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Ferrari clinches alliance with former Apple designer Jony Ive

Creative mind behind iPhone, iPod could work with Italian automaker on new supercars

Giulio Piovaccari, Reuters
Sep 29, 2021  •  September 30, 2021  •  1 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Apple chief design officer Jony Ive (left) and Apple CEO Tim Cook inspect the new iPhone XR during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California.
Apple chief design officer Jony Ive (left) and Apple CEO Tim Cook inspect the new iPhone XR during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan /Getty

Italian luxury car maker Ferrari and its parent company Exor, the holding vehicle of the Agnelli family, are joining forces with Jony Ive, the creative mind behind many of Apple’s iconic products, and fellow designer Marc Newson.

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The duo – who together developed Apple Watch – belong to the LoveFrom creative collective of designers, architects writers, engineers, and artists based in London and California.

LoveFrom will explore “a range of creative projects with Exor in the business of luxury” in addition to the collaboration with Ferrari, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday. The partnership is a multi-year deal.

A Ferrari spokesman said the pair will have a broad remit — potentially involving both car designs and other businesses including fashion.

Ive had been mentioned in the Italian press among possible candidates to replace Louis Camilleri when he suddenly stepped down as chief executive of Ferrari last year.

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In the end, Ferrari turned to technology industry veteran Benedetto Vigna to drive the luxury sports car maker known for its roaring, high-octane engines into a new era of silent, electric powertrains.

In a sign of its ambition to widen the appeal of its brand, Ferrari in June unveiled its first in-house fashion collection and inaugurated a new restaurant in its hometown of Maranello. It hopes its brand extension strategy will account for 10 per cent of its profits in a decade.

London-born Ive, 54, left Apple in 2019 after 27 years, having played a big role in the designs of the iMac and MacBook computers as well as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Newson, an Australian, has designed everything from Qantas business class seats to Nike sneakers.

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