Even though its reveal shocked audiences around the world on Memorial Day, the Ferrari Luce electric vehicle still generates attention for its looks, price, and sales figures. That continued this weekend with the first example selling for way more than its roughly $640,000 starting price. Way, way more.
As part of Monterey Car Week, the first production Ferrari Luce, identified as “Chassis Number 0” according to RM Sotheby’s, was sold on Saturday, and the winning bid was $40 million. Lot #345 at the Monterey Car Auction is a Ferrari Tailor Made model painted in an “exclusive Madreperla Semi-Gloss finish.” It has a black canopy roof, and an interior with “Le Mans metallic leather in Perla” made from “carefully selected Swiss hides.”
And what essentially amounts to a black-and-white color scheme might better suit the Luce’s proportions than the red and light blue from the original press photos, but opinions might still be divided. Proceeds from the sale of the first Luce will go to The Ferrari Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, with the mission to raise awareness of transverse myelitis, a form of inflammation that can damage the spinal cord.
All summer, the Jony Ive-designed Ferrari Luce has generated headlines, for better or worse. Comments on its looks and slow rollout persisted for weeks to the point that the company’s chief marketing and commercial officer was replaced in July. Ferrari shares slumped in the days following the Luce’s reveal, but the company’s second-quarter financial report indicated a 10% bump in profit and a full order book through 2027.
And that Luce wasn’t even the most expensive vehicle sold during this year’s Monterey Car Week. A 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe sold for nearly $43 million, according to Hagerty. Last year, a Ferrari Daytona SP3 Tailor Made was sold for $26 million at the same auction, also benefitting The Ferrari Foundation.