Ferrari chairman Luca Di Montezemolo to quit after 23 years

I think I see more 360/430 Ferrari's then corvettes lately. They seem to be everywhere. In fact just on the street my shop is located on, I count 5 360's parked in front of various business, plus what is in my parking lot (usually 2 or 3 on any given day).

I also think the customer base has increased dramatically. There is a lot on money left on the table by limiting production to 7k cars a year.

Ferrari needs a kick in the butt and maybe a bit of a change of direction. The cars are becoming a bit on the boring side. I have a Porsche dealer 1 block over from the shop. It quite amazing to see what's parked in their showroom, and what those cars are capable of for half the price.

 

Luca is a big reason why this website even exists IMHO.

 

+1 to all. As many have now said "careful what you wish for".....

As for your question, neither of them know squat about F1! Particularly SM it seems to me. However, it also seems Marco is smart enough to realize that, keep his head down and try and put the right people in place. I know zero of course, but I am getting to like the guy.

Cheers,
Ian

 

I think now F1 racing is a side project to the production cars. The opposite was true when Enzo was in charge. I'm quite sure if Ferrari ran into financial issues, the racing would be the first thing to be cut.

The production cars do not in any way shape or form represent what Ferrari puts out on the track. That is just marketing hype.

 

True True True. When you take out cash, you deserved to be treated like a guy who take out cash, not a guy who ask for donation. It's like "give me your money and I'll tell you what to do".

 

Remember a few days ago when Alonso said “I’ve always said that I want to stay with Ferrari and if there are no big changes I’ll stay for at least another two years”. I thought at the time he was probably waiting to see Luca's fate and was leaving himself a way out. Now with Luca out and Botin deceased, he might as well move on, imho.

As for the Santander funding drying out, I don't see any reason to think it's all that likely. Who knows, the younger Ms. Botin may be even more generous.

 

Agreed! Ferrari is about style and passion.

 

As usual couldn't agree more with you.

 

Not sure what part of the country your in, but vettes are more common than prius's here in california. It's a gift to see a Ferrari on the road. Weeks go by without seeing a Ferrari.
There is not a day that goes by without numerous vette's running around. I don't have a problem with them at all. I really like them. However, there is nothing special about seeing a vette. It does not invoke any special feeling seeing one. When you see a Ferrari roll by, whether it be a 308 or 458, you are captured by allure of the car. Not to mention the sound.
A vette sounds like every other american car with a exhaust.

 

I could care less what the president of Ferrari is wearing and worry more about where the team is sitting in the F1 rankings.

From his dossier the new guy seems more than capable of picking Ferrari up from the cellar .... even if he can't drive very well (wrecking his 599 in Switzerland )

His wikipedia resume says he's a doer along the lines of jTodt and if this is right then I say great .... I have always attributed JT's style of management to be the main reason behind Ferrari's success in the championship years.

 

100% agree. This is my worst fear I don't want Ferrari to become like Porsche with zero exclusivity. Luca knew how to run Ferrari. F1 is a tough sport and given time they would have recovered in f1.

 

Hopefully. Steve Jobs got things done clad casually. I;m not saying you have to be top notch in style to handle the reigns at Ferrari, but i'm just concerned he doesn't take it and make it into a Porsche brand. I totally agree with Luca on exclusivity.

 

Welcome to the real world.

Move on to where, and why?
Are there any rides out there BETTER than Ferrari AND have an open seat?

Um, no.

Compared to the rest of this website, the F1 thread is a small fraction of the interest of the margue.

 

It would take some really bad moves to mess up what Enzo and Luca have built. Luca is probably one of the best company men of all time. It might be interesting to hear who the critics think would have been better for the job... Piero? Felisa? Someone older than Luca?

Was Mattiacci being groomed by Montezemolo to take over? I spoke with Marco for 20 minutes at the Quail in 2011 and he is an extremely bright, charismatic, sharp guy. The type, like Luca that makes you want to experience a Ferrari. You can tell the company is these guy's dream & life's work. It makes me laugh that someone like Marchionne would bring up losing in F1 as a reason to replace Luca. Who is he kidding? I'm sure Luca is not one to tolerate insults given where he is from and what he has accomplished over the years. Best of luck to all these guys. I'm sure Montezemolo/Mattiacci will be fine, whatever they do.

 

At last. Ferrari dealers have to be nice to customers, and they will have to give huge discounts to " move that iron". LdM was the best possible custodian of the Ferrari brand. He is correct it is the end of an era.

 

Being discussed extensively here.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/f1/460091-major-ferrari-rumors.html

 

Wait for it.....the new 'Dino' shortly to be announced. With 'Real Corinthian Leather' (readers of a certain age will know what I'm talking about...). I will miss LdM. Class personified. I do think however that he lost his way with the Brawn decision. Time will tell whether this is a positive move...but count me a sceptic.

 

Um, he said "this website", not the F1 section......

Cheers,
Ian

 

I was looking at the full interview yesterday (both were there and it was very very long speaking). Marchionne confirmed few things:
no SUV at all and about the limit of 7000 cars/year he told that this will be seen in the future since there is more demand but they don't like to increase the company that seems to be perfectly balanced nowadays. He even told that Ferrari started as an Italian dream and will die as an Italian dream.Ferrari will continue to get his autonomy as in the past and will not be influenced by car mass market philosophy.He even confirmed that now to win on Formula one is a must.
The overall feeling looking and listening at the interview was: big elegance and passion by one side (Montezemolo) and pretty a bad boy by the other side (Marchionne). As Italian I am really sad but proud to have shown to you, Americans, that we have here good people and workers too as Luca has shown in the last 23 years.
PS: my lady that has not any background in this sector listening to Marchionne (that is even not speaking very well Italian ) told two times: what an idiot...I personally don't think this. But Montezemolo and Ferrari were for me the same thing. To loose him will not be easy for the company.That's all...

 

Marchionne will do to Ferrari what he has done to Maserati. The new Maseratis are rebodied Chryslers. Look at any interior switches, electronics, supsension components, they are identical to a Dodge Charger. There are Chrysler logos on almost every part on the cars including the V6 engines! They will lower production cost by using even more Fiat & Chrysler parts and increase yearly production. But still expect owners to pay big money for a car that is no longer exclusive and now an inferior product compared to previous models. Just like Maserati is doing right now!

 

They should leave Ferrari alone and boast Maserati numbers. Perfect cars for everyday driving ...

Pete

 

I remember back in the late 90s and early 2000s when Ferrari was just a V-8, and a 2 and 4 seater V-12. So when can we expect the next Ferrari SUV?

 

Under Luca's reign Ferrari have won 10 CWC and 7 DWC. So Marchionne is full of it!

 

All change at Ferrari | Features & Experts | Sky Sports Formula 1

From this link it would appear LdM was needing to go. A good reason possibly why Marchionne took action. Frankly if all this is true it was overdue. **Well worth the time to read/digest.

--It could be argued, of course, that it was not Montezemolo who was responsible for the sub-standard power unit of this year’s car, nor even of the decision to compromise the packaging of the mechanicals in favour of aerodynamics which led to that. But the buck always stops with the boss in the end and, if anything, Montezemolo was slow in acknowledging this – especially when he accepted Team Principal Stefano Domenicali’s resignation earlier this year. Domenicali was a loyal lieutenant of Montezemolo’s and had already, with great reluctance, carried out his wishes in dismissing technical director Aldo Costa in 2011. When asked to dismiss engine chief Luca Marmorini earlier this year, Domenicali refused – and proferred his own resignation instead. It was the act of an honourable and loyal man even though it was damaging to his career.

But what was not widely known at the time was the impact Domenicali’s resignation was to have on the possible recruitment of two men who may have had the power to transform the team’s fortunes. Sources inside the team state that both Adrian Newey and Mercedes HPP [the F1 engine arm of Mercedes] boss Andy Cowell were in talks with Domenicali about moving to Ferrari but that when he resigned they each lost interest in any such move.

It’s believed that Newey’s discussions were much further advanced than those of Cowell’s but the prospect of the respective designers of F1’s best chassis and engine being brought together at the Scuderia will forever be consigned to the realms of ‘What if?’. The culture of blame and dismissal rather than regrouping and refocusing that has characterised Ferrari since the departure of the Jean Todt/Ross Brawn/Rory Byrne axis was presided over by Montezemolo. For Newey at least, this culture played a major part in his decision not to go there. Ferrari has made itself, he believes, an unattractive place to work.