Automobili Pininfarina, the carmaking arm of the legendary Italian design house Pininfarina, used this year’s Monterey Car Week to mark a major milestone: 95 years of Pininfarina design, also tying in the North American public debut of the 1-of-1 Battista Novantacinque. Finished in Rosso Gloss-tinted carbon fiber, it is the final edition of the all-electric hyper GT.
Shown on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, this one-off car represents the end of the Battista’s production run and a tribute to nearly a century of automotive design heritage that began in 1930 in Turin. For those unaware, the Battista, named after founder Battista Pininfarina, has been the crown jewel of Automobili Pininfarina since its 2019 launch. Packing a Rimac-sourced 120 kWh battery and four electric motors, it puts out roughly 1,900 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful production cars today.
That figure puts it in conversation with other hyper high-performance EVs like the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija, but with that quintessential and elegant Pininfarina styling. Where most electric vehicles have earned a reputation for being soulless, find out how the Battista stands out and taps into the emotional side in our feature exclusive, talking to Brett David of Prestige Imports and Paolo Trevisan of Pininfarina. Automobili Pininfarina also hosted a private aperitivo and dinner at Osteria al Mare restaurant, where CEO Paolo Dellachà addressed a handful of clients and collectors.
“As we honour 95 years of Pininfarina design, the Battista Novantacinque represents the pinnacle of our craftsmanship – a pure expression of beauty, performance, and individuality. With production now complete, Battista’s status as a true collector’s masterpiece is assured – and we look forward to seeing it honoured at future Pebble Beach Concours events. We also look forward to returning to Monterey next year to present something new and truly special.” – Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina.
Now the question is, where does a hypercar like the Novantacinque sit in the hierarchy? Unlike Ferrari’s limited-run Monzas, every Battista has been tailored to its buyer with virtually limitless personalization options. So from a collector’s standpoint, what this means is that no two examples are alike, making values tricky to track in the short term. Long term, though, cars like the Novantacinque, final, singular, and tied to a milestone anniversary, could command massive premiums.
But Pininfarina wasn’t the only coachbuilder making noise at Monterey this year. We saw Bugatti show its one-off Brouillard with bespoke carbon and tartan details, from its Programme Solitaire department. Bentley paired its new EXP 15 concept with a restored “Blue Train” Speed Six. Touring Superleggera revealed the Veloce12 Barchetta, a naturally aspirated V12 roadster built in tiny numbers. Members of the Supercar Owners Circle (SOC), part of the duPont REGISTRY Group, were given an exclusive preview before its public debut.
Together, these cars reiterated how the longstanding tradition of coachbuilding remains alive even today, now reimagined for the electric and hybrid era, and we can’t wait to see what Automobili Pininfarina has in store for Monterey next year.
Images Source: Automobili Pinninfarina
