Italian styling house and coachbuilder Pininfarina has launched a project along with its partner Matra to demonstrate the potential of low-volume niche models based on existing components.
Italian styling house and coachbuilder Pininfarina has launched a project along with its partner Matra to demonstrate the potential of low-volume niche models based on existing components.
The Double-Face, the first project between Pininfarina and French manufacturer Matra, has been engineered to be built around manufacturers’ existing platform.
The two companies started with the idea of developing two cars for a multi brand manufacturer and making them visually distinct from each other while using common technical features to reduce the cost for small-volume niche vehicles.
Styling house and coachbuilder Pininfarina last year bought the ailing Matra Automobile Engineering. The concept is designed with the intention of attracting volume vehicle manufacturers.
The upper structure can then be reworked, as was displayed with the two different SUVs displayed at last week’s Paris show. The on-road SUV and off-road coupe had shown great cosmetic differences. The SUV was finished in conventional sheet metal while the coupe was finished in a plastic composite.
Only minor variations can be found beneath the surface. The cars share a steel spaceframe chassis but the angles of their C-pillars, the only structural differences, can be altered to change the roofline.