The absolute boss of everything Ferrari Luca di Montezemolo visits Silicon Valley during his trip to the United States, speaking to 600 students of Stanford university, and also met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and the heads of Google. Silicon Valley, as you know, is a geek’s heaven. But it was the same Silicon Valley geeks who started the IT business, and effectively took over the world. And this is where the big money is.
Of course, Loca is quick to dismiss the idea that he came all the way from Italy to sell cars:
”I’m not here to sell cars, but to communicate a dream,” he said under the applause of the guests at the conference ‘View from the top’. The Ferrari Chairman encouraged the young students to follow their dreams: ”Be creative, follow your goals, use technology, dominate innovation, but don’t become dependent on machines, you have to be in the driver’s seat of your lives. Never lose the curiosity for what is around you.”
Ferrari like Technology. Their cars these days have more computer power than than horsepower, which is kinda sad, but again, it’s the computers that enabled them to make a car as wonderful as the 458.
“Intelligence and innovative ideas can contribute to change and shape the future,” Montezemolo concluded. “Passion and attention for the smallest details are what makes our cars, those who create them and those who drive them so special, living continuous excitement.”
Don Loca also gave Apple CEO Tim Cook a tour of the Ferrari FF he’d brought along.
”I was impressed by his availability and openness,” Montezemolo said leaving the headquarters after a 2-hour face-to-face meeting. “We’re building cars, they build computers. But Apple and Ferrari are connected by the same passion, the same love for the product, maniacal attention to technology, but also to design.”
