Ferrari to use full name of racecar after Ford sues over F150 name

Ferrari said today it will use the full name of its "Ferrari F150th Italia" Formula One car from now on after Ford Motor Co. sued the Italian automaker over the use of the abbreviation "F150."

Ferrari's F150 logo was too similar to Ford's F-150 pickup truck, part of the top-selling vehicle series in the United States, Ford said in a complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

As of noon local time, Ford said it had not yet received formal notification of Ferrari's plans.

"Ferrari has misappropriated the F-150 trademark in naming its new racing vehicle the 'F150' in order to capitalize on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed in the F-150 trademark," Ford said in the complaint on Wednesday.

Ford asked the court to bar Ferrari from using the name and is also seeking unspecified damages, including damages of $100,000 under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.

Ferrari response

Ferrari hit back saying it was "very difficult to understand Ford's viewpoint on the matter" because the car for this season's F1 world championship was given the name to celebrate 150 years of Italian unity and is not commercially available.

“Ferrari believes that its own contender in the forthcoming F1 championship cannot be confused with other types of commercially available vehicle of any sort whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle," a statement said.

"Despite this and to further prove it is acting in good faith...Ferrari has decided to ensure that in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150th Italia."

Ford's rival Fiat SpA has an 85 percent stake in Ferrari, and management control of Chrysler Group LLC, in which it has a 25 percent stake.

In a statement issued earlier today before Ferrari's name-change announcement, Ford said it asked Ferrari to change the name of its F150 racecar.

“Ferrari did not respond in a timely manner, leaving Ford no choice but to take legal action to protect its important brand and trademark rights,” Ford said in a statement.

“Through extensive sales and advertising and exclusive use, Ford has earned invaluable goodwill in the F-150 trademark. That hard-won goodwill is seriously threatened by Ferrari's adoption of ‘F150.'”

Ford said it has used the F-150 name on its popular pickups since 1975. The automaker trademarked the moniker in 1995, according to the lawsuit. 

Since 1997, gross revenues on sales of the F-150 have exceeded $180 billion, the suit said.