Mazda has ruled out any intention of preventing Ferrari from using the name “Ferrari Luce” and has denied the possibility of legal action, significantly scaling down a story that in recent weeks had fueled speculation about a possible clash between the two automakers.
Ferrari and Mazda move toward an agreement over the Luce name
The Japanese brand explained that it considers “Luce” an important name in its historical heritage, used between 1966 and 1991 for a sedan sold on the domestic market, and that it wants to keep open the possibility of using that name again in Japan. At the same time, however, it made clear that it does not want to obstruct Maranello’s project.
That position brings the issue back to a manageable level and pushes aside the more alarming scenarios that had circulated after Mazda refiled the “Luce” trademark with the Japanese patent office at the end of February. Many had interpreted that move as a sign of possible formal opposition, with some theories even pointing to a commercial block on Ferrari’s future electric car in Japan.
Mazda’s statement instead makes clear that the move forms part of a policy aimed at protecting its historic names, consistent with an approach that the Hiroshima-based automaker applies systematically and that Ferrari’s decision did not trigger.
For its part, Maranello had already expressed its position with confidence. Ferrari had stressed that the “Ferrari Luce” trademark, filed on February 9 during the presentation of the interior of the Prancing Horse’s first series-production EV, had been properly registered and that its preliminary checks had not identified any still-valid and incompatible third-party rights, including those once linked to Mazda, which had reportedly expired.
The distinction between the full name “Ferrari Luce” and the simple term “Luce” also gives further support to the Italian automaker’s position, following a logic it has already adopted for other names in the lineup.
With both sides ruling out a legal confrontation, the most likely outcome remains a shared solution, possibly limited to specific markets, as often happens when naming rights overlap across different histories and geographies. In short, this looks like a technical issue that should not interfere with the debut of the Ferrari Luce, expected in 2026 as the first series-production electric Ferrari in the brand’s history.
