Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne has been openly critical of the company’s entry-level California coupé-convertible at a Geneva press conference, suggesting that the model "has a hard time seeing itself as a full-blown Ferrari" and that it needs to be reconsidered. "This is the biggest topic of conversation at Ferrari right now," Marchionne added.
The California was originally conceived as a Maserati project from the era when Ferrari directly owned that company. However, the car’s complexity meant that it was not viable at a Maserati price, which had to sit below the Ferrari range.
Development of the car was well advanced, however, and, as predicted by Autocar, it instead emerged bearing a prancing horse badge and carrying a higher price but with capabilities that fell somewhat short of Ferrari’s high standards.
The revised California T addressed some of the issues and the upgraded car earned more critical praise than the original version. However, while not suggesting that the model be dropped, Marchionne appears to be suggesting that a major reappraisal of the California's role and character are under way.
