Unveiled at the Agritechnica show in Hannover, Germany, this new Zetor tractor design was penned by the legendary Italian studio. It's not so much a specific model as the design direction which the Czech equipment manufacturer, now celebrating its 70th anniversary, will be heading in the future with its modular platform. Described as "highly sensual, dynamic and modern," the design strikes us as sleeker than most tractors – even the ones made by the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini. Of course, it's not going to look like a supercar when a tractor's form is principally dictated by function, but it's a more beautiful tractor than most. Take it from this writer, who got his tractor license several years ago on equipment decidedly more agrarian in its design than this.
If you're wondering why Pininfarina – which has been responsible for some of the most graceful automobiles in history – is working on tractors now, just look at the state of the coachbuilding industry in Italy especially. Automakers have been taking design and small-scale production – areas at which the carrozzeria have traditionally excelled – mostly in-house. That's left outfits like Pininfarina scrambling for new customers, while Bertone goes bust and Italdesign Giugiaro was subsumed by the Volkswagen group. Even Ferrari, which has been a steady customer of Pininfarina's for decades, has by now shifted most of its design process to within the gates of the factory in Maranello. Little wonder, then, that Pininfarina is out there searching for new seeds to sow – quite literally in this case. And judging from this design, the agriculture industry looks to be all the better for it.
