Ferrari Prostitution

A Prancing Pony?
(Image Credits: Autocar Magazine Online)

Fresh off the Autocar feed is the "Ferrari" Abarth 500; evidently the car that appeals to 'Ferrari owners who want a small everyday car.' Let's think about this: if Ferrari owners wanted small, everyday cars then they would have purchased small, everyday cars. Instead, they purchased Ferraris. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this. If they have the money, why not buy a Ferrari? There are so few Ferraris on the road that the environmental ramifications are offset by plebes such as you and me.
However, this is nothing but prostitution. Ferrari is selling itself in the midst of a dire financial crisis in the hopes of cashing in on its brand name by selling a "Ferrari"-branded Fiat to yobs and wannabes. It's like owning a Ferrari hat or shirt or bottle of cologne that you can drive. The best part is that they try and pass it off as competition, since Aston Martin is releasing an 'Aston' version of the Toyota iQ called the Cygnet. This isn't competition, it's copying. Evidently, Ferrari is not so immune to the downturn as they would like us to believe. Both companies should beware, though. The appeal of both lies in their exclusivity. Imagine if Moët and Chandon decided to release a special M & C version of Coca-Cola; would it be anything other than a soda? Of course not. What you are looking at is 1.4L of tarted up soda.