Gangster saloon car. The Quattroporte fifth generation was Maserati's triumphant return from financial ruin and the rear stylings and huge Maserati script are what make this car sick.

6. Ferrari P4/5

2006

Design supervisor (former) Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina

This one-off 4 million dollar hyper Ferrari was made from an actual Enzo for US stock exchange magnate and film director James Glickenhaus (pictured). Because an Enzo wasn't enough, Glickenhaus wanted to give it a makeover resembling the stylings of Ferrari's Le Mans racecars from the ’60s. Lead designer, Ken Okuyama (of Acura NSX fame) said, "Pininfarina wanted to stay away from retro design and move towards a more forward thinking supercar," and that, "they were excited by the opportunity to build the car, not just design it."

5. Ferrari Dino 246 GT Coupe

1969 - 1974

Designed by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina

This was Ferrari's attempt to create a lower cost, mass-produced sports car to compete with Porsche. The name 'Dino' was meant to be a sub-brand for Ferrari, and so the 246 had no Ferrari prancing horse insignia. Paolo Martin, the rookie designer for Pininfarina at the time recalls, “This automobile represented the summit of my dreams. I was about 23 years old and being able to see my first 1:1 scale drawing come into life as a wooden mock-up was a very strong emotion. I remember it as my first love and it is my favorite one - of course.”

4. Mercedes 230 SL Pininfarina Coupe prototype

1964

Designed by Architect Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina

Such a tight Benzo. This prestigious collaboration was designed by a young American working for Pininfarina at the time. Mercedes had hit up Pininfarina to put their twist on the now-classic model a year after it went into production because initial sales weren't that hot. Pininfarina came up with this completely Italian made version, but unfortunately it never went into production. Why Mercedes board members never gave it the green light remains a mystery. Currently, the one-off version has been painted silver and stays winning car shows in California.

3. Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo

1979

Group designed at Pininfarina

There are many different variations of this car, both race and street-legal. Here is the Montecarlo Turbo, which was Lancia's turbocharged race offering and designed by Pininfarina. It looks craze, but like all Lancia's they suffered horrid reliability as Lancia was unfortunately made by FIAT. Fix It Again Tony.

2. Ferrari Enzo

Design supervisor (former) Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina

2002 - 2004

The first of the new Formula One street generation-style Ferrari's you see today, the Ferrari Enzo was made to commemorate Ferrari's first F1 title of the millennium. With it's curves, V-shaped hood, and scooped-out doors, this car has been deemed both one of the greatest and one of the ugliest super cars of all time. The opportunity to buy a $659,300 Enzo was invite-only.

1. Ferrari F40

1987 - 1992

Designed by Sergio Pininfarina (son of founder Battista Pininfarina)

Italy's pure muscle car blew minds at the time and still does. From ’87-’89 it was the fastest street-legal production car. Sticker price in 1987 was $400K, so it was safe to assume this whip alone could have been the reason the Italian Republic made Sergio (founder Batista Pininfarina's son) a Senator for life.