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Pininfarina announced yesterday that the legendary Italian design house has been commissioned to create a one-off version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe for an unnamed client. Said client apparently wants to make a big splash with his (or her) bespoke coupe, so they've given Pininfarina the go-ahead to debut the Hyperion at the Pebble Beach Concours in August.

The press release (posted below the fold) doesn't reveal any more details about the swoopy Roller, aside from saying that it is "firmly rooted in the history and heritage of the two Brands" and that the Hyperion is an homage to the pre-war cars of yore. We'll be on hand to see the unveiling of the Hyperion when it makes its debut in less than two months.

[Source: Pininfarina]

Pininfarina is working on a new privately-commissioned one-off based on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. Ordered by an as-yet unnamed collector, the vehicle will bear the name Hyperion from ancient Greek mythology and is stylistically inspired by the pre-war Rolls-Royce automobiles.

Coachbuilding for individual clients is becoming an important part of Pininfarina's business, as automakers worldwide are outsourcing to independent carrozzerias less than they used to. Following in the footsteps of Peter Kalikow's lightly modified Ferrari 612 K and Jim Glickenhaus' more radical Enzo-based Ferrari P4/5, the Hyperion is anticipated to debut at Pebble Beach in August.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – subs. req'd]

Click for more images of the Pininfarina Sintesi

Pininfarina has confirmed the three new shareholders who will take stake in the company as part of its 100 million euro capital increase. As we reported previously, Piero Ferrari, son of the late Enzo Ferrari and vice-chairman of the eponymous Maranello sportscar firm, and Alberto Bombassei, chairman of the Brembo brakes company, will take shares, in addition to the Marsiaj family at the helm of Italian seatbelt manufacturer Sabelt.

The increased capital will finance the development and production of the upscale electric minicar Pininfarina will produce together with French industrial group Bollore and Indian automaker Tata. The car is expected to begin production in 2010 with 2000 units, ramping up to a full capacity of 15,000 units by 2012 with sales in the United States, Europe and Japan. Although the size of each new shareholder's stake has yet to be confirmed, the shares will come out of the Pininfarina family's 55% ownership.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - Sub. Req.]

We've heard the styling of some Italian cars being referred to as sensual before, so it comes as little surprise that the Italian styling firm Pininfarina's interest was piqued when it heard that a young Indian's car designs were inspired by the ancient love-making guide Kama Sutra. Ramesh Gound, a student of the National Institute of design in India says, "When I thought of what the world associates with India, it is Kama Sutra that came to my mind. After studying Kama Sutra, I realized its essence and my theme emerged -- two objects coming together and moving in one direction with a force of passion." He adds, "the exteriors of the body curve and become part of the interiors of the car." Yeah... so it sounds like his studies into Kama Sutra proved useful. For all of his hard work, Gound was rewarded with an internship at the famous Italian design house.

[Source: Times of India]

Pininfarina and Ferrari have had an intertwined relationship for decades, and according to a report from Reuters, the families are set to intermarry. Piero Ferrari, Enzo's son, is expected to join three other "prominent figures of the Italian automotive industry" that will take a stake in Pininfarina. The news comes shortly after Tata announced plans to throw some money into the Italian design house, which includes a 100 million euro stake in the firm. Part of that cash infusion will help to create the new electric car Pininfarina is developing with Bollore, while simultaneously reducing the shares that the Pininfarina family currently holds.

[Source: Reuters, Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty]

Beyond it's acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, and the eminent launch of the Nano, Tata is looking to acquire a stake in Pininfarina, the iconic design house that's been under some financial distress in recent years. Tata is aiming to take a minority holding in the firm, partnering up with the French industrial group, Bollore, with up to a 100-million euro capital increase. More details about the deal will be forthcoming in the next few months, but when Tata and Bollare take their stake, that will cut down the Pininfarina family's share from 55-percent to 30-percent. Here's hoping that Pininfarina's help will be enlisted for the second generation Nano.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Pininfarina is making its voice heard designs seen in China, with 30-percent of the company's business now being done with the Asian nation. At this month's Beijing Motor Show, two Chinese automakers will reveal three models designed and, in some cases, engineered by the Italian firm. What's more, all of the cars are meant to be sold in the European market, as well.

Anhui Jianghuai will have two Pininfarina designed cars, a sedan code named A108 (pictured) and a five-door hatch code named A107. They are meant to hit European markets in late 2009. Brilliance, which is BMW's Chinese partner, will be showing off the BS4 station wagon. It will head to Europe with the re-engineered BS6 sedan.

Though they won't be unveiling new cars, Pininfarina's other Chinese clients include Chery, Changfeng, and Hafei, who together have at least seven cars penned by Ferrari's favorite design house.

[Source: Auto News]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Pininfarina Sintesi concept.

Pininfarina has been in poor financial health for the last few years. The coachbuilding and design house's P&L sheet has been coated in red ink, with a 114.9 million euro loss last year and debt that's grown to 185.4 million euro from 129.9 million euro in 2006. Something had to be done, so Pininfarina announced to its shareholders today that a 100 million euro capital increase is necessary to keep the company's financial troubles at bay. When that infusion takes place, the Pininfarina family will officially be out of its 55-percent controlling stake in the firm.

If all goes according to plan, Pininfarina should be back in the black next year and operating at a seven-percent profit by 2010. Those goals are dependent on the success of a joint venture between Pininfarina and Bollore to produce an electric car that will go on sale in Europe, Japan and the U.S. in 2010.


[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Click the image above for more hi-res images of the Pininfarina Sintesi Concept

After a reveal that's been measured out by coffee spoons, the whole cuppa joe called the Pininfarina Sintesi has been caught on film in full. The car won't really take you to the moon -- but it does have 700-HP, "little hydrogen reactors" placed throughout, and it doesn't need no stinkin' stop lights... and that's got to be almost as cool as going to the moon, right? Check out the gallery of hi-res photos of the Sintesi concept below.

As we promised last month, Pininfarina has hit us with a teaser sketch of the upcoming Sintesi concept car. The show car, which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, is the first concept the famous Italian design house will have shown in three years.

Sintesi is Italian for "summary", and the concept ties together themes from its last two design studies: the Maserati Birdcage 75th that stopped the Geneva show in 2005, and the Nido city-car from Paris '04. The design for the new Sintesi was directed by Lowie Vermeersch, head of the company's design department. We'll look forward to bringing you more as Pininfarina doles it out, but you can check out their nifty cyber-mag in the meantime by following the link below.

[Source: Pininfarina via AutoWeek]