Mazda used the Luce name for decades. Now, it's filed a trademark for it again, which could keep Ferrari from using it on Maranello's first electric vehicle in Japan.
Ferrari's first battery-electric model is set to be named Luce, a direct translation of light in Italian—but it might not be if Mazda has anything to say about it. A new report from the Australian publication CarExpert highlighted trademark documents for the name Luce filed by Mazda in Japan just weeks after Ferrari's announcement.
The trademark filing displays the word 'Luce' in simple text, followed by the same word in Japanese characters. This trademark could block Ferrari from using the Luce name in Japan. But the move isn't driven by simple pettiness.You see, Mazda does have some claim to lay to the Luce name. The automaker used the Luce moniker for Japanese-market versions of the 929 line for decades, and the company produced a stunning, rotary-powered coupe, the Luce Rotary Coupe, in 1969. It's this classic Rotary Coupe that Mazda said inspired its 2017 Vision Coupe concept.There's no indication so far that Mazda plans to reveal a new Luce model. Instead, Mazda's trademark reads as a territorial business decision, one that may create a headache for Ferrari. Ferrari has yet to reveal the exterior of the Luce, but the Jony Ive-designed interior is a work of art, featuring billet aluminum and custom Corning glass pieces. It is an interior fitting of the Luce name, even if the curb weight won't be.There is some precedent for a recently revealed name being walked back, courtesy of Alfa Romeo. The Alfa Romeo Milano, a compact EV crossover revealed in April 2024, was forced to change its name to Junior after outrage by Italian officials. Despite being produced by a legacy Italian automaker, the Alfa Romeo Milano would be assembled in Poland, prompting Italian officials to invoke a consumer protection law that bans misleading advertising of products with Italian names. Stellantis and Alfa Romeo acquiesced, and adjusted the name just weeks after the EV crossover was revealed.This trademark dispute will likely be limited to the Japanese market, so North American consumers should still expect Ferrari's first EV to arrive as the Luce. In the meantime, we'll have to wait and see if Ferrari and Mazda will butt heads over the shared naming convention. We suspect this will be settled by a court in the near future.
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