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BilboBaggins
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Post by BilboBaggins »

You may not know the name, but you really should, but you'll know of his influence in car design.

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Design firm boss Andrea Pininfarina killed in Vespa crash

ANDREA Pininfarina, head of the famed company that designs Ferraris, Fiats and the Ford Focus, died in a road crash in the early hours of Thursday near Turin while riding his motor scooter.

Pininfarina, 51, was the grandson of the founder of a car body design company that became synonymous with some of the most iconic automobile body shells not only in Italy but throughout the world.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in a statement that Pininfarina was "the representative of a dynasty that helped bring the story of 'Made in Italy' to the world."

Fiat and Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo praised his business acumen.

"Italy, Turin and the Fiat group have lost a business figure who knew how to follow and develop the work of his grandfather Pinin and his father Sergio," Montezemolo said in a statement.

The driver of the car, 78-year-old Giuliano Salmi, was taken to hospital suffering from shock.

"I didn't see him, I was going slowly and I really didn't see him," Salmi said, according to local news agency Ansa.

Founded in 1930 by Battista “Pinin” Farina, as a small auto body shop, the company had already stamped its individuality on such prewar Italian cars as the Alfa Romeo 2300 and the Lancia Aprilia.

It got into its stride in the postwar period with the superb Ferrari 250 of 1952 and three years later produced the characterful Peugeot 403, beginning a long and fruitful association with the French manufacturer that was to be repeated notably in the elegant 504 convertible.

Towards the end of the decade the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider was renowned not only as one of the most beautiful of small sports cars but became an immense seller for a car of its type, with 27,000 produced. With its slender lines it is still one of the loveliest sights on the road today.

Under the influence of Sergio Pininfarina, the founder’s son, the 1960s and afterwards saw the the body styling of the cars of almost all the leading automobile manufacturers in the world influenced by the Pininfarina genius, as Sergio developed the company into a world-class automotive design group.

Chevrolet succumbed to the beguiling touch of Pininfarina with its Corvette Rondine (Swallow). In Britain that modest family saloon the Austin A40 suddenly acquired an Italianate look with the Farina Mark II version of 1961, while the styling of Rolls-Royce (Camargue) and Jaguar (XJ6) were also to benefit from an “Italian job”. Meanwhile in Germany, under the aegis of Pininfarina Deutschland, a Mercedes-Benz “bendy bus” also suddenly acquired a distinctly meridional style.

In the era of Andrea Pinifarina, who had been chief executive of the company since 2001, there had been co-operation with the Swedish company Volvo, design for the South Korean companies Daewoo and Hyundai, development of links already established with the Chinese company Hafei and a limited edition Ferrari supercar, the Enzo, among many other projects.

Andrea Pininfarina was born in Turin in 1957. Unsurprisingly, given the family ambience, he received a technical education, and studied engineering at Turin Polytechnic from which he graduated in 1981.

After a couple of years with the Fruehauf corporation in the US, he returned to the family company, where he became programme manager of the Cadillac Allanté project to style the American company’s first luxury roadster. In 1987 he was promoted to joint general manager, becoming general manager the following year. In 1994 he became managing director.

The decade was a period of renewal and innovation at Pininfarina. Among new models were the Ferrari 456GT, the Peugeot 306 Cabriolet and the Bentley Azure. The company also addressed itself to energy and environmental problems with a range of new prototypes, among them the GM Chronos, the Peugeot Nautilus and the Alfa Romeo Dardo.

In 2000, at the 70th Geneva International Motor Show — also the 70th anniversary of the founding of Pininfarina — the company introduced four new designs: the Ferrari 360m Spider, Daewoo Tacuma, Coupé Fiat Special Interpretation and the Peugeot 406 Coupé, appropriately dubbed “Pininfarina settant’anni”.

At the Turin motor show of 2000, the 70th birthday was celebrated with the introduction of a Ferrari research prototype and an international forum entitled On the Roads of the Future.

Latterly, with the automotive industry under severe pressure from the economic downturn, Pininfarina had suffered heavy losses. In 2002 Pinifarina had inaugurated a new engineering centre at its plant in Cambiano, near Turin, and was still seeking creative design collaborations with overseas automotive companies.

Andrea Pininfarina was married to Cristina Maddalena Pellion di Persano. She and their three children survive him. His father, Sergio, is still honorary chairman of the company.

The Times, wires

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And this from the Top Gear web site.


Andrea Pininfarina killed in motorcycle crash


We've got a bit of sad news to report from Italy. Andrea Pininfarina, managing director of the famous design house, has died in a road accident near the company's base outside Turin.

Andrea was the grandson of Battista 'Pinin' Farina, the man whose company has produced some of the most gorgeous cars of all time. Think Ferrari Dino, 550 and Enzo, as well as the original Alfa 8C, GTV and Spider.

The company will release a statement later today, but early reports suggest Andrea was knocked off his Vespa on his way in to work. He leaves a wife and two children.

His death comes at an important time for the company, which is undergoing some serious restructuring to ensure its long-term survival. So let's hope the new investors carry it on in the same tradition.

The Cool Wall wouldn't look the same without some of its gorgeous creations, would it?
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Post by sidewinder »

Man, he designed all of those beautiful cars and dies on a Vespa. Ironic.
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Post by frizzen »

Noooooooooo!!!!!

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

I really hope they keep the company true to making good designs. Poor guy
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R.I.P Bernie Mac

Post by DarkTari »

One of the original Kings Of Comedy died this morning at the age of 50.
Image R I P Bernie Mac !!! :sad:

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from
complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

The majority of his core fan base will remember that when they paid their money to see Bernie Mac ... he gave them their money's worth," Steve Harvey, one of his costars in "Original Kings," told CNN on Saturday.

Mac went on to star in the hugely popular "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

His turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who" topped the box office. It was a comedy remake of the classic Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn drama "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — with Mac as the black dad who's shocked that his daughter is marrying a white man.

Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" "Pride" and "Transformers."

In the late 1990s, he had a recurring role in "Moesha," the UPN network comedy starring pop star Brandy.

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006


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ImageImage

This is the act that put Bernie Mac on Da Map: Too Fuckin Funny !!! :lol:
[YouTube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RviYo3WsqjU[/YouTube]
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Post by payaso »

I saw on the news that he was sick, but can't believe it killed him? Jesus.


Way too young and way too much money. If you can't get top of the line medical care with his sack O loot, then this country is truly done for.


He was one of the great ones... :-o






silla :D
payaso...... :)

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Post by Murdoch »

damn. that sucks. that really sucks.
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Post by betty.k »

Image
:sad:
i used to be cool
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Post by SuperFly »

betty.k wrote:Image
:sad:
Major blow. Isaac Hayes personified "cool".

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26125699/


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BilboBaggins
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Post by BilboBaggins »

Now this is freaky. It comes from Isaac Hayes Obit.

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Hayes was about to begin work on a new album for Stax, the soul record label he helped build to legendary status. And he had recently finished work on a movie called “Soul Men” in which he played himself, starring Samuel Jackson and Bernie Mac, who died on Saturday.

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Somebody better keep as eye on Samuel Jackson.
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Post by sidewinder »

Why did I think of Issac on the Love Boat when I first heard this? But then it dawned on me that it was far worse...now there's zero chance he'll ever be back as Chef.
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Post by Murdoch »

hayes goin away kinda sucks. great guy, just got hijacked by a cult.

sidewinder.. he wasn't ever comin back as chef way before this happened because he got all bent out of shape about their jabs at scientology.
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BilboBaggins
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Post by BilboBaggins »

Murdoch wrote:sidewinder.. he wasn't ever comin back as chef way before this happened because he got all bent out of shape about their jabs at scientology.
That's right, they could jab Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddism, Jews, Kabalah, etc but don't pick on a religion founded by a Science Fiction writer with a made up past.
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Post by DarkTari »

Yeah I was incommunicado so didn't get the Ike Hayes news out....

RIP Brutha Ike

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Post by hue35 »

Shit! He just played a show here on the 4th of July... I almost went. :sad:
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Post by CaboWabo »

Dear Life Cereal, Where do you get off? Part of a balanced breakfast and delicious? Who do you think you are? By now you may have guessed I'm speaking ironically and have nothing but good things to say about what you do. Life cereal do not change a thing.
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