Pininfarina to become all-electric luxury car brand

Pininfarina has announced it will transition from supercar stylist and coachbuilder to a car-maker in its own right.

Famous for creating some of the world's most beautiful cars for Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Cadillac, the Italian design studio says that under its new Mahindra ownership it will become the world's first luxury electric car maker.

Speaking at the Geneva motor show, Pininfarina CEO Paulo Pininfarina announced a 'luxury electric vehicle strategy' was already in the pipeline.

"My father's dream was to build a car company and his father's dream was also to build a car company.

"Now I plan for that dream to come true," said the Italian design house's boss.

Pininfarina hasn't revealed how exactly it plans to achieve its aim of switching from being a coachbuilder to a full-blown car-maker.

Nor has it explained where it will source its pure-electric powertrains from, but it's likely its new proprietor -- India's huge Mahindra automotive conglomerate -- will foot the billion-dollar bill.

Likely to form the basis for its first car is the glamourous HK concept that was shown off at the Swiss show (pictured).

A luxurious, pure-electric rival for the Mercedes-Benz CLS, it was created in partnership with Hong Kong-based electric and hybrid powertrain specialist Hybrid Kinetic Group.

If the two firms reunite to create Pinanfarina's first production car, they'll have to work fast if they want to be the world's first electric luxury car brand.

Aston Martin announced at the same Swiss show that it plans to relaunch the 104-year old Lagonda marque as the world's first premium EV brand and that its first models -- a Rolls-Royce Phantom-rivalling limousine and an imposing SUV -- will hit the market in 2021.

Plucked from bankruptcy for a reported $38 million by the Indian car-making giant, Pininfarina is expected to continue to lend its considerable design expertise to other car-makers, including Mahindra's sister brand Ssangyong.

Founded and run by the Pininfarina family since 1930, the Italian design consultancy has also earned a fine reputation for designing high-speed trains, buses, trams, yachts and private jets.