The legendary Ferrari
Pinin, a concept that dramatically shattered Prancing
Horse preconceptions by boasting four doors and which
was created by Pininfarina to celebrate its 50th
anniversary in 1980, has gone on sale.
In the run up to the 1980
Turin Motor Show rumour had abounded that Pininfarina
would be as bold as presenting a four-door car to grab
the headlines on the occasion of its 50th anniversary,
but this was dismissed as Ferrari's simply don't come
with four doors - this was Enzo's creed, a fundamental
principal that has run steadfast throughout the
company's history. Only the Pinin has dared to stand up
and challenge this philosophy.
In the event the
Ferrari 'Pini' stunned the automotive world when it
debuted at the Turin Motor Show, on Pininfarina's home
turf. The work of Sergio Pininfarina the concept was
dedicated to his father Battista 'Pinin'
Farina, who was the founder of the Turinese design and
engineering house.
The first Ferrari with four doors - only a company with
the deep and long association that Pininfarina had with
Maranello - could pull off such a brazen move; it was
also the first time that Ferrari's 4,943 cc,
180-degree, 12-cylinder 'Boxer' had been seen positioned in front of
the driver. For the Pinin application, the engine was
rated at 463 CV.
The lines were sharp, clean and stylish, and the design
is still as fresh and relevant today as it was then
three decades ago. Inside, it was a very similar story
with the cabin, which has a well thought out ergonomic
layout, is trimmed in high quality leathers, features an
innovative driver-focused instrument console and a rear
control panel for passengers to operate the power
windows and entertainment system; it still exudes a
modern feel.
Reportedly even Enzo
Ferrari
was impressed, discussing a limited production run with
Pininfarina, although this eventually fizzled out.
However this tale is dismissed by the late prolific
Ferrari collector Jacques Swaters who acquired the Pinin.
When key components of his collection was sold by RM
Auctions at its
Ferrari: Leggenda e
Passione sale
in Fiorano in 2008, they noted in the auction catalogue:
"According to Swaters, when Enzo Ferrari heard of the
construction of the Pinin, he strongly opposed it based
on the sole reason that Ferraris are race cars and not
limousines, and hence were to be restricted to the
two-door variety. As a result, construction of the Pinin
was interrupted and the car was never motorised."
Either way the Ferrari Pinin, after a high profile tour of the world's top
motor shows, was consigned to become a novelty of
history, disappearing from view. In 2008 it was however
back in the public eye as one of the headline lots of
the Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione auction in
Fiorano as a chunk of the illustrious Jacques Swaters
collection went under the hammer. Swaters, a Belgian
former racing driver and Ferrarista of some note
who built an impressive collection, ran the famous
Ecurie Francorchamps team.
According to RM Auctions, who
managed the sale for Ferrari, "this one-off prototype was reportedly
given to Jacques Swaters by Mr. Pininfarina himself." It
was accompanied by various documents from engineer
Angelo Bellei.
The new owner of the
Pinin was Modena-based high end car concern, AutoSpeak
and they quickly shipped it off to Oral Engineering, the
concern headed up by famous former Ferrari engineer
Mauro Forghieri, to restore the car and put it into
running order. Two years of work has seen the Pinin
returned to the glory days of the 1980 Turin Motor Show;
and last year it grabbed visitors attention when it made
a headlining appearance on the manicured lawns of the
Cartier Style et Luxe paddock at the Goodwood
Festival of Speed.
Now it is up for sale,
with a price tag, including taxes, of 1,200,000 euros.
"The car runs very fast and is very comfortable; it's a
little piece of history of Ferrari and Pininfarina,"
AutoSpeak's Gabriele Candrini told Italiaspeed
this week, "It's a rare Ferrari prototype for a very
important Ferrari collection."
