Italian luxury carmaker Automobili Pininfarina, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, has named Paolo Dellacha as its new CEO. He previously held the position of Chief Product and Engineering Officer and succeeds Per Svantesson, who retires following the successful launch of the Battista, the company’s first luxury electric vehicle.
Dellacha is a highly experienced engineer with a background in senior positions at Ferrari and Maserati before joining Automobili Pininfarina in 2018. He played a leading role in the development and manufacturing of the Battista, a highly acclaimed pure electric hyper GT, as well as in the preparation of the company’s strategy for introducing a future portfolio of luxury electric cars.
As the new CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, Dellacha expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and his commitment to leading the company into its next phase of evolution. He plans to enhance the position of the company as a leading name in electrified automotive luxury by leveraging its recognition as a design leader and the technical expertise it has nurtured through the development of the Battista.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead Automobili Pininfarina into its next phase of evolution. As a proud Italian, the legacy of Pininfarina is always an inspiration to me. The Battista was named in honor of the founder of this revered brand and it has been my privilege to oversee a highly-talented technical team throughout its successful development,” Dellacha said.
Gurpratap Boparai, CEO of Automotive Businesses in Europe for Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, expressed his delight in announcing Dellacha’s promotion and his confidence in his leadership. He also thanked Per Svantesson for leading the company through environmental and economic challenges and for delivering a design masterpiece in the Battista.
Automobili Pininfarina is based in Munich, Germany, with a team of experienced executives from luxury and premium car brands. The Battista and future vehicles will be designed, engineered, and produced by hand in Italy and sold in all major global markets.
Deliveries of the Battista in the US have already started as of October last year.
