Ferrari’s first electric car set a remarkable record after selling for $40 million at the RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey, exceeding its presale estimate of $1.1 million by more than 36 times. The auction price is about 62 times the vehicle’s listed price on Ferrari’s list, with all proceeds allocated to the Ferrari Foundation.
The bidding was held without a reserve, and the buyer was exempt from the buyer’s premium, meaning that the $40 million represents both the hammer price and the donated amount. The foundation funds educational programs, making the transaction as closely tied to philanthropy as it is to the car’s historical value for the Ferrari brand.
What Was Actually Sold?
The car bears chassis number ZFF21BUA8T0338000 and carries the designation “Chassis 0,” as the first production unit in the Luce program. It is a Tailor Made version with special equipment, including a unique paint finish called “Madreperla Semi-Gloss,” whose appearance shifts between green and purple depending on the lighting.
The cabin uses metallic Le Mans leather in Perla with Grigio Corvara accents. According to Ferrari, this combination replaces black inside the Luce cabin for the first time. The car also features custom wheels, brakes with custom calipers, and the prancing horse emblem on a white background.
The buyer will not receive the car immediately; it will return to Maranello to complete assembly, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
A New Record for a Ferrari
Ferrari continues to raise the prices of its unique cars at the Monterey auction. Last August, a one-off Daytona SP3, produced beyond the planned run of 599 cars, sold for $26 million for the benefit of the same foundation. The new Luce price represents a 54% increase in one year.
The transaction also forms part of a series of Ferrari charity sales, including the sale of a one-off LaFerrari Aperta for $10 million at an auction held in Maranello in 2017, with proceeds allocated to earthquake relief.
Why Does This Price Matter?
The price reflects more than the specifications of an electric car; it combines the rarity of Ferrari’s first electric car, its symbolic value among collectors, and the auction’s charitable purpose. The listed price of the Luce is €550,000, or about $640,000, while the prices of the most expensive commercially produced electric cars, such as the Rimac Nevera and Pininfarina Battista, range from $2.2 million to $2.5 million, despite their smaller production volumes.
Compared with the classic-car market, the new Luce approached the price of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which sold for $48.4 million at auction in 2018. The difference is that the electric car has not yet been delivered to any customer, highlighting that the amount paid is tied more to its status as the beginning of Ferrari’s electric era than to an established delivery record or proven commercial performance.
The result came after a mixed reception for the car at its launch in Rome in May, a decline in the company’s share price following its unveiling, and criticism from former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo. Nevertheless, the entire 2026 allocation, just under 500 cars, sold out in less than two months and before any unit had been delivered.