Ferrari gave the Pope a steering wheel from the new Luce
Ferrari held a grand presentation of its first electric car, the Luce. However, in the days following the premiere, the main topic of discussion was not the electric engine, but the controversial design. The public reaction was lukewarm, and it seems that even Pope Leo XIV was not able to admire the new model.
Visit to the Pope and an unexpected question
During the world premiere of the Luce, Ferrari representatives visited the Pope in Castel Gandolfo — a small hilltop town where he resides when not in the Vatican. Company Chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna presented the pontiff with a white-and-black car.
In a video published by Ferrari, Pope Leo XIV inspects the electric Luce. He may not be a car enthusiast, but when Ferrari lifted the hood, he showed no particular excitement. Shortly before getting behind the wheel, he asked if it was “the first four-door Ferrari,” although this is not actually the case. Elkann confirmed that it is the company’s first five-seat model. Even the head of the Catholic Church needed time to understand what he was seeing.
Design by Jony Ive and market reaction
The Luce also became the first Ferrari styled by an external firm — the design was developed by a company led by Jony Ive, former head of design at Apple. Whether Ferrari is now satisfied with this partnership is an open question. The car’s presentation led to a drop in the company’s market value of more than $3 billion, although the share price has begun to recover over the last day.
Ferrari did not leave the Pope empty-handed. Instead of the car itself, the company gave Leo XIV a three-spoke Luce steering wheel made of leather and aluminum, placed in a transparent case.
Target audience and future
If Ferrari aimed to draw attention to the Luce, it succeeded. The company openly stated that the new model is not targeted at traditional customers but is aimed at young buyers with ultra-high incomes who have not previously owned a Ferrari. Whether this audience will be more captivated by the style than the Pope remains to be seen.
Interestingly, even after such a high-profile visit and the drop in shares, Ferrari continues to insist on its strategy. The story of the Pope, who did not recognize the Luce as a Ferrari, only underscores how radically the company has departed from its classic canons. The question remains whether the new design, created by the former Apple designer, will win the hearts of young billionaires, or whether it will be only a temporary experiment that fails to meet expectations.