Ferrari’s First Electric Car Sells For Record $40 Mn At Auction; Here's Why It Is So Expensive

Ferrari's first electric car has made auction history even before reaching its first owner. A specially configured Ferrari Luce 2026, identified as "Chassis 0", sold for $40 million at an RM Sotheby's charity auction during Monterey Car Week in California.

The Ferrari Luce was the most expensive new car ever sold at auction. The sale price makes it an extraordinary result for a new vehicle at auction.

It surpassed the previous record set in 2025, when a customised Ferrari Daytona SP3 was sold for $26 million at auction.

What Makes Ferrari Luce Special?

The car auctioned was not a standard production model. According to Sotheby's, the car is the programme's first production chassis, carrying a dedicated plaque to mark its status.

It was also individually configured through Ferrari's Tailor Made programme. According to the auction house, the car's design centres on the theme of light, with a bespoke Madreperla Semi-Gloss exterior finish developed specifically for this example.

The finish uses a dedicated pigment that produces iridescent reflections shifting from green to violet depending on the angle and intensity of light.

The cabin uses Perla Le Mans metallic leather, while secondary interior elements are finished in Grigio Corvara rather than conventional black.

RM Sotheby's said the car also has dedicated wheels, bespoke brake calipers and a Ferrari logo placed against an optical-white background.

Ferrari Luce: 4 Motors And Nearly 1,000 HP

The Luce represents a major departure for the Italian marque as its first fully electric production model. According to Ferrari's official website, it uses four independent electric motors and an all-wheel-drive architecture, while offering four doors and five seats.

Ferrari lists a maximum power output of 620 kW and says the Luce produces more than 1,000 cv in boost mode, equivalent to roughly 986 hp.

It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, has a top speed of 310 km/h and a claimed range of more than 530 km.

The battery is an 800V pack assembled in Maranello, with an energy density of 195 Wh/kg. About 85% of its modules are positioned in the floor between the axles, with the remaining 15% placed beneath the rear seats. Ferrari says the battery can absorb up to half a megawatt of power.

The company also says the Luce's chassis uses 75% recycled aluminium, while aerodynamic measures including active air shutters and ride-height management have helped deliver the lowest drag coefficient in Ferrari's history.

Designed With Jony Ive's LoveFrom

Ferrari said the Luce was designed with LoveFrom, the creative collective founded by former Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive and designer Marc Newson.

The company described the car's design as a single language extending across its exterior, interior and interface.

The electric car has also been engineered to retain a distinctive driving experience. Ferrari says sound generated from electro-mechanical vibrations in the axles is processed and delivered with visual feedback to inform the driver during torque shifts in Manual and Performance modes.

Ferrari Chief Executive Officer Benedetto Vigna had said after the model's unveiling that it was attracting interest from both existing and new customers.

"The Ferrari Luce has nothing to do with electric cars you have seen from other players," Vigna said, as per a report by Bloomberg (BBG).

"You have to see it and drive it to understand that it wasn’t copied — not the interiors, not the exterior, not the performance," he added.

When Will Ferrari Luce Be Delivered?

The winning bidder will have to wait for the car. RM Sotheby's said the vehicle will return to Maranello, Italy, after the sale and is currently scheduled for final delivery in the first quarter of 2027.

The auction house waived the buyer's premium, meaning the full $40 million proceeds will go towards future educational initiatives through The Ferrari Foundation, a recognised 501(c)(3) public charity.

For buyers outside the US, export, import and vehicle federalisation responsibilities will rest with the purchaser.