The first ten years with Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Pininfarina signed their first agreement in January 1997. Initial contacts between the two companies had been made in the previous year. Acknowledging Pininfarina’s experience in the design, engineering and industrial production of cars, Mitsubishi Motors decided that the Turin-based company would be a flexible partner able to imbue their new SUV compact (already a great success in Japan) with added value and enhance its appeal for the European market.

It was decided that this new model of the Pajero family would be dubbed “Pinin” in honor of this unusual cooperation. In April 1997, Pininfarina purchased a new industrial facility at Bairo (Turin, Italy) specifically earmarked – at least in early years - for Mitsubishi production.

On July 6 1999, the new plant was inaugurated and the first Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin rolled off the production lines. Initially, the 3-door model was produced, followed by the 5-door model from the Fall of 2000. “For Pininfarina, the agreement with Mitsubishi Motors represents not only a major expansion of its production activities – commented Sergio Pininfarina – but also the presence of the company in a segment of vehicles with great potential.” In fact, more than 70,000 Pajero Pinin were produced until 2005. In December 2004, Tim Tozer (President & CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Europe) and Andrea Pininfarina signed a new agreement regarding the third variant of the Mitsubishi Colt, the coupe-cabriolet, at Mitsubishi Design Europe at Trebur (Germany).

The contract established that this convertible would be designed, engineered and produced at
Pininfarina’s Italian facilities – in cooperation with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation - starting from the Spring of 2006. This marked the start of the Colt CZC project.


* Shogun Pinin in UK/Montero in Spain