Pininfarina will stop doing contract manufacturing for automakers after its current manufacturing contracts expire in end-2011. It currently builds the Alfa Romeo Brera and the Ford Focus coupe-cabriolet, but volumes have been only about 25% of what was originally planned. It doesn’t mean Pininfarina will be shutting down its production lines though, as they will be used for its Pininfarina B0 electric car (pronounced B-Zero, image shown above), set to go into pilot production in 2010. The Pininfarina B0 is a joint development together with French comapny Bollore.
Everything seems to be going downhill for the Italian company ever since its chairman and CEO Andrea Pininfarina died in a scooter crash sometime last year. The Pininfarina family will no longer be in control this year, as 50.6% of its shares will be transferred to the banks that the company owes money to in exchange for writing off 180 million Euros of the total 597.7 million Euros that the company owes to the banks. The Pininfarina family shares in the company that bears their name will total to only about 4.5% after the share transfer. The banks will be the new controlling shareholder, however they will not ask for any board seats or management changes.
PHOTO GALLERY: Pininfarina B0 Concept
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo
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After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
ouch for pininfarina, i loved the pininfarina mythos way back my younger days, sad its going to see another car company going bust
That is a nice looking car. Too bad company not doing that well
Happy New Year to all…out of tis topic…the new BMW 7-series(F01) is seen in Malaysia…it’s seem tat we will have it 1st in Asia (i opinion)…happy new to Malaysia’s car industry
jcws_87 said,
January 1, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
Happy New Year to all…out of tis topic…the new BMW 7-series(F01) is seen in Malaysia…it’s seem tat we will have it 1st in Asia (i opinion)…happy new to Malaysia’s car industry
————————————————
I don’t think so…. BMW 7-series(F01) is already in Singapore months ago….. So, its quite clear Malaysia is not the first to have it in Asia…. Many other countries already have it…
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
January 2, 2009 @ 6:16 pm
jcws_87 said,
January 1, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
Happy New Year to all…out of tis topic…the new BMW 7-series(F01) is seen in Malaysia…it’s seem tat we will have it 1st in Asia (i opinion)…happy new to Malaysia’s car industry
————————————————
I don’t think so…. BMW 7-series(F01) is already in Singapore months ago….. So, its quite clear Malaysia is not the first to have it in Asia…. Many other countries already have it…
———————–
that 1 in singapore was to be delivered to some dude in brunei(possibly sultan of brunei)
Sex is wonderful, but it’s like champagne.If you’re forced to have four glasses at every meal you start to fantasize about water. said,
January 8, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
January 2, 2009 @ 6:16 pm
jcws_87 said,
January 1, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
Happy New Year to all…out of tis topic…the new BMW 7-series(F01) is seen in Malaysia…it’s seem tat we will have it 1st in Asia (i opinion)…happy new to Malaysia’s car industry
————————————————
I don’t think so…. BMW 7-series(F01) is already in Singapore months ago….. So, its quite clear Malaysia is not the first to have it in Asia…. Many other countries already have it…
———————–
that 1 in singapore was to be delivered to some dude in brunei(possibly sultan of brunei)
———————————
nope…. they kept it in BMW showroom !!!