06.06.2004 Pininfarina's partnership with Louis Vuitton may see the 'Enjoy' concept put into limited production next year to celebrate the French luxury goods manufacturer's 75th anniversary

The partnership with Louis Vuitton gives rise to a Pininfarina branded car, 75 units could be produced during 2005 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company.

A final decision will be taken after a world wide tour of presentation to collectors and brand enthusiasts.

Set to make its world debut at the British Louis Vuitton Classic, scheduled for 5 June 2004 at Waddesdon Manor (Waddesdon, Great Britain), is the Pininfarina Enjoy, inspired by the concept car of the same name which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003.

This is a dream come true, even if just for the lucky few. Because Pininfarina intends to weigh, through a promotional tour, the interest of collectors and enthusiasts towards a special car which is supposed to be manufactured and sold in only 75 units during 2005 to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary. And thanks to the Enjoy Pininfarina has started up a new prestigious partnership with the most important luxury brand in the world, Louis Vuitton, which was commissioned to work on the interiors of the vehicle.

“The Enjoy, Pininfarina branded, is an ambitious project: the idea of building an “exclusive” car with a production run of less than a 100, with top design, technical features and performance, combined with detailed craftsmanship, represents an equation that no other manufacturer has managed to pull off. Thanks to the recent acquisition of the engineering, testing and prototyping divisions of Matra Automobile, which has a tried and tested culture in terms of mechanical work, Pininfarina has been able to extend its areas of expertise and become a genuine car manufacturer, turning the Enjoy into an exclusive and innovative product. In order to underline the internationalization of the group, the style as well as the engineering development of the exterior have been performed in Turin, while the interior development has been carried out by the technical staff of Matra Automobile Engineering. The possible production is planned in Matra’s prototyping workshop and final delivery for the lucky few will take place at CERAM, another company of the Pininfarina Group.

Thanks to the newly acquired technical competencies a further premier has been achieved with the chassis and suspensions development by Matra. The technical solutions are traditional but some of the features are directly derived from the competitions like the front suspensions preloaded and the shock-absorbers dual setting.

This car thus represents the living, “functioning” proof that Pininfarina is able to offer the big manufacturers a full service, from styling to design to niche production.

But what is the Pininfarina Enjoy? The definitive driving experience. Driving pleasure in its purest form. Pininfarina’s exclusive, modern interpretation of that most classic and appealing category, the barchetta, which turns into an open wheel race car at the drop of a hat. What makes the Enjoy unique is, on one hand, the limited edition, numbered, production run, reserved for an elite clientele of collectors and enthusiasts with a genuine passion for cars, a sensual rapport with them, and a true appreciation of the value of exclusivity and tradition; on the other hand, its interiors by Louis Vuitton.

The group’s involvement in the Enjoy project represented the continuation of the long tradition which links Louis Vuitton to the motoring world, dating back to 1907, when twins Jean and Pierre Vuitton built their first car. In the first half of the last century, Louis Vuitton worked on exclusive fittings and trims for various manufacturers and bodyworkers, and since 1988 has been European patron, first in Paris, then in London, to the Louis Vuitton Classic, one of the most important vintage events in the world. It is no coincidence that the Pininfarina Enjoy will have its world preview at the Louis Vuitton Classic, this year held at Waddesdon Manor.

The radical design features of the Enjoy, like the elimination of the windscreen, highlight the way that style guided the project, the sole aims of which were to obtain the utmost in aesthetic quality and driving pleasure, without compromise. Thanks to an original technical solution, the wings can be dismounted and removed, transforming the Enjoy into an extreme open wheel roadster. The Enjoy has a lightweight aluminium chassis and its body is entirely made out of carbon fibre. The aim to create the ultimate driving experience led to the creation of a very light vehicle (the track version weighs less than 800 kg) with an outstanding weight/power ratio of 4.3 kg/bhp. The new double wishbone front and rear suspensions by Matra mean “track level” driving precision in all conditions. The top speed is around 250 km/h, while acceleration (from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds) and road holding are the car’s key strengths.

“A year has passed since we presented what was essentially a fun concept in Geneva, which turned out to be a great success with critics and public alike – remembers Andrea Pininfarina, President and CEO of the Pininfarina Group – and the Enjoy went on to win the Most Fun car award assigned by the prestigious American magazine Autoweek, as well as earning a special mention for the design originality of the project in the contest for the Most Beautiful Car in the World. This is what led us to decide on a limited production run, which was also an opportunity to take advantage of our extended business areas resulting from the acquisition of Matra. It is a unique opportunity to present a new model manufactured by Pininfarina itself.”

“In order to develop such an important project – adds Pininfarina – we needed partners which could enable us to build on our know-how. For the interior design we opted for Louis Vuitton’s elegance and vast experience in the world of leisure. We hope that this is just the start of a long relationship with Louis Vuitton, and that these 75 cars, each of which is dedicated to a single year in the life of the company, find 75 true enthusiasts who appreciate its sporty spirit, unique design and true class”.

“As creator of cars Pininfarina has been making our dreams come true for 75 years. Louis Vuitton is very pleased to contribute to the Enjoy project with all its know how in the design field”, says Yves Carcelle, Chairman of Louis Vuitton.

PININFARINA ENJOY: STYLING, INTERIOR BY LOUIS VUITTON, PROJECT PARTNERS & TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION