"I'm sry, did you means the pickup, or the F1 racer?"
A strange rivalry is developing between two large automotive companies and may very well end up in court. Ferrari has recently announced plans to name it's new F1 racing car the "F150" in honour of the 150th anniversary of Italy. This has obviously shocked many members of the automotive community leaving them to wonder why Ferrari would step on the Ford nameplate's toes like this.
Obviously the Ford F150 is their most popular brand name and has become an iconic Ford cornerstone over the years. There's no chance that anyone is going to mistake the two F150's; in no scenario will anyone be forced to utter the words: "I'm sorry, did you mean the 1/2 ton pick-up truck of the F1 racecar?" but that doesn't seem to be putting Ford's lawyers off.
It's not been made official yet whether Ford will actively pursue the matter in court, but one thing is for certain, this would further the stereotype of America's love for the courts.
Let's be fair here, Ferrari has a car named the Ferrari F40 (or they used to at least) and no one raised an eyebrow to Ford's 40 that hit the tracks alongside the sports car. The Italians had bigger things to worry about than nameplates and nomenclature. They were busy making better faster cars and being a part of a thriving industry. (Hint Ford!)
Cheers to the American litigious society making the rest of the world feel better about not suing at the drop of a hat!
-D-
[Jalopnik]
Obviously the Ford F150 is their most popular brand name and has become an iconic Ford cornerstone over the years. There's no chance that anyone is going to mistake the two F150's; in no scenario will anyone be forced to utter the words: "I'm sorry, did you mean the 1/2 ton pick-up truck of the F1 racecar?" but that doesn't seem to be putting Ford's lawyers off.
It's not been made official yet whether Ford will actively pursue the matter in court, but one thing is for certain, this would further the stereotype of America's love for the courts.
Let's be fair here, Ferrari has a car named the Ferrari F40 (or they used to at least) and no one raised an eyebrow to Ford's 40 that hit the tracks alongside the sports car. The Italians had bigger things to worry about than nameplates and nomenclature. They were busy making better faster cars and being a part of a thriving industry. (Hint Ford!)
Cheers to the American litigious society making the rest of the world feel better about not suing at the drop of a hat!
-D-
[Jalopnik]