Mahindra & Mahindra In Negotiations To Buy Pininfarina

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Pininfarina designs many things: Ferraris, scissors, Coke machines. Now, Mahindra & Mahindra wants the Italian house’s talents.

Bloomberg reports the Indian manufacturer — known in the United States for its tractors and its attempt to bring its trucks over to these shores — is close to closing the deal with Pininfarina after weeks of negotiation, though those negotiations still have a chance to collapse.

If successful, Mahindra could use Pininfarina to add more style to its and subsidiary Ssangyong’s offerings. The design house has worked with the manufacturer in the past, helping to develop its SUVs and designing its Halo electric sports car that was unveiled at last year’s Delhi Auto Show.

Mahindra’s bid for Pininfarina follows ChemChina’s bid for Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli in a series of foreign takeovers of Italian companies as Italy slowly emerges from its cycle of recessions.

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • Brenschluss Brenschluss on Mar 26, 2015

    I just used a Pininfarina-designed Lavazza espresso machine, coincidentally. On the surface, this seems preferable to what's happened to Bertone.

    • Kmoney Kmoney on Mar 26, 2015

      I've been using the same Lavazza LB2200 by Pininfarina for years. Great looking machine, but seems to take its maintenance, complexity and reliability ques from the Italians as well.

  • Carguy Carguy on Mar 26, 2015

    Maybe Toyota should be looking at acquiring the Pininfarina styling talent?

  • Da Coyote Da Coyote on Mar 26, 2015

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for showing a picture of a car that does not look like it was designed by an art school dropout. Of course, it'll not be made, but it awakened car-lust genes that I long thought were gone.

    • Heavy handle Heavy handle on Mar 26, 2015

      Do a search on "Pininfarina Sergio 2015" and you will see the production version. It has a windscreen, but it's still quite striking.

  • Healthy skeptic Healthy skeptic on Mar 26, 2015

    Will that front bumper pass pedestrian impact regs?

    • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Mar 26, 2015

      Sure, it will scrape the carcass off the ground after it has been run over by a 98 lb soccer mom driving a Yukon Denali.

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