The Ferrari Luce has faced tons of criticism on social media, and now the Scuderia’s former CEO has voiced his opinions on the same. From a recent report by Reuters, Luca di Montezemolo said that the Luce simply does not align with the Scuderia’s history of making desirable cars. 

“I hope that they take off the prancing horse from that car”, reportedly said the former Ferrari CEO, making it clear that it betrays the manufacturer's history.

This reaction was also followed by skepticism from investors, which can be evidenced by Ferrari’s shares falling by nearly 8.4% on the Milan stock exchange. Additionally, the carmaker’s New York-listed shares also fell by 5.9% as of 11:50 EDT. 

Fabio Caldato, a portfolio manager for a firm invested in Ferrari shares, said it was a reaction to the polarizing and hugely divisive design reveal of the Luce, stating, “Ferrari is currently being penalised for an aesthetic disappointment, which follows ​the significant concerns over the expansion of its range to include electric models.” 

Even politicians have chimed in, with the Italian Deputy PM and Transport Minister, Matteo Salvini, reposting Montezemolo’s comments, adding that it is not something one would expect from Ferrari. 

“Electric, outrageously expensive (550 thousand euros!) and, from an aesthetic point of view, it speaks for itself. It looks like anything but a car from the Prancing Horse. And this is supposed to be 'innovation'? Who knows what Enzo Ferrari would say.”

Why The Ferrari Luce Is Being Bashed

Unlike other Ferraris, the Luce isn’t purely a Ferrari Design Studio product. It has been designed in collaboration with the Jony Ive-led Lovefrom, which is clearly visible, and that’s a great thing for the retro-based interiors, but not for the exterior. 

The clean, minimalist look might fit cars from other, more family-focused brands, but not a Ferrari in any case. It just ends up looking too plain, and it doesn’t seem to fit any category either, with Ferrari just calling it a ‘road-going sports car’.  

For years, Ferraris have been all about invoking a certain emotion, a sense of desirability. Cars like the F40, the F355 Berlinetta, the Testarossa from the 80s, they were all masterpieces. The 250 GTO shouldn’t even be included among them, as it deserves a separate tier to itself. 

More recently, the 12Cilindri is an example of rare perfection in today’s times. In a sea of hybrid-powered supercars, the 12Cilindri packs a non-electrified V12 screamer under the hood, which revs up to 9500rpm, and we all know the reference to the 365GTB/4 at the front. That’s how you move forward but still retain a legacy. 

Read more at Motor Culture!  

Written by

Aaradhya Singh