No products in the cart.
TEXT: MIROSLAVA SRDÍNKOVÁ
We met earlier this year at a truly extraordinary event, where three Pininfarina cars arrived at one location in Prague. Could you tell us more about that occasion?
The idea was to stir the calm waters of the Prague event scene. We wanted to show Prague, and in fact Central Europe, what Automobili Pininfarina cars look like in reality. What works of automotive art they are. We displayed two Battista cars, one in a beautiful green colour called Paradiso Verde with a copper pigment, a shade that behaves a little differently under every angle or light, and then a car we call VIN 089, which is in a matte colour with blue details. It was great to demonstrate how our cars can look completely different each time. And we also presented the B95, a car inspired by the story of Batman and Bruce Wayne, for its European premiere.
Was that your idea?
It was our team’s idea. However, the truth is that when I sensed the opportunity to have the B95 in Europe, I immediately wanted Prague to be the first location. From here, the cars travelled to our colleagues in Zurich, from where they will briefly return to the factory and then each will go its own way. But their European story began here with us in Prague, and as a patriot, that makes me very happy.
Are these cars intended for exhibition purposes only?
The B95 is a prototype, which means the specific model that was in Prague cannot be purchased. As for the car we call VIN 089, it already has a Czech owner, and the Battista in Paradiso Verde is a car we’ve had in the Czech Republic once before and use for potential test drives for interested parties. This car is available for purchase, so if someone were to fall in love and a spark flew…
It must have been a challenge to plan such an event and get the cars here?
It took a little planning, but both the people from Pininfarina and my colleagues and I have been in the automotive world for a while, so it wasn’t that long or difficult. The cars arrived in two covered transports, and it was just a matter of getting them into the Hauch Gallery. Of course, there’s always a moment of slight nervousness and great respect, but when all three cars were standing next to each other in the gallery, I felt a great personal joy.
The chassis is extremely low. How did the cars handle the streets of Prague?
Without a problem. The cars have a lift system. We photographed them at several Prague locations; we drove along Dlouhá Street, through the city centre, around Prague Castle, and past the Four Seasons hotel. And even though the cars are very sporty, they handle normal speed bumps. Yes, you have to be careful, I’m not saying you can fly through Prague like in a jeep, but the car handles it with absolute ease. I’m glad how pleasant the car is for everyday driving; it can cope with the mountain roads in Čeladná as well as the centre of Prague. If I could, I’d drive it every day.
Who had the opportunity to see the trio of Pininfarina models?
In the morning, the press, and during the evening reception, invited guests from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Central Europe. We conceived it as a broader introduction to the Automobili Pininfarina brand and the Battista. We want to follow a path of small, personal meetings, which we organise in Čeladná or at the factory in Cambiano.
How did you find your way to this dream job of representing such luxury car brands?
My favourite quote is: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” I originally wanted to study Egyptology, but I realised it would be too quiet for me. I was drawn to law, which I studied and practised for several years. But then my son came along, and after that, I joined my ex-husband’s company. My father had a marketing agency and I often worked for him part-time, so I was familiar with it. I started at BMW, but fate led me to the beautiful, iconic British brand Rolls-Royce, with which I spent eight wonderful years.
Were you based in Britain?
No, it was the Rolls-Royce dealership here in Prague, which my colleagues and I built up from scratch. However, since I was moving in the world of luxury cars, which is relatively small, people know each other across Europe. Soon, a former boss who used to work at Rolls-Royce and had moved to the Italian brand Bizzarrini contacted me. Thanks to him, I moved over to the Italians, and late last spring, I was approached by Pininfarina in Čeladná. The project is bold, but I like challenges. When we were starting Rolls-Royce, nobody really believed in us either, so I told myself that you have to go for things headfirst.
So, you essentially brought Pininfarina to the Czech Republic, to Čeladná?
The story was started by Richard Kučík, who liked the brand so much that he decided not only to buy a Battista but also to build a dealership for Central Europe. The Miura Hotel fits the concept perfectly. I came into the project when the facilities were already built, and my task was and is to ensure that the brand establishes itself here, operates within the Central European region, and finds its clients and customers. We are not a classic showroom, however, more of a gallery. We are also not open every day at the moment, only for pre-arranged appointments. But we want to open regularly to the public, for people who want to see the beautiful cars and take pictures. We are not a closed-off, sterile brand. With the exhibition model of the Battista we have in the gallery, there’s no problem taking a photo or touching it.
Which car can be seen in Čeladná?
At the moment, you can see the Battista, the model that was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. Occasionally, the Battista VIN 089 will also be on display. I would like to regularly bring in something new, something different, to show how the cars look in other stories. Because, besides the technical perfection, the most beautiful thing about these cars is that we can really tell stories through them. For example, there’s a car called Nino. It’s inspired by Nino Farina, Battista Pininfarina’s nephew, and the first Formula 1 winner in Italy. The story of this champion runs through the entire car, and I will do my utmost to welcome it to the Czech Republic as soon as possible. That’s the vision I’m living for right now.
Besides Čeladná, where else in Europe is Pininfarina represented?
In Čeladná, we became the twenty-sixth dealership in the world. The next nearest is in Switzerland, or Brussels. Other colleagues are in Monaco and the UK. But it’s true that in Čeladná, we are the only monobrand. We are the only space where you will find only Pininfarina and no other brands. I was recently pleased to read in a press release about Automobili Pininfarina’s annual review that new dealerships were established in: Tokyo, Čeladná, and Miami. I’m proud that we managed to get Čeladná among these beautiful cities.
Your job meets the criteria of a dream job. What does it all entail?
I want all the energy and resources that have been and are being invested in the project to bear fruit in a year or two. For it to be worth it, because right now we are in the phase of building the pillars. Otherwise, I have my two colleagues, my bosses, and I often do very ordinary things around the facility in Čeladná; other times I think about strategies, so it’s very diverse. Humbly, but onwards. My reward is that I often meet very interesting and inspiring people. I also enjoy the public events at the gallery, something like an open day, when people come who will never buy such a car, but it’s nice to just chat with them about it.
How demanding is it to work for the most luxurious car brands, and by extension, the most demanding clients?
I would say it’s a great school. Every client is specific, everyone has some wish, but fundamentally, my job is about the fact that when you say something, it should stand. That means if you promise to call, you call. If you promise to write, you write. And it’s also about patience, because we sell cars that nobody strictly “needs”. Every client considering such a purchase has several other luxury cars in their garage. So I like to say that my job is to plant a bug in their ear and, from time to time, nurture it a little. And for that, patience is essential.
What is the process when a truly decided client arrives, one in whose head you’ve already planted the bug, saying they’d like to order a Pininfarina?
There’s no single specific answer to that; again, every client is different. Someone might be the type—I see it now, I want it now, and yesterday was too late. And then things have to move quickly. Someone else, on the other hand, needs to think about it, wants to see the car ideally again and in a different setting than a social event like the one in Prague. So we’ll meet a few more times, we’ll talk more about the specific car, then they’ll test drive it, because that is of course another important part of the sale.
So they fly to Italy?
If they are in a hurry, it’s ideal to visit the factory to test the car. But we also organise driving events in Čeladná. Then there’s the question of the car’s detailed specification, which the client sometimes configures entirely on their own, but sometimes the wider family wants to discuss it. But it’s always about meeting the designer, and it’s ideal and necessary to give it some time for everything to settle. But that’s our job, to tune in to each client and know when you need to be fast and when to give it space.
If a client comes in and says, “I want the car, I want it now, I don’t need any customisation whims” – how long will they wait?
I like the phrase “Under promise, over deliver.” A year is a realistic timeframe. I know it can be done faster, but it’s not something I would promise without having it verified and secured beforehand, because with this clientele, you only make a mistake once. It sometimes happens, typically before the summer, that someone wants a car right away because people are planning trips, want to enjoy the car, perhaps take it to another destination where they have a second home. In that case, it is possible to buy a car that already has some initial mileage. It essentially just undergoes perfect preparation at the factory and is available almost like new.
Basically, a demonstrator car…
I don’t like to say it, but of course, we as a factory have several cars that we keep for these purposes. When someone appears who wants the car now, as they see it and no other, we can do that too. But it is, of course, subject to the current availability at a specific time. There are only a few of these cars, we have some in Europe, colleagues have some in the US, but it can be arranged. The whole job is about listening to the client as much as possible and finding the best solution.
What if I am a very demanding client and want monograms absolutely everywhere, how long would we spend finalising that? And do I have to go to Turin to see the chief designer?
I would encourage you to be a little more creative than just having monograms. We can meet with Dave Amantea in Turin, or he can come to the client. I know from my own experience that if you show someone eight shades of blue, they might be intimidated by the number of options. Someone else, on the other hand, will be thrilled. Another person will look and know exactly what they want. So it’s also about sensing the person and talking. And even after a chosen variant is created, we recommend that clients leave it laid out somewhere for a day or two, walk around it, and let it sink in. It will refine itself and click into place. There are men who like different carbon variants if they want the car to look very sporty; someone else wants more elegance. There are millions of possibilities. It’s a lot about how the client thinks, how they live and function, and who they consult with.
How do male and female clients perceive you?
I like to look people in the eye; they reveal more than words. Women like the Battista; we’re Italian, we have beautiful leather and Alcantara. The ideal for the Battista is for it to be a pleasant car for the passenger too, so that if a woman is in it, it’s easy for her to get in and out. Men are more technical; more questions are directed towards the car’s parameters, the construction. But for me, feedback from ordinary visitors is also important. I was happy that people who were just cycling past stopped by. They also gave me some feedback; I see what people like, what women ask about more, what men ask about, what interests teenage boys, for example…
Do you have an idea of how many Pininfarina cars are sold worldwide annually?
I have an idea and I know, but we are not a brand that has annual targets. We have a vision, an idea, and we are more concerned with doing unique and interesting things than with filling an Excel sheet and tracking year-on-year growth in numbers. But of course, we are a commercial company, and sales are the be-all and end-all.
What is the after-sales care for customers?
For us, everything is just beginning with the purchase of a car. We create automotive art, but they are still cars, and they need regular care. It’s not the case that a client has to go to the factory for a check-up every year. We have “flying doctors”. Moreover, electric cars are not that demanding in terms of service maintenance, so the car basically only needs summer or winter tyres changed, which can be arranged; that’s the least of it. Then there are checks after a certain time or number of kilometres, and after five years, there is always a major service inspection, which always takes place at the factory.
Do you get to drive such an exceptional car as part of your job?
I love cars, so even before I confirmed I would join the project, I wanted to see the cars and the factory. My journey with Automobili Pininfarina began with a trip to Cambiano, where I met the factory team, my future colleagues, and toured the entire production facility, including the Pininfarina museum. I needed to know that the spark would be there when I saw the car, and it was. I knew I would fall for it. And then, of course, I also drove the car. In fact, I drove two of the cars into the Hauch Gallery myself.
Chief Designer Dave Amantea revealed that clients also buy Pininfarina cars as a great investment or collector’s item. How do you see this fact?
There are several dozen Battista cars in the world; it is an engineering and design masterpiece. But personally, I think such a purchase should primarily bring you joy. I like to make a female analogy. I have several pairs of heels and several handbags; I don’t have to wear them every day, but whenever I walk past them in my wardrobe, I should smile a little and have a good feeling that they are mine. I remember one client, from another brand, who once told me that what he loves most is the moment when his car is parked outside, he sits down, has a glass of wine, and watches how his car changes colours at sunset, how it transforms before his eyes. That, for me, is the best reward, when I hear or see the relationship a client has with their car.
When you’re surrounded by such cars, what do you like to drive yourself?
I am a woman, I have a fifteen-year-old son, and as someone who works with cars, I know that you always need something different at different stages of life. It’s known that I’m not a big fan of SUVs, although women usually love this segment, but I feel perched up too high in them, and it bothers me. I need my backside closer to the ground. I like estate cars for their practicality, but as my son is growing up, I’ve caught myself thinking that I could get something more for fun. Thanks to where I’ve worked, I have a BMW 5 Series. Someone recently asked me what car I would buy besides an Italian make and a BMW. I would probably go for a Porsche. But if you asked me what car influenced me in the past, I’d have to mention the Opel Calibra, because its design was amazing for its time, and I also liked the Saab 900 Cabrio. But of course, driving a Battista in the foothills of the Beskydy Mountains at sunset is something that’s hard to beat. It was wonderful to see people’s reactions when we drove it around Prague – it brings you joy to see the emotions this beautiful car evokes.
I can imagine, even just the sound, or rather the silence, the car just purrs…
It purrs, but when you’re driving briskly, the kitten quickly turns into a proper beast.
Get access to inspiring stories from the world of Suite,
delivered directly to your inbox.
