One thing I’ve learned after a decade in this business is that Ferrari takes its name, logo, and other branding very seriously. The company isn’t afraid to take legal action when others use its branding for personal gain or modify their products in a way that may, in its eyes, harm its image.
There are numerous examples of this, some more famous than others. Over the years, Ferrari has garnered a reputation for defending its brand so strongly that other companies don’t dare whisper its name or show its logos in photos for fear of being targeted by the company’s lawyers.
The result of this is aftermarket parts makers and tuners who have to tactfully skirt around the word “Ferrari” and all its associated brand names and logos while trying to sell a product that is deeply intertwined with the brand. It makes for press releases—usually soulless documents that sound like they were crafted in a boardroom with the 12 most boring people you’ve ever met—that are way funnier to read than they have any right to be.
Ferrari Doesn’t Care If You’re Famous
There are several known instances of Ferrari threatening legal action (or following through on it) against people and organizations that it believes paint the brand in a bad light. Let me enlighten you to just a few.
The most relevant incident I can think of is when DJ and music producer Joel Zimmerman, who goes by the stage name Deadmau5, wrapped his Ferrari 458 Spider in a “Nyan Cat” internet meme theme back in 2014, and gave it “Purrari” badges in place of the iconic prancing horse. The car’s mods were widely covered online before Ferrari sent Zimmerman a Cease and Desist letter, forcing him to remove the wrap and the badges or face legal action.
A similar thing happened with Jean ’Beurlys’ Blaton, a Belgian billionaire who had his F40 LM heavily modified into a custom “Barchetta” variant with new bodywork and a revised suspension, among other things. Instead of asking Blaton to change the car back to its original state, Ferrari sent a Cease and Desist letter telling him to remove all Ferrari badges and other markings that might identify the car as a Ferrari.
Ferrari took things even further in 2020 with Swiss fashion designer Philipp Plein, who featured modified versions of his 812 Superfast on Instagram and used its cars at a 2018 fashion show to, according to the brand, represent “a lifestyle totally inconsistent with [Ferrari’s] brand perception, in connection with performers making sexual innuendos and using Ferrari’s cars as props in a manner which is per se distasteful,” according to Carscoops. In this case, Ferrari actually sued Plein and won, forcing the designer to pay the equivalent of $352,000 in compensation and legal fees.
Here’s How This Tuner Did It
That brings us to this news release from Talos Vehicles, a British restomod and tuner shop that sells customized versions of the modern Land Rover Defender, the Porsche 911 GT3, and the vintage Audi S1. Last year, it revealed it would be offering a modified version of the Ferrari 599, called the Talos XXT. It’s made to look like the track-only XX version of the 599, with a huge wing out back and a handful of other cosmetic and mechanical changes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Source: Talos Vehicles
The company announced today some of its most popular customization requests for the XXT, and in that announcement, there is not one mention of the word “Ferrari,” despite the car very obviously still being a Ferrari. In at least one instance, Talos clearly dances around naming the brand. I bolded the areas where this occurs:
Limited to just five units worldwide, the TALOS XXT offers owners a fully customised race-inspired Grand Touring experience, with bespoke options including its finish and paintwork.
Indeed, paying homage to the XXT’s carbon fibre bodywork is the awesome ‘Full carbon’ design. This unique design showcases the craftsmanship of the XXT, with naked matt carbon fibre panels across the vehicle, complemented with a black interior featuring Alcantara seats and trim.
Source: Talos Vehicles
Meanwhile, the eye-catching ‘Verde Jewel’ customisation is set to turn heads with its striking colour combination. The car’s prospective UK owner has opted for a breathtaking green finish, offset with a stunning red Alcantara interior, in a nod to the car’s Maranello roots. Furthermore, to reflect the customer’s own heritage, the exterior features the Union Jack on the rear wing end-plates, also reinforcing the British craftsmanship of the XXT.
As well-written as this release is, Talos does, at one point, mention the name of the car (again, bolded for clarity):
Starting life as a donor 599 GTB, the TALOS XXT is available in both left and right-hand drive variants together with bespoke options including custom engine upgrades.
Source: Talos Vehicles
And unlike that F40 I mentioned earlier, the XXT is still very much covered in Ferrari badges inside and out. So, despite all of the mods and not mentioning the brand by name, Talos is nonetheless presenting this car as a Ferrari 599 GTB. Whether that’s enough to open the British tuner company to a lawsuit from Maranello, I’m not sure. But knowing Ferrari, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it take some kind of action.
Brian Silvestro is The Autopian's news editor. Best known for buying cheap, rusty project cars, he currently drives a 2008 Range Rover with around 218,000 miles. When he’s not writing about the car world, he enjoys participating in fun drives, track days, and endurance racing events.
It has always seemed like a crazy overreach on Ferrari’s part to me, but I guess it’s worked for them somehow? I assume the purchase agreement is absurd for buying new, but how could they enforce it for second owners and beyond?
On careful reading, I think they really only send a C&D when their IP is used in some money-making capacity where Ferrari deems it to harm their brand, such as a platform to showcase a fashion show where images inconsistent with the brand are promoted by using the brand, modified cars being passed off as Ferraris when they have been substantially changed, etc. This does not appear to be a lawsuit against personal modifications or uses – for that they generally just blacklist you and won’t sell you another car.
Baltimore Paul
10 hours ago
Ferrari makes a lot of money on their branding. They are basically in the logo Business, with the side hustle, making cars.
Except that application of throttle in a Ferrari will produce actual acceleration, not just noise, and Ferrari’s products utilizes production techniques and materials from the 20th century.
I bought a pickup truck at auction from our township and when I went to get it, it still had the town’s giant door stickers on it. As a private citizen using my new to me truck, I drove it around that way doing plenty of very obviously non-town oriented things. I was surprised that it took 4 or 5 months before the town board finally sent the roads department foreman to ask me to remove those stickers and sheepishly admit they were supposed to remove them before sale. It was nice to be able to speed past cops with just a wave while it lasted, though.
I’d be so tempted to leave it parked at your town’s finest adult establishments. Better yet, the ones in your neighboring town; that’ll get it on social media much faster.
Member
JurassicComanche25
10 hours ago
So what Im getting from this, is the Ferrari boardroom is full of self-indulgent wieners?
I don’t appreciate that you don’t appreciate the national treasure known as Nicolas Cage. We can’t be friends.
Ransom
11 hours ago
It’s amusing to think that while Ferrari might sound exotic to some, it’s really just the Italian equivalent of plain old Smith—just like Patel, Haddad, Kowalski, Fabre, Herrera, and so on. Wow, check out that new red Kowalski!
What’s the equivalent of a brand Americans find boring but is seen as uber chic elsewhere? Like is Kirkland the bees knees in Albania?
Member
Mechjaz
11 hours ago
Man, fuck Ferrari. How’s that for brand image?
Member
Mr E
11 hours ago
I think it’s masterful how Ferrari has managed to force the majority of its customers to allow themselves to be bossed around by them after they’ve paid lots of money for the pleasure of owning one of their cars.
It’s also rather sickening.
Surely, someone makes a sticker of Calvin pissing on a Ferrari badge?
The world of false scarcity luxury goods. Hermès is the world’s most expensive gachapon. How many scarves do you have to buy before you are offered the opportunity to order a bag? The fun is finding out!
Hermes is ridiculous on a whole other level, but all fashion brands manipulate value through false scarcity and FOMO.
I like a nice pair of shoes, I have a few pairs of Louboutins. They make a few thousand, then change production lines to the next ‘season.’ Repeat ad nauseam. Limited edition pairs go for tens of thousands, and they’ll make maybe 10 of them, all reserved for celebrities and their whale customers than have already spent $100,000 or more
There’s no reason to stop production on a certain style other than just because. It’s gross. All of mine are secondhand, which makes me feel a little better about indulging myself.
I have huge respect for anyone that has wildly diverse interests. The more disconnected the better. I think id even (begrudgingly) respect the guy in the bro dozer rolling coal while parking at the ballet.
I’m imagining someone dressed to the absolute nines, wearing Louboutins and whatever other fancy names in fashion, while driving the clunkiest, weirdest 1950s VW Autopian Special.
The problem with every desirable luxury brand is that people with money still at the end of the day want them. Veblen Goods are expensive because they’re desirable, and they’re desirable because part and parcel they’re expensive.
Didn’t see your comment about the Calvin sticker until it made today’s COTD post whereupon I commented thusly:
“Oh, criminy, so many people just get it so bone-headedly wrong about Calvin, those stickers need to die in an all-consuming conflagration. That kind of thing is actually completely out of character for Calvin as anyone who’s actually *read* the comic strip knows. And Bill Watterson most understandably hates those stickers with a vengeance but it’s been extremely difficult to take any legal action. Maybe he should recruit Ferrari’s team of lawyers…”
Yeah, any chance I can get to push back against the unfortunate proliferation of such stickers I’ll do so until sufficient numbers of people get it about the true character of Calvin. Might be hopeless, tilting at windmills and all that, but one’s gotta try, lol.
Emil Minty
12 hours ago
What’s next, suing Volvo tuners over the prancing moose badge?
I think some of the Ferrari will sue you is a little overblown, and some of it is ambulance chasing lawyers who spot these possible opportunities and contact Ferrari offering to sue and Ferrari says go ahead.
Friend of mine used to work for an auction house in the UK and they were offered a 308 GTS that had the V12 for a Ferrari 400 swapped into it. They were worried Ferrari would try and shut down the sale so they contacted them. Ferrari came back and said as long as you make it crystal clear the swap was not done or approved by Ferrari or any official dealer associated with Ferrari they were cool with it. I’m sure a similar disclaimer would work in the case of the mods to this 599.
Very much so. You’ve also got the Liberty Walk F40, which was covered everywhere ad nauseum when it debuted and nobody has heard a peep from Ferrari, to my knowledge. I think they’ll only sue you if you use their logo to try and make money, which makes sense.
Member
DialMforMiata
12 hours ago
Ferrari vs. DJ’s, fashion designers, influencers and third-rate tuners.
Regardless of who wins, there are no winners here.
Member
Cheap Bastard
12 hours ago
“Purrari” badges in place of the iconic prancing horse. The car’s mods were widely covered online before Ferrari sent Zimmerman a Cease and Desist letter, forcing him to remove the wrap and the badges or face legal action.
How is that not protected under parody fair use laws?
I think it is – my understanding is he was selling merch with the modified Ferrari logo and that’s why he got the Cease and Desist. The internet took that to mean it was because he wrapped the car.
Which is funny, because Jamiroquai sold more than 8 million copies of “Traveling Without Moving”, whose album cover was 100% a parody of Ferrari’s logo.
It seems the internet had it right, at least according to this quote, supposedly from the recipient of that letter:
“Apparently Ferrari was not too pleased with the custom badges and associated floor mats on Deadmau5’s 458 Italia Ferrari aka The Purrari. In fact, Ferrari North America even sent a cease and desist to have the custom emblems removed from Deadmau5′ Purarri.
I wonder if the jackass lawyer at @FerrariUSA who sent us a “cease and desist” letter over the purrari is un-butthurt now that I unwrapped.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) August 27, 2014
Yeah it was mostly the custom floor matts and the custom purrari badges. Whatever. It’s just a normal ass 458 now. All good.
I always love to imagine some sort of science fiction apocalypse scenario where all of the cars on earth, along with the knowledge of said cars, are destroyed…except for Jay’s collection. And Ferraris are forever forgotten due to their own companies shittiness. Very satisfying.
I just saw a RAM today with the whole back window covered with a red, white and blue Punisher skull and the preamble to the Constitution, guess its a good thing there’s backup cameras now. I wonder how confused the driver would be if anyone asked him about the comics
Wait, there’s an illustrated version of the Constitution now? Finally, a Bill of Rights I can stay engaged with!
I imagine it goes something like:
1A: Freedom of the FOX News and assembly (so long as you assault the nation’s capital)
2A: Basically carte blanche to murder anyone you disagree without about how they’re using 1A
3A: ICE is crashing on your couch tonight
4A: You can have your shit taken, seized, and spied upon. If you’re using your shit to encourage, aid, or assist anyone but a paramilitary force, even just to warn others about the presence of that force, then you’re a domestic terrorist and subject to 2A
5A: You have the right not to self-incriminate in testimony in such matters as are brought before a Court, as you will have been shot pursuant to 2A
etc and so on.
You apparently haven’t seen the punisher skull that has Trump hair…
Member
Lotsofchops
12 hours ago
And if sales are any indication, all their stick-up-the-ass attitude definitely isn’t hurting sales.
Member
V10omous
12 hours ago
Meanwhile Ferrari does insane things like name their race car “F150” and expect that to fly without pushback from the more well-known seller of vehicles with that name.
I mean, Ford sued and Ferrari backed down and changed the name, so there was something there. At least as much as some of the legal actions mentioned in the article.
They were aiming for the old Clarkson-May-Hammond Top Gear to take it around the track with a couch and a mattress lashed to the rear wing while complaining about what an awkward pickup bed it makes.
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
12 hours ago
I thought the Deadmau5 thing was because he was selling merchandise that kind of copied Ferrari’s logo, not because he wrapped the car.
Protodite
12 hours ago
In fairness if I were Ferrari I’d also be pissed with any association with Philipp Plein, who makes some of easily the least tasteful “luxury” items in existence
So I had to Google Phillip Plein because I’m so far outside of any media I would have encountered it. Based on the first page of scrolling he was definitely using his garish Ferraris to market his garish clothing. I’m with Ferrari on this, if the Insurance General has to use a generic car shaped thing to market their product so does this rich designer. Sadly the fine was probably a drop in his metallic green sneaker bucket. (I didn’t bother to see what he charges for his stuff)
Most non-oem auto related commercials use something that looks like a car, but not a specific car. There was an article about some insurance company (I think) that used an ALMOST 65 mustang, but put just enough changes on it, as to not actually be a Mustang.
The excellent line of Ferrari being an accessories and merchandise company that also happens to sell some cars
Ash78
12 hours ago
See, this heavy-handedness is the thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger every time I visit their configurator. Do better, Ferrari, or I’ll take my business to Fiero and a guy with a fiberglass fabrication shop in Boaz, Alabama. He can do everyting you do, but without all the snobbery!
I assure you the guy with a fiberglass fabrication shop in Boaz, Alabama has a cousin who makes better welds than Ferrari and a brother-in-law who performs higher-quality paintjobs than Ferrari’s factory. They’re still living up to Enzo’s words:
“I don’t sell cars. I sell engines. The cars I throw in for free.”
Member
Sid Bridge
12 hours ago
Me, looking in bathroom mirror: (deep breath). Ferrari. Ferrari. (dramatic pause) Ferrari.
**lights go out, candles flicker, a figure appears behind me**
Enzo Ferrari, but with blinding red eyes: CIAO! I have a cease and desist order!
Me: AHHH!!!!
Homer hunger strike? The Simpsons references run thick around here and I love it.
Spikedlemon
12 hours ago
Makes me want to get a few prancing moose logos
Member
ShinyMetalAsp
12 hours ago
I, for one, will push back against this misuse of the legal system against consumer freedom. I pledge to stop buying Ferrari vehicles, full stop, for the rest of my life. They’ll never get another dollar from me.
1) buy some “entry level” Ferraris to gain some clout
2) get on a waitlist for a big $$ special edition
3) get a shop to convert your special edition mid-engined Ferrari to look like a Fiero
4) get sued by Ferrari
5) Sell it for a Lambo
Not entry level. Vintage. One where you can still work on the car without the need for a dealer. That would be the 348 and older models. I’m ok with a 40 year old car.
Mine works great! But more of a buzzkill than Ferrari is my actual family. For some reason they don’t think a wrap, rally lights, and luggage rack would make the Mondial any cooler.
Spousal Cease and Desist is way more daunting than Factory.
But seriously, as a kid with a Car and Driver subscription circa 1990 I remember reading about how the best manual gearshifts were Honda and Ferrari. Getting to drive a vintage Ferrari with the gated manual shifter is a bucket list item and I drive a manual Honda every day. Well, not yesterday.
Your reminder that Ferrari is really a lifestyle brand that makes promotional vehicles.
I wonder what’s in the purchase agreements that gives Ferrari the ability to attempt this…
It has always seemed like a crazy overreach on Ferrari’s part to me, but I guess it’s worked for them somehow? I assume the purchase agreement is absurd for buying new, but how could they enforce it for second owners and beyond?
They try to prevent dealers from selling any further cars to you if you don’t follow their rules.
On careful reading, I think they really only send a C&D when their IP is used in some money-making capacity where Ferrari deems it to harm their brand, such as a platform to showcase a fashion show where images inconsistent with the brand are promoted by using the brand, modified cars being passed off as Ferraris when they have been substantially changed, etc. This does not appear to be a lawsuit against personal modifications or uses – for that they generally just blacklist you and won’t sell you another car.
Ferrari makes a lot of money on their branding. They are basically in the logo Business, with the side hustle, making cars.
So you’re saying Harley is the American Ferrari?
Yes. 100%
No, Ferrari is the Italian Harley-Davidson.
Except that application of throttle in a Ferrari will produce actual acceleration, not just noise, and Ferrari’s products utilizes production techniques and materials from the 20th century.
“…production techniques and materials from the 20th century…”
Just like the Ford T then…
Now this is a guy who should be pissed about his branding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Mark-1_Plumbing_truck_incident
I bought a pickup truck at auction from our township and when I went to get it, it still had the town’s giant door stickers on it. As a private citizen using my new to me truck, I drove it around that way doing plenty of very obviously non-town oriented things. I was surprised that it took 4 or 5 months before the town board finally sent the roads department foreman to ask me to remove those stickers and sheepishly admit they were supposed to remove them before sale. It was nice to be able to speed past cops with just a wave while it lasted, though.
I’d be so tempted to leave it parked at your town’s finest adult establishments. Better yet, the ones in your neighboring town; that’ll get it on social media much faster.
So what Im getting from this, is the Ferrari boardroom is full of self-indulgent wieners?
Now I’m thinking of Nic Cage and I don’t appreciate it. We are no longer friends.
I don’t appreciate that you don’t appreciate the national treasure known as Nicolas Cage. We can’t be friends.
It’s amusing to think that while Ferrari might sound exotic to some, it’s really just the Italian equivalent of plain old Smith—just like Patel, Haddad, Kowalski, Fabre, Herrera, and so on. Wow, check out that new red Kowalski!
What’s the equivalent of a brand Americans find boring but is seen as uber chic elsewhere? Like is Kirkland the bees knees in Albania?
Man, fuck Ferrari. How’s that for brand image?
I think it’s masterful how Ferrari has managed to force the majority of its customers to allow themselves to be bossed around by them after they’ve paid lots of money for the pleasure of owning one of their cars.
It’s also rather sickening.
Surely, someone makes a sticker of Calvin pissing on a Ferrari badge?
I was just telling my wife about the Purrari last week and how you can only buy a new Ferrari if they deem you good enough. She was blown away.
The world of false scarcity luxury goods. Hermès is the world’s most expensive gachapon. How many scarves do you have to buy before you are offered the opportunity to order a bag? The fun is finding out!
Hermes is ridiculous on a whole other level, but all fashion brands manipulate value through false scarcity and FOMO.
I like a nice pair of shoes, I have a few pairs of Louboutins. They make a few thousand, then change production lines to the next ‘season.’ Repeat ad nauseam. Limited edition pairs go for tens of thousands, and they’ll make maybe 10 of them, all reserved for celebrities and their whale customers than have already spent $100,000 or more
There’s no reason to stop production on a certain style other than just because. It’s gross. All of mine are secondhand, which makes me feel a little better about indulging myself.
TIL the Venn diagram of Autopian readers and Christian Louboutin shoe wearers has a little more overlap than I thought.
Good to know I’m not alone, my rather eclectic mix of interests makes me feel that way a lot of the time.
I have huge respect for anyone that has wildly diverse interests. The more disconnected the better. I think id even (begrudgingly) respect the guy in the bro dozer rolling coal while parking at the ballet.
I wonder if the shoes were fully depreciated 🙂
I’m imagining someone dressed to the absolute nines, wearing Louboutins and whatever other fancy names in fashion, while driving the clunkiest, weirdest 1950s VW Autopian Special.
I would 100% daily drive an old Beetle if I could find one in good condition at a reasonable price. Instead, my daily is a MK6 GTI.
Either way, you bet I’m wearing my red bottoms.
The problem with every desirable luxury brand is that people with money still at the end of the day want them. Veblen Goods are expensive because they’re desirable, and they’re desirable because part and parcel they’re expensive.
Exactly it. These 1%ers don’t want to have just regular old expensive things, they want to have expensive things that other people can’t have.
Sounds like a good way to get sued by Ferrari…
Didn’t see your comment about the Calvin sticker until it made today’s COTD post whereupon I commented thusly:
“Oh, criminy, so many people just get it so bone-headedly wrong about Calvin, those stickers need to die in an all-consuming conflagration. That kind of thing is actually completely out of character for Calvin as anyone who’s actually *read* the comic strip knows. And Bill Watterson most understandably hates those stickers with a vengeance but it’s been extremely difficult to take any legal action. Maybe he should recruit Ferrari’s team of lawyers…”
Yeah, any chance I can get to push back against the unfortunate proliferation of such stickers I’ll do so until sufficient numbers of people get it about the true character of Calvin. Might be hopeless, tilting at windmills and all that, but one’s gotta try, lol.
What’s next, suing Volvo tuners over the prancing moose badge?
Volvo did indeed send the prancing moose designer a cease and desist order.
Are you sure you don’t mean Ferrari?
I think some of the Ferrari will sue you is a little overblown, and some of it is ambulance chasing lawyers who spot these possible opportunities and contact Ferrari offering to sue and Ferrari says go ahead.
Friend of mine used to work for an auction house in the UK and they were offered a 308 GTS that had the V12 for a Ferrari 400 swapped into it. They were worried Ferrari would try and shut down the sale so they contacted them. Ferrari came back and said as long as you make it crystal clear the swap was not done or approved by Ferrari or any official dealer associated with Ferrari they were cool with it. I’m sure a similar disclaimer would work in the case of the mods to this 599.
Very much so. You’ve also got the Liberty Walk F40, which was covered everywhere ad nauseum when it debuted and nobody has heard a peep from Ferrari, to my knowledge. I think they’ll only sue you if you use their logo to try and make money, which makes sense.
Ferrari vs. DJ’s, fashion designers, influencers and third-rate tuners.
Regardless of who wins, there are no winners here.
“Purrari” badges in place of the iconic prancing horse. The car’s mods were widely covered online before Ferrari sent Zimmerman a Cease and Desist letter, forcing him to remove the wrap and the badges or face legal action.
How is that not protected under parody fair use laws?
I think it is – my understanding is he was selling merch with the modified Ferrari logo and that’s why he got the Cease and Desist. The internet took that to mean it was because he wrapped the car.
Which is funny, because Jamiroquai sold more than 8 million copies of “Traveling Without Moving”, whose album cover was 100% a parody of Ferrari’s logo.
I think 1996-era Ferrari was more concerned with staying in business than they were chasing down silly lawsuits.
It seems the internet had it right, at least according to this quote, supposedly from the recipient of that letter:
“Apparently Ferrari was not too pleased with the custom badges and associated floor mats on Deadmau5’s 458 Italia Ferrari aka The Purrari. In fact, Ferrari North America even sent a cease and desist to have the custom emblems removed from Deadmau5′ Purarri.
I wonder if the jackass lawyer at @FerrariUSA who sent us a “cease and desist” letter over the purrari is un-butthurt now that I unwrapped.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) August 27, 2014
Yeah it was mostly the custom floor matts and the custom purrari badges. Whatever. It’s just a normal ass 458 now. All good.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) August 27, 2014″
https://www.edmsauce.com/2014/08/27/ferrari-sent-deadmau5-cease-desist-purrari/
Ferrari is such a shitty company that even if I had the money I wouldn’t buy one. They are such assholes.
Jay Leno won’t own a Ferrari. Enough said.
I always love to imagine some sort of science fiction apocalypse scenario where all of the cars on earth, along with the knowledge of said cars, are destroyed…except for Jay’s collection. And Ferraris are forever forgotten due to their own companies shittiness. Very satisfying.
Yeah, they just seem like a really tedious company to deal with, at the absolute best
What’s funny is though Ferrari is the ONLY manufacturer that hasn’t made a DMCA takedown of my artwork, so there’s that
Maybe RAM, GM and Ford should send C&D’s to pickup owners with punisher stickers on the back glass for exactly the same reason.
Most of those guys have thin-blue-line stickers too, because they want to be fair and balanced (definately not because they are stupid)
My favourite are the ones that combine the thin blue line and punisher skull as some kind of all-in-one stupidity mark.
I just saw a RAM today with the whole back window covered with a red, white and blue Punisher skull and the preamble to the Constitution, guess its a good thing there’s backup cameras now. I wonder how confused the driver would be if anyone asked him about the comics
Wait, there’s an illustrated version of the Constitution now? Finally, a Bill of Rights I can stay engaged with!
I imagine it goes something like:
1A: Freedom of the FOX News and assembly (so long as you assault the nation’s capital)
2A: Basically carte blanche to murder anyone you disagree without about how they’re using 1A
3A: ICE is crashing on your couch tonight
4A: You can have your shit taken, seized, and spied upon. If you’re using your shit to encourage, aid, or assist anyone but a paramilitary force, even just to warn others about the presence of that force, then you’re a domestic terrorist and subject to 2A
5A: You have the right not to self-incriminate in testimony in such matters as are brought before a Court, as you will have been shot pursuant to 2A
etc and so on.
Don’t forget the latest addition, the 0th amendment: Rules for thee but not for me.
You apparently haven’t seen the punisher skull that has Trump hair…
And if sales are any indication, all their stick-up-the-ass attitude definitely isn’t hurting sales.
Meanwhile Ferrari does insane things like name their race car “F150” and expect that to fly without pushback from the more well-known seller of vehicles with that name.
Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.
Just keeping the rivalry alive!
That means I can slap a Ferrari badge on a pickup 😛
“Eco Impulso”
You’re a wizard Harry.
Till they sue you.
A race car. Not for sale. A alphanumeric designation only for the purposes of identification.
I mean, Ford sued and Ferrari backed down and changed the name, so there was something there. At least as much as some of the legal actions mentioned in the article.
They were aiming for the old Clarkson-May-Hammond Top Gear to take it around the track with a couch and a mattress lashed to the rear wing while complaining about what an awkward pickup bed it makes.
I thought the Deadmau5 thing was because he was selling merchandise that kind of copied Ferrari’s logo, not because he wrapped the car.
In fairness if I were Ferrari I’d also be pissed with any association with Philipp Plein, who makes some of easily the least tasteful “luxury” items in existence
Like 80%+ of Ferrari’s own branded items are tasteless “luxury” items. Sounds like a good fit to me.
Yeah that Venn Diagram is nearly a circle.
So I had to Google Phillip Plein because I’m so far outside of any media I would have encountered it. Based on the first page of scrolling he was definitely using his garish Ferraris to market his garish clothing. I’m with Ferrari on this, if the Insurance General has to use a generic car shaped thing to market their product so does this rich designer. Sadly the fine was probably a drop in his metallic green sneaker bucket. (I didn’t bother to see what he charges for his stuff)
…”generic car shaped thing…”
You can just say Corolla. Toyota won’t sue.
Most non-oem auto related commercials use something that looks like a car, but not a specific car. There was an article about some insurance company (I think) that used an ALMOST 65 mustang, but put just enough changes on it, as to not actually be a Mustang.
If it’s the one I’m thinking of, it was for a prescription drug and the article was by Torch.
That was it!!
The excellent line of Ferrari being an accessories and merchandise company that also happens to sell some cars
See, this heavy-handedness is the thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger every time I visit their configurator. Do better, Ferrari, or I’ll take my business to Fiero and a guy with a fiberglass fabrication shop in Boaz, Alabama. He can do everyting you do, but without all the snobbery!
I assure you the guy with a fiberglass fabrication shop in Boaz, Alabama has a cousin who makes better welds than Ferrari and a brother-in-law who performs higher-quality paintjobs than Ferrari’s factory. They’re still living up to Enzo’s words:
“I don’t sell cars. I sell engines. The cars I throw in for free.”
Me, looking in bathroom mirror: (deep breath). Ferrari. Ferrari. (dramatic pause) Ferrari.
**lights go out, candles flicker, a figure appears behind me**
Enzo Ferrari, but with blinding red eyes: CIAO! I have a cease and desist order!
Me: AHHH!!!!
Except it’s Kylo Ren, since you can’t remember what Enzo looked like except from the movie.
Like Jim Morrison vs Val Kilmer.
“Cesar Chavez? Then why do you look like Cesar Romero?”
“Because joo don’t know what Cesar Chavez looks like.”
I’m kinda like Jesus, but not in a sacrilegious way.
Homer hunger strike? The Simpsons references run thick around here and I love it.
Makes me want to get a few prancing moose logos
I, for one, will push back against this misuse of the legal system against consumer freedom. I pledge to stop buying Ferrari vehicles, full stop, for the rest of my life. They’ll never get another dollar from me.
I will join you in this boycott! Who else is with ShinyMetalAsp?
It’s a bucket list item for me to get on Ferrari’s blacklist. Which is a much more fun reason not to buy one than my current reason of no money.
1) buy some “entry level” Ferraris to gain some clout
2) get on a waitlist for a big $$ special edition
3) get a shop to convert your special edition mid-engined Ferrari to look like a Fiero
4) get sued by Ferrari
5) Sell it for a Lambo
Yeah you get it!
Not entry level. Vintage. One where you can still work on the car without the need for a dealer. That would be the 348 and older models. I’m ok with a 40 year old car.
Mine works great! But more of a buzzkill than Ferrari is my actual family. For some reason they don’t think a wrap, rally lights, and luggage rack would make the Mondial any cooler.
Spousal Cease and Desist is way more daunting than Factory.
But seriously, as a kid with a Car and Driver subscription circa 1990 I remember reading about how the best manual gearshifts were Honda and Ferrari. Getting to drive a vintage Ferrari with the gated manual shifter is a bucket list item and I drive a manual Honda every day. Well, not yesterday.
Congrats, you have already succeeded! If you have no money, you are already on Ferrari’s blacklist.
Wrap it in gold foil and badge it a Ferrero (Rocher)
And Ferrari will assume you hold a diplomatic passport and leave you alone