The extraordinary price transformed a controversial electric debut into a historic demonstration of Ferrari’s cultural and commercial power.
MONTEREY, California | August 2026. A bespoke Ferrari Luce, the Italian manufacturer’s first fully electric vehicle, sold for $40 million at a charity auction organized by RM Sotheby’s. The result established a new record for the highest price ever paid for a new car at auction. It dramatically exceeded the auction house’s preliminary estimate of more than $1.1 million.
The vehicle was identified as “Chassis 0,” the first production chassis created under the Luce program. It was individually customized as a unique collector’s piece and presented during Monterey Car Week. Ferrari will donate the entire proceeds to the Ferrari Foundation to support educational initiatives.
The Luce features four electric motors, one for each wheel, and produces up to 1,050 horsepower. Ferrari says it can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.5 seconds, reach 310 kilometers per hour and travel more than 530 kilometers on its 122-kWh battery. Its standard price is approximately €550,000.
Ferrari’s electric debut initially drew criticism over its design, developed by LoveFrom, the creative collective founded by Jony Ive and Marc Newson. The company’s shares fell after the model’s unveiling in May but later recovered as Ferrari raised its annual forecasts and reported that orders were advancing as planned. The record sale shows how exclusivity, heritage and symbolic ownership can transform an automobile into an asset whose value extends far beyond engineering.
La narrativa también es poder.
Narrative is power too.