Reviving old names for new cars is not uncommon these days. Manufacturers deliberately focus on nostalgia, hoping that the revived model designation will lure people of a certain generation back to car showrooms. Often, however, there is little real similarity between the original and its current “spiritual successor.” Examples include the Ford Capri and Mitsubishi Eclipse.
Ferrari also chose a name that already existed for its first electric car. What is strange about this is that this model designation was not used on a Ferrari. The “Luce” first appeared around 60 years ago: on August 20, 1966, Mazda launched the Luce as a top model. The rear-wheel drive sedan is based on a design by Giorgetto Giugiaro of the legendary Bertone design studio.
In October 1969, the particularly elegant Luce Rotary Coupé followed, with fewer than 1000 units produced. These cars combined a Wankel engine with front-wheel drive – a combination that was never used again. Technically, the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is also a front-wheel drive Wankel engine vehicle, but in this case the combustion engine does not drive the wheels. Instead, it acts as a generator to charge the battery, making the crossover an electric vehicle with a range extension.
As was often the case with Japanese vehicles in the past, export versions had different names. Depending on the generation, these ranged from 929 to RX-4; there was also a renamed Kia Potentia for South Korea. Mazda sold the Luce until 1991, when the HC generation expired. Before its expiration, the model received the company's first V6 engine.
In the early 1990s, Mazda's luxury arm Eunos had already introduced the Cosmo, and the lesser-known Sentia was also available as a direct successor to the Luce. This model also received a Kia version for Korea, where it was sold under the Enterprise name.
Some 35 years after Mazda last used the name, Ferrari is now re-introducing it for an electric car. The “Cavallino Rampante” also notes that “Luce” means “light” or “illumination” in Italian. The name is also expected to mark a new naming strategy for future models. The company will launch four more models this year alone, with a total of 20 vehicles planned by the end of the decade.