While the media frames Ferrari’s newly unveiled electric car the Luce strictly as a Jony Ive masterpiece, its design DNA tells a completely different story. The Luce is a direct evolution of LoveFrom co-founder Marc Newson’s iconic, yet forgotten, 1999 Ford 021C concept. From the pillarless center-opening doors to the signature “squircles,” the Luce is Newson’s retro-futurism brought to life.
I am a sucker for great industrial design. Having spent years tracking the masters from Dieter Rams to Jony Ive, I’ve kept an especially close eye on Marc Newson’s catalog.
Which is why looking at the Ferrari Luce triggered massive déjà vu.
The automotive press is treating this EV purely as a Jony Ive project because he is the famous public face of LoveFrom. But if you look past the branding, the visual language is undeniably Marc Newson. The Luce feels like a direct, modern reincarnation of the Ford 021C the legendary concept car Newson was commissioned to create back in 1999.
- The “Squircle” Geometry: Both cars aggressively reject the sharp, aggressive angles typical of modern performance vehicles. Instead, they embrace the “squircle” a soft hybrid of a square and a circle visible in the Luce’s stance, front grilles, and rear architecture.
- The Pillarless Door Architecture: The Luce features rear-hinged back doors that open outward from the center. This exact layout was pioneered on the Ford 021C to create a completely open, column-free view into the cabin.
- Tactile, Circular Instrumentation: Look past the digital screens of the Luce and you will find three metal-ringed instrument dials and a mechanical chronograph dashboard clock. This directly echoes the custom circular, jewel-like gauge layouts Newson built for the 021C via his Ikepod watch company.
- Seamless Air Vents: The minimalist, integrated approach to the climate vents on the Luce draws directly from Newson’s clean, industrial appliance and furniture work rather than traditional, aggressive Ferrari cockpit design.
Jony Ive might be the frontman of the partnership, but the Ferrari Luce proves that Marc Newson is the driving force behind its aesthetic. It is the Ford 021C, finally grown up and given a 1,000-horsepower electric engine.
