In addition to the controversy of being the first electric Ferrari, Luce is involved in another stir, which is not new in the automobile industry
Ferrari is preparing for the launch of the Luce, its first 100% electric model. The first images released (from the interior) generated controversy: after all, a Ferrari without a combustion engine is almost a sin.
SEE ALSO:
And many fans and purists are cursing social networks, but Maranello has an even bigger concern: the name. That’s because Luce has been used in the past by Mazda for almost three decades. And if that wasn’t enough, the Hiroshima-based manufacturer has just re-registered the nickname with the Japanese patent office.
Mazda’s request creates a problem for Ferrari, because there in the Land of the Rising Sun the car will have to have another name. Analysts believe that Maranello will not adopt a second name, much less stop selling the Luce in the land of Jaspion (who drove a Mazda in the series).
Thus, there is a tendency for the matter to end up in the courts. Ferrari has in its favor the fact that it announced the name about three weeks before the registration of the Japanese company. Mazda, in turn, already had a car with that name between 1966 and 1991.
Keeping records of offline car names is common in the industry, as there is always the possibility of the nickname being used again. It is a protective measure to prevent the name from ending up in the hands of another company.
A curious fact was that of the Ford GT40. Ford, after its racing program, did not protect the name, which was registered by other companies. When Ford decided to bring the car to market again in 2004, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the victory at Le Mans, it was not possible to use the combination and it was renamed only Ford GT.
In Luce’s case, the outcome could end with Mazda giving up, a commercial deal or simply Ferrari’s name change. But name changes are not simple. According to Marketing experts, there is intense work to build the message that will be conveyed with the adoption of the name. Thus, an effort by Maranello to reach an understanding with Hiroshima is expected.
But last-minute changes are nothing new either. In 2024, Alfa Romeo was forced to change the name of the Milano electric SUV to Junior. The Italian government barred the name for the simple fact that the car was not assembled in Italy, but in Poland. Italian legislation has a protection instrument for products that claim to be Italian, a kind of designation of origin, common in the beverage and food industry.
The Mazda Luce was introduced by Mazda in 1966 as its first luxury sedan, designed to compete in a segment dominated by larger models in Japan and also gain ground in international markets. Its development had the collaboration of the Italian studio Bertone, responsible for the design of the prototype shown at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show.
Over several generations produced between 1966 and 1991, the Luce evolved from a sleek sedan with a strong European influence to a more sophisticated and technological model. In some versions, the car adopted Wankel rotary engines, marketed as Luce Rotary. The model also served as the basis for derivative projects, such as the Mazda Roadpacer AP, and for exported versions that would later be known as the Mazda 929, consolidating the brand’s role in the executive sedan segment in the 1970s and 1980s.
Disputes over car names are old. In the early 1960s, Porsche was preparing to launch the successor to the 356, which would be called the 901. But at the last minute, Peugeot barred the name because it had the registration of the numerical combination.
As the Germans had already ordered thousands of pieces with the numerals, they decided to discard the number zero and replaced it with the digit 1. Thus was born the Porsche 911.
About five years ago, BMW knocked on Citroën’s door with a proposal under its arm. The Bavarian Motor House was about to launch the XM SUV. And to avoid conflicts, it negotiated the rights to the name with the French brand, which had a futuristic sedan of the same name between 1989 and 2000.
At the time, a gentleman’s agreement was signed in which BMW and Citroën would have the right to use the name and everyone was satisfied. The German launched the at the end of 2022 and the French is unimpeded from using the consonant combination in the future. By talking, everyone understands each other.
