Ferrari Seeks to End Trademark Dispute
Italy's Ferrari said Thursday it has agreed "in good faith" to use the full name of its new Formula One race car after Ford Motor Co. complained that its abbreviation was a copy of the name of its best-selling pick-up truck, the F-150.
Ford, of Dearborn, Mich., filed a lawsuit against Ferrari for referring to the racer as the F150, saying it was an infringement on its trademark, reported The Wall Street Journal.
In a brief statement Thursday, Ferrari said it would refer to the racer by its full name—the Ferrari F150th Italia, which refers to the country's 150th anniversary being celebrated this year.
Ferrari, which is majority owned by Italy's Fiat SpA, said it saw no reason why the abbreviated version of the name would have caused confusion.
"Ferrari retains that there can be no way to confuse the one-seater...or even think that there would be a link with another brand," it said.
"It seems really difficult to understand what has been expressed by Ford," it added.
Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said the U.S. car maker was more concerned about its brand being diluted.
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Ford said Ferrari was trying to "capitalize on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed in the F-150," according to a copy of the court filing. The suit sought unspecified damages. A court date has not yet been set.
The Detroit company sought to bar Ferrari from copying or using the F-150 trademark in any way in the U.S. and asked the court to have Ferrari recall all products, labels, tags, signs, prints, packages, videos, advertisements using the F-150 brand.
Ford has been using the F-150 name since 1975 and has had a trademark on it since 1995.
Ferrari unveiled on Jan. 28 the new racer for the 2011 season. The one it had for the team last year was called the F10.
Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are test-driving the new racer in Spain in preparation for next month's Grand Prix in Bahrain.
More Industry

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →