One of the most significant figures in turning Ferrari into what it is today is not happy where the brand has just arrived. Former CEO Luca di Montezemolo has been very outspoken with his opinion of the appearance of the Ferrari Luce. It’s a reaction we’d describe as disgust, and one we’re surprised isn’t blocked through his contract.
At Least Nobody Will Copy This One, Former Chair Says
Ferrari LuceFerrari
“If I could say what I really think, I would harm Ferrari,” di Montezemolo told Italian media earlier this week. “There’s a risk of destroying a myth, and I’m very sorry about that,” he continued, adding, “I hope at least they remove the prancing horse.”
His parting shot might have been the harshest of all: “At least, this is definitely a car the Chinese won’t imitate,” he said.
Italy’s minister for transportation didn’t like the car either. In a social media post, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini wrote: “Electric, incredibly expensive (€550,000!), and aesthetically speaking, it speaks for itself… It looks anything but a Prancing Horse car. And this is supposed to be ‘innovation’? I wonder what Enzo Ferrari would say…”
It might be di Montezemolo’s comments on the car that could have Ferrari’s new bosses looking for revenge. Di Montezemolo first joined Ferrari in 1973 as Enzo’s assistant. He left for higher roles at Fiat, but returned as President of Ferrari in 1991.
After Enzo’s death, the company was in a deep financial hole and was a dud on the racetrack. He was behind turning the company into a profit center, its return to F1 success, and when he left in 2014, the company was in the best position it had ever been.
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He is also very outspoken against EVs, having said in 2013 that “we will never manufacture an electric car as long as I’m chairman.”
Is This A Conflict Of Interest?
Ferrari Luce designed by Sir Jony Ive.Ferrari
Luca, not to be confused with the Luce, might have other reasons for not liking the new EV, or at least for not having nice things to say about it. Since he left Ferrari in 2014, he has had a few other jobs and positions on corporate boards.
His most recent board position is with a company that might consider itself a competitor to Ferrari, especially on the track. He is on the board of McLaren Group Holdings, in a role that focuses on that company’s road cars. He may hate the new model, but the passionate executive may also be trying to stoke some fires, pushing people into McLaren’s cars instead.
The Luce is starting to grow on at least some of the CarBuzz staff. It could be the sheer number of times we’ve had to see it this week, or the first rendered body kits, but the 1,035 prancing electric horses, four motors, and general being a Ferrari will probably ensure that the company sells every one.
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Meanwhile, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV also got to see the new Luce in person at Castel Gandolfo. He didn’t have much to say about the vehicle, but also wasn’t aware that Ferrari had already made a four-door model, the V12 Purosangue. That might be an even bigger sin, at least for Italians passionate about their homegrown supercars.
