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Ferrari changes the name of its new F1 car to "avoid people confusing an F1 car with a pick-up"

Ferrari has made a further change to the name of its 2011 Formula One car after it settled a legal dispute with Ford.

Ferrari had originally named its car F150 to celebrate 150 years since the unification of Italy, but Ford feared this would harm sales of its F-150 pick-up. The Italian team then changed the name of its car to F150th Italia when Ford started legal proceedings and has now settled on Ferrari 150° Italia after a settlement was reached.

Full story: Ferrari name change in Ford row

On its official website, Ferrari said “common sense had prevailed” and it had changed the name of the car “to avoid the slightest risk of anyone confusing a Formula 1 car with a pick-up truck”.

"It appears that this could have caused so much confusion in the minds of the consumer across the Pond that, at the same time as losing the F, the name will be completely Italianised, replacing the English 'th' with the equivalent Italian symbol,” said Ferrari in its ‘Horse Whisperer' column.

“Therefore, the name will now read as the Ferrari 150° Italia, which should make it clear even to the thickest of people that the name of the car is a tribute to the anniversary of the unification of our country.

"Let's hope the matter is now definitely closed and that we can concentrate on more serious matters, namely ensuring that our car that already seems to be pretty good out of the box, becomes a real winner."

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