6.3.11
We have been perplexed by previous pronouncements by the Maranello "Horse Whisperer" and the latest [reproduced below] is no exception. It may just be us, but something seems to have been lost in translation. This latest comes in response to the news that Ford have dropped their legal action against Ferrari over the "F150" nomenclature, used for many years by FoMoCo for their best-selling pick-up truck and originally by Ferrari for their latest F1 monoposto in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. Ferrari issued a "clarification" that the real name of the new tipo was "F150th Italia", but this has now changed to just "150° Italia"; apparently "°" is Italian for "th". The racing score for Ferrari vs. Ford currently stands at 1-1, with Ford winning at Le Mans and Ferrari in F1. Surely Ferrari must now cross "the Pond" and beat Ford at their own game. NASCAR has a suitable series and this would be a major marketing opportunity. Forza Ferrari!
"It might seem like a Kafkaesque scenario, but the affair relating to the name of the car with which Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will tackle this year’s Formula 1 World Championship saw its final and decisive episode played out these past few days with the concomitant withdrawal by Ford of the summons. Therefore common sense has prevailed.
"In order to avoid the slightest risk of anyone confusing a Formula 1 car with a pick-up truck, for their part, the men from Maranello have decided that the car will lose the F that precedes the number 150 and which stands for Ferrari, as it has done on numerous occasions when it’s come to giving a car a code name, be it for the race track or the road. It appears that this could have caused so much confusion in the minds of the consumer across the Pond that, at the same time as losing the F, the name will be completely Italianised, replacing the English “th” with the equivalent Italian symbol.
"Therefore the name will now read as the Ferrari 150° Italia, which should make it clear even to the thickest of people that the name of the car is a tribute to the anniversary of the unification of our country. Let’s hope the matter is now definitely closed and that we can concentrate on more serious matters, namely ensuring that our car that already seems to be pretty good out of the box, becomes a real winner".
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