No car has generated so many headlines this year as the Ferrari Luce. Now the first example of the controversial electric crossover has sold for a record price.
The RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction 2026 saw Ferrari Luce ‘Chassis 0’ cross the block, with all the proceeds from the sale donated to charity.
Following a period of intense bidding, the first production example of Ferrari’s divisive EV achieved a staggering $40 million (£30 million) when the hammer finally fell.
The record price makes the Luce the most expensive new car ever sold through an auction.
A one-off creation for charity
The Luce offered by Ferrari for sale in Monterey was not simply the first example off the production line. It also boasted a unique specification designed by the marque’s ‘Tailor Made’ department.
For the exterior, an exclusive Madreperla Semi-Gloss paint finish was developed especially for Luce Chassis 0. A dedicated Ferrari pigment was said to have been used, capable of producing ‘iridescent reflections that evolve from green to violet depending on the intensity and angle of the light’.
White continues as the theme for the wheels and brake calipers, with the Ferrari logo set against an ‘optical white background’. The latter is another exclusive for Luce Chassis 0.
On the inside there is, unsurprisingly, more white trim. Le Mans metallic leather in Perla, an exclusive material developed for Ferrari Tailor Made, features throughout the cabin.
Much of the Jonny Ive-designed dashboard and secondary trim are finished Grigio Corvara grey, instead of the traditional black.
More expensive than a McLaren F1
Listed with a pre-sale guide price of $1.1 million (£740,000), the staggering amount paid for the Luce makes it the fifth most expensive car ever sold at an auction.
It even surpassed the $34.66 million (£25.59 million) paid for a McLaren F1 GTR, formerly owned by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, during the same RM Sotheby’s event.
Ferrari will donate all the proceeds from Chassis 0 to The Ferrari Foundation, which helps support future educational initiatives.
Following the conclusion of the sale, the first Luce will return to Ferrari’s Maranello factory. Its new and as-yet-unnamed owner will take possession of the car in the first quarter of 2027.
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