Automobile Designer, Italian Senator. Pininfarina, whose very name is synonymous with exotic automobile design, was chairman of the company that his father founded in 1930. He obtained a degree in mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin in 1950 and assumed control of the design studios upon his fathers death. The company climbed to prominence in the 50s for cutting-edge and elegant designs for among such automakers as Ferrari, Maserati, Roll-Royce, Cadillac, Jaguar, Volvo and Alfa-Romeo. His designs which focused primarily on the importance of aerodynamics and aesthetics, achieved results that would make automobiles with the Pininfarina badge some of the most sought-after by car collectors the world over. In 1991, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Automobile Design. In 2005, he was appointed senator for life by the President of the Italian Republic. (bio by: Ruggero)