Duet in design. How Pininfarina and Zagato revolutionised the shape of the automobile: the 1940s

Pininfarina and Zagato are the undisputed design stars in the history of the Italian automobile. Numerous icons of today's Classic Cars show their signature and this history continues: Today, simulators from the design kitchen of Pininfarina and Zagato are the key to the virtual world of Classic Cars on Roarington. In a new series, we take a look back at the heyday of Italian car design and show two icons each from Pininfarina and Zagato, arranged by decade. We start with the 1940s: Cisitalia 202 by Pininfarina from 1947; Ferrari 166 Panorama by Zagato from 1949.  

Cisitalia 202 – Pininfarina: «A sculpture in motion»

When it comes to stylistic innovations in the automotive field, one cannot fail to mention the Cisitalia 202, a true milestone in Pininfarina style. Post-war Italian design began with this vehicle. The first car in the world to be permanently exhibited in a Modern Art Museum, the MoMA in New York, this Berlinetta was built in small series for Cisitalia at the Stabilimenti Farina in Turin in 1947. This 2-seater Berlinetta is perhaps Pininfarina's most famous post-war car, due to its synthetic and plastic shape, defined in 1951 by Arthur Drexler as "a sculpture in motion". Its shape is the culmination of all previous research: a simple, essential front end, a full-volume roof and a clearly designed rear window. On a tubular chassis, Pinin created a berlinetta with an aluminium body welded to a steel frame. It is a car that heralded a new aesthetic canon in the history of motoring. Revolutionary for the time was the horizontal design of the radiator grille, with the bonnet lower than the mudguards, which incorporated the headlights. A car with pure, smooth, essential lines, with a style that preempted the lines and design that would distinguish the Sixties. Looking at the profile, one immediately notices the set-back cockpit, and above all the coupé shape. The front windscreen is split in two, and is separated from the line of side windows by a very small pillar. The chrome of many elements is picked up by the small round mirrors, the door handles, and the line separating the front and rear windows. The Cisitalia 202 is a masterpiece, a car with a soft, sinuous, very elegant design, typical of the style of Pininfarina with its austere, timeless beauty. Cisitalia 202 Pininfarina

Ferrari 166 Panoramica – Zagato: «Form follows function»

The 1940s was the heroic period in which sports coupés raced against racing Barchettas at the Mille Miglia. In 1949, with the introduction of the use of materials used in World War II - such as plexiglass - into the automotive world and the application of the panoramic roof, Ugo Zagato created the first of Zagato's pilot projects for Ferrari: the 166 Coupé Panoramica. The Ferrari 166 Panoramica, commissioned by gentlemen driver Antonio Stagnoli, is considered to be the first Maranello car with a body by Zagato, and a true milestone in the evolution of the Gran Turismo Coupe concept. Zagato’s coupe was built on Ferrari’s 166 MM chassis which was an upgraded version of the 166 S that won the Mille Miglia in 1948. The search for a less cramped passenger compartment and greater interior comfort were the guiding principles of this experiment, which resulted in a vehicle characterized by great luminosity and visibility, obtained through large glass surfaces, a windscreen and curved side windows. A true innovation in automotive design. For these reasons it’s called the 'Panoramica'. In this car, with its remarkable aerodynamic style, the concept of ‘form follows function’ was fully embraced by the Milanese coach-builder. His approach to the design of the bodywork was highly innovative, scrupulously following the principles of lightness and aerodynamics derived from aeronautics, focusing his particular attention on interior comfort and making this highly functional car with its clean lines, lack of protrusions and edges an icon of history.

Ferrari 166 Panoramica