Why Ferrari wants to leave the past in the past

Critics of modern automotive design argue that it has become like Hollywood – when original ideas dry up, classic designs are revived, often with varying degrees of success.

Do you remember the retro craze of the 2000s? It has created cars like the heritage-inspired Toyota FJ Cruiser, celebrated by some as a tribute to the company’s past and scorned by others for its perceived disrespect for the FJ classic.

More recently, there has been another boom in classic designs. Renault has received an overwhelming response to the revival of its iconic 5 electric car, and other brands such as Honda and Volkswagen have also looked to their previous hits for inspiration.

Ferrari are more than aware of these trends, and although their new 12Cilindri has elements of long-gone hero cars – such as the 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ – in its design, the Its creator also did not want to lean forward. heavy on the brand’s heritage.

“Talking about drawing inspiration from the past, it’s a very dangerous trick because once you get into that loop, you start drawing inspiration from the past and suddenly, new ideas,” says Andrea Militello. from the past ends”. Head of Ferrari’s Grand Tourer exterior design.

“So what happens next? Our focus is always on trying to foresee the future and project the objects we are designing into the future.

“To be honest, classic design is not in our book, because we are trying to develop designs that can be an inspiration for those who come after us. For example, the approach of this particular car was guided by a sci-fi inspired design approach.”

While Mr. Militello acknowledged the connection between the 12Cilindri’s design and the Pininfarina-style Ferrari Daytona, he said this was meant to be less of an homage than a replica of the iconic grand tourer.

“I guess this question comes from the ultimate inspiration from a car like the 365 GTB/4 at the front end,” Mr. Militello added.

“But there are similarities because we are not ashamed of our past so we were happy to see a connection in the design legacy to the history of the brand.

“The idea was to have a very neutral element in the front, incorporating all the lightning functions, while also removing the facial expression in the front, which gives a futuristic approach.”

Ferrari’s global marketing chief, Emanuele Carando, has reflected on the brand’s limited-production Icona models, which are said to be more directly inspired by previous models, although this is clearly done as a tribute rather than a subtle nod to its classic models.

“Whenever we look at the models that we develop, I mean we have a strong legacy and we look at our legacy but always try to do something,” Mr. Carando said. distinctive”.

“If you look at our Icona – the Monza SP1 and the SP2 or the Daytona SP3 – those cars don’t reflect and don’t modernize any of our historic models, but they are a contemporary take on a specific era.

“The Monza is an interpretation of the Barchetta of the 1950s, so it is not based on a single model. The Daytona SP3 is an interpretation of the sports prototypes of the 1960s.

“Each time we try to build on the legacy but bring something new.”

What do you think about classic car designs being revived? Let us know in the comments below.

THAN: Everything Ferrari