MONTEREY — Ferrari NV’s inaugural all-electric vehicle, the Luce, defied market skepticism to sell for US$40 million at an RM Sotheby’s charity auction during Monterey Car Week, establishing a record for the most expensive new vehicle ever sold at public auction.
The landmark hammer price for the bespoke “Tailor Made” unit—designated as Chassis 0—surpassed the previous auction record set in 2025 by a customized Ferrari Daytona SP3, which sold for US$26 million. All $40 million in proceeds will go directly to The Ferrari Foundation to support educational initiatives.
Shattering Expectations After Early Backlash
When Ferrari first unveiled the Luce in May with a base retail price of €550,000 (US$636,356), the announcement drew pushback from purists and triggered a brief drop in company shares over concerns about abandoning traditional combustion engines.
However, bidding on Chassis 0 blew past pre-sale estimates of $1.1 million, selling for over 60 times its standard retail starting price.
Key specifications and unique features of the record-breaking EV include:
- High-Performance EV Architecture: Combines a four-door, four-seater layout with a four-motor powertrain generating 1,050 horsepower (over 1,000 hp) and zero-to-100 km/h acceleration in 2.5 seconds.
- Bespoke Design Collaboration: Created in partnership with LoveFrom, the studio founded by former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive.
- Chassis 0 Customization: Finished in a color-shifting Madreperla Semi-Gloss paint that transitions between green and violet, complemented by Perla Le Mans metallic leather upholstery and optical-white exterior accents.
Commercial Strategy & Electric Transition
The record-setting sale underscores Ferrari’s ability to transfer its core value proposition—scarcity, customization, and brand prestige—into the zero-emission segment.
“The Ferrari Luce has nothing to do with electric cars you have seen from other players,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna stated at launch. “You have to see it and drive it to understand that it wasn’t copied — not the interiors, not the exterior, not the performance.”
The buyer will take delivery of Chassis 0 in the first quarter of 2027 following final assembly checks at Maranello. The auction result caps a strong financial quarter for Ferrari, which recently raised its full-year earnings guidance amid sustained global demand for limited-run flagships.
