Founded by Pininfarina, the company was born in 1930. In 1947 the Cisitalia car entered the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. In 1952 it started its partnership with Ferrari. In 1972, they created the first full-scale wind tunnel in Italy, one of just a few worldwide.
 
In 1986 Pininfarina Extra S.r.l. was formed - a company linked to the group and dedicated to product design. In the 1990s they produced new research prototypes, most of which were aimed at solving energy and environment problems, such as the GM Chronos with Poltrona Frau seats. Design collaboration with car manufacturers led to: Ferrari 512 TR, 456 GT 2+2, Peugeot 306 Cabriolet, Ferrari F355 Berlinetta, F355 Spider and F50, Alfa Romeo Spider and GTV, Ferrari 550 Maranello and 456M, Peugeot 406 Coupé and Saloon, Ferrari 360 Modena and Spider.