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Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics

Pininfarina is best known for its Ferrari legends, such as the inimitable 250 GT. But the Italian design company worked for far more than just Ferrari. Here we choose five successful Pininfarina designs from the Marketplace.

 


Peugeot 504 Cabriolet V6: Sculpted Frenchman



Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics
Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics

Producing cabriolets to complement its coupés was always a bit of a Peugeot speciality but when the 504 came along, the French marque pulled off something a bit different. With the help of Pininfarina, that is. The Pininfarina-styled two-door 504 coupé and cabriolet unveiled at Geneva in 1969 were elegant, but not very quick: not until the arrival of the PRV V6 in 1974, anyway. The convertible version of the V6 is particularly rare as fewer than 1,000 examples were produced.

Buy this Peugeot 504 in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>
 



Alfa Romeo 1900 Cabriolet: Curtailed beauty



Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics
Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics

During the 50s, pretty much every major design studio leapt at the chance to tailor-make a body for the 1900 Series Alfa, including Touring, Zagato, Ghia and Pininfarina. The car pictured here is an Alfa Romeo 1900 C Convertible – the ‘C’ for ‘Corto’, or ‘short’ (wheelbase) – by Pininfarina. Currently, this Alfa has a more powerful engine fitted, but an unrestored original engine is available.

Alfa 1900s in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>
 



Rolls-Royce Camargue: King of cool



Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics
Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics

The Camargue had two big claims to fame. First, it was not designed in-house at Rolls-Royce, but by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina; and secondly, it was – at the time – the most expensive production car in the world. In terms of super-expensive cool, the two-door coupé, built by Rolls’ coachbuilding division Mulliner Park Ward, put everything else in the shade. The '79 model shown here also boasts special equipment, such as the upgraded centre console with its sterling silver Asprey ashtray.

Buy this Rolls-Royce Camargue in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>
 



Lancia 2000 Coupé: Black beauty



Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics
Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics

Pininfarina was also responsible for this adorable coupé. Arriving in the early 70s as a successor to the Lancia Flavia, it had a sleeker front end, a gently arcing beltline and a roofline swooping down in the form of a ‘dovetail’ – later augmented on the Gamma. Today, the 2000 coupé is held in high regard, and is considered by many to be one of the most handsome Lancias.

Buy this Lancia Flavia in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>
 



Ferrari 512 BB: Splendour from the centre



Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics
Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics Rare Beauty: Five extraordinary Pininfarina classics

The Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer series marked the return to a mid-engined position for the Ferrari V12, following the front-engined path trodden by the earlier ‘Daytona’. Pininfarina’s effort with the styling saw the car advance through several technical upgrades with minimal exterior changes, eventually lasting through until 1984 before being replaced.

Ferrari 512 BBs in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>
 



Photos: Classic Driver dealers