legendary Italian car designer Sergio Pininfarina, whose company has designed Ferraris for decades, died in the early hours of Tuesday after a long illness. A life Senator, he had since 1966 chaired Pininfarina, the coachmaker and design company created by his father Battista “Pinin” Farina. He also headed Italy’s main private employers’ confederation Confindustria from 1988 to 1992 and became a life senator in 2005. He was born in the northern industrial city of Turin on 8 September 1926 and graduated in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic of Torino in 1950. His son Andrea had been due to succeed him but died in a car accident in 2008. The company is also famous for designing the 2006 Winter Olympics Torch, the Coca-Cola Free-Stye beverage dispenser, the Lavazza coffee machine and the Juventus stadium.