Ferrari Stock Slumps 8 Per Cent as Design Experts Condemn Luce EV
Criticism from three prominent design experts has intensified following the Rome debut, with shares dipping as critics argue the $650,000 vehicle lacks emotional appeal and traditional aesthetics.
Ferrari’s share price fell by 8 percent following the debut of the Luce, its first electric vehicle, as the launch triggered a wave of criticism from Italian automotive experts and former company leadership. The $650,000 sedan, unveiled at the Quirinale in Rome, has been described by critics as a departure from the brand’s storied heritage, with former chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo warning that the design risks destroying the company’s myth.
The vehicle features four electric motors, one at each wheel, and seats five passengers, weighing approximately one ton more than its hybrid counterparts. Ferrari consulted with NASA to manage the physical sensations of acceleration, which reaches 0–100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. The car’s engine note is generated through electronically treated mechanical sounds, a feature that has drawn scrutiny alongside the exterior design developed with input from Jony Ive and Marc Newson through their agency, LoveFrom.
Maurizio Corbi, a car designer with over 30 years of experience, argued that the Luce was created by product designers rather than automotive specialists. Corbi described the design as resembling a “family soap bar” and suggested it lacked the innovation and emotional resonance expected of the brand. He noted that while current design director Flavio Manzoni has historically balanced innovation with tradition, the involvement of Ive and Newson appeared to detach the project from Ferrari’s established path.
Alessandro Cipolli, another automotive expert, acknowledged the high-quality execution of the vehicle but argued it lacked emotional appeal. He stated that the interior “speaks Apple, not Ferrari,” noting that while the materials and detailing were meticulous, the design failed to excite or convey the character associated with the prancing horse logo. Cipolli emphasised that transferring emotions into a car is a complex task that the Luce’s design did not successfully achieve.
Carlo Gaino, a designer and professor, offered a sharper critique, suggesting the vehicle’s aesthetic choices were influenced by 1980s and 1990s Japanese design and potentially aided by artificial intelligence tools. Gaino referenced a documentary on Alejandro de Tomaso to contrast modern design approaches with historical Italian innovation, arguing that the current direction sidelines skilled professionals in favour of those lacking automotive expertise. The backlash has extended to political figures, including Senator Carlo Calenda, who called the release an “aesthetic and technological insult.”
