Ferrari came dangerously close to losing the rights to one of its most iconic names. But now, the courts have ruled in its favor. After several years of legal wrangling with a German toy company, the legendary badge remains in Maranello’s hands. While Ferrari’s business model may rub some enthusiasts the wrong way, it’s hard not to be glad they won this round.

The Battle Over the Testarossa Name

In Italian, Testarossa translates to "red head". In the autosphere, Testarossa is synonymous with Ferrari, referring to one of their most beautiful creations ever. The long, wide, side-straked wedge from the 1980s. Some argue it's even prettier than the new Ferrari Amalfi. But since 2017, Ferrari no longer holds the rights to the name. That’s because Autec AG, a toy company based in Germany, applied to register “Testarossa” for its own products. The company argued that Ferrari hadn't used the Testarossa name in a 'general use' for over five years, which could result in cancellation under EU law. Ferrari fought back, but in 2023, the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) upheld the original decision. The board found that selling replacement parts and accessories wasn’t enough to qualify as ‘general use’ of the trademark.

How Ferrari Turned the Case Around

Fortunately, the story didn’t end there. On July 2, 2024, seven years after the original case, the EU General Court overruled the earlier decisions. Because pre-owned Testarossas are sold through Ferrari’s official resale network, Maranello may retain the original trademark, stating that "when reselling second-hand goods, such use is capable of constituting ‘genuine use’ of that mark within the meaning." In the court’s eyes, this was more than enough to prove the name hadn’t been abandoned, even though the last new model to carry it rolled out of Maranello in 1991.

A Win for Heritage and Trademarks

The decision marks a win not just for Ferrari, but for other automakers who continue to support their vintage models without putting the nameplates back into production. And if Ferrari ever decides to bring back the Testarossa name, it’ll be doing so with the full weight of its heritage, and now, with the legal rights to match.