Behold the $40 million Ferrari – the most expensive electric car ever sold
The Ferrari Luce might divide opinions, but the first off the production line has just sold for a fortune
Quick Summary
The Ferrari Luce has just set a new record, selling for $40 million at an auction in California.
The heavily customised version of Ferrari's first EV was sold as a charity auction, but far exceeded the expected price.
A shock result surfaced at a recent car auction, where a buyer paid $40 million (£29.51m) for a Ferrari Luce. It set a record at RM Sotheby's for a price paid for a new car at auction.
The Ferrari Luce normally costs around $640,000 / £470,000 and in this listing the bidding started at $1,000,000. That it soared to $40,000,000 surprised everyone, even with this model being Tailor Made and heavily customised, while also offering Chassis 0.
That means it's the first production chassis for the Luce, which perhaps explains something about what's happening here. Even though the price is hugely inflated, it has enduring pedigree. It's likely that a collector saw this opportunity and knew that they could make headlines and have something of value in their collection for the future.
There's another dimension to this auction: the car was sold for The Ferrari Foundation, with the auction house waiving the fee, and so all the proceeds are heading to charitable causes. That means everyone is winning – including the buyer who might be able to write this off because of its charitable status.
As for the Ferrari Luce in question, it offers a pearlescent finish (said to be unique in appearance and designed specifically for this car) along with white rims and a Perla Le Mans metallic leather interior.
It's a fusion of black and white, but according to the details, offers many unique elements that are only found on this car.
The Ferrari Luce got something of a mixed reception at its unveiling for not looking like a Ferrari, although T3's Editor Mat Gallagher was impressed with what he saw at the launch.
Regardless of hot takes on the design, the Ferrari Luce hits its sales target for 2026 within two months according to the Financial Times.
While the exterior has been likened to a Nissan, Sir Jony Ive's involvement in the design has been criticised for the minimalist approach, including what looks like an iPad hanging next to the steering wheel.
However, Ferrari didn't set out to produce an electric version of its famous sports cars with sweeping design, it created something completely different. Aimed at ultra wealthy individuals as an electric daily driver, it combines power, performance and practicality. You might not like it, but you probably can't afford it either.
The huge auction price achieved marks another interesting chapter for the Ferrari Luce: in reality, we won't know whether this car was a success or not for another 20 years or more. Will it prove catastrophic, or will it be an icon?
