All About Japan Autos

Ferrari had planned on naming its new Formula One racecar the F150, with the new moniker celebrating 150 years of Italian unity. But now Ford truck owners can rest easy, as there’s no longer a chance that people will think that you pilot an Italian racecar when you say you drive an F-150. “Luxury automaker Ferrari has agreed to stop using the F150 name to refer to its new Formula 1 racing car,” writes the Detroit News. “The move comes a day after Ford Motor Co. sued Ferrari in U.S. District Court in Detroit, accusing the exotic sports carcompany of cybersquatting and trademark infringement for allegedly misappropriating the famous F-150 name of Ford’s top-selling pickup.&rdquo.

Although the Ford had been using the F-150 model designation since 1975, Ferrari found it difficult to understand Ford’s course of action since the racecar would not be available in the consumer marketplace. Ferrari will quell any concerns by only referring to the car by its full name, the “Ferrari F150th Italia.”

Still, this isn’t the first time that the two automakers have butted-heads. Left Lane News notes that, “Ford and Ferrari share a rich history based on a failed purchase of the Italian automaker by Ford in the 1960s that eventually led to the creation of the legendary Ford GT40 that went on to beat Ferrari four years in a row by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

While Ford may be satiated by Ferrari’s name change, some members of the automotive press wonder if the Blue Oval missed an opportunity on this one. “It remains to be seen whether Ferrari’s concessions will satisfy Ford, but we wonder why Ford didn’t merely exploit the name of the Ferrari racing car instead of resorting to litigation,” says Edmunds Correspondent, David Green. “Surely there’s an ad campaign in a slogan such as, ‘Even Ferrari envies the toughness of the Ford F-Series.’”

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