The first production Ferrari Luce has just rewritten the record books in spectacular fashion. Chassis 0, a one-off ‘Tailor Made’ example of Ferrari’s first fully electric production car, sold for an astonishing $40 million (approximately R646.7 million) at the 2026 RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction.
That result makes it the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, comfortably eclipsing the $26 million achieved by the Ferrari Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’ at Monterey in 2025.
Ferrari Luce Chassis 0 Smashes Expectations
When we first reported that Ferrari’s first production Luce was heading to auction for charity, expectations were that the unique EV could fetch somewhere north of $1.1 million.
Nobody was expecting $40 million.
RM Sotheby’s offered the 2026 Ferrari Luce ‘Tailor Made’ as Lot 345 on Saturday, 15 August, with the auction house confirming the extraordinary $40 million final selling price.
Even by Monterey standards, where eight-figure Ferraris are hardly unheard of, the result is remarkable. It also makes the Luce considerably more valuable than virtually every classic Ferrari ever sold publicly, despite being brand new.
From $1 Million Estimate To A $40 Million Record
The significance of Chassis 0 clearly mattered far more to bidders than any conventional valuation.
This isn’t simply an early Ferrari Luce. It is the first production example of Ferrari’s first fully electric road car and was created as a one-off through the company’s Tailor Made personalisation programme.
The winning bid of $40 million is more than 36 times the $1.1 million figure being discussed ahead of the auction.
For some perspective, the previous record for a new car sold at auction belonged to another special Ferrari. The 2025 Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’ achieved $26 million, meaning the Luce has pushed the benchmark higher by a staggering $14 million.
A One-Off Tailor Made Ferrari
Chassis 0 was never going to look like a regular production Luce.
Ferrari’s Tailor Made division finished the car in a unique Madreperla semi-gloss exterior that changes character depending on the light, complemented by colour-matched wheels and bespoke brake calipers.
Inside, the cabin uses metallic Perla Le Mans leather with Grigio Corvara detailing, while a dedicated plaque confirms the car’s status as Ferrari’s first production electric vehicle.
It is effectively a one-of-one specification wrapped around one of the most historically significant chassis numbers Ferrari has produced in decades.
Ferrari’s First EV Packs 1,036 HP
Underneath its unique specification is the same extraordinary electric hardware found in the production Luce.
As detailed when Ferrari officially revealed the Luce, the four-motor electric drivetrain develops 1,036 hp (772 kW) and 990 Nm (730 lb-ft) of torque.
Ferrari claims it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in around 2.5 seconds, reach 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds and continue to approximately 309 km/h (192 mph).
The Luce uses a huge 122 kWh battery pack and 800V electrical architecture, placing it firmly at the extreme end of the performance EV market.
The model has also been confirmed for our market, with more details available in our report on the Ferrari Luce coming to South Africa.
$40 Million Sale Will Benefit Charity
There is another important part of this record-breaking transaction.
Chassis 0 was offered as a charity lot, with proceeds from the sale going through the Ferrari Foundation to support educational initiatives. That means the enormous bidding war has generated a considerably bigger charitable contribution than anyone could realistically have predicted before Monterey.
The combination of charity, Chassis 0 status, a one-off Tailor Made specification and Ferrari’s transition into the electric era clearly created the perfect storm.
The Most Expensive New Car Ever Sold
Whether the Luce ultimately becomes one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models remains to be seen, but Chassis 0 has already secured its place in automotive history.
At $40 million, it has become the most expensive new car ever sold at auction and has done so before regular customer cars have even begun appearing on roads.
For a Ferrari that has generated its fair share of controversy since being revealed, that is one seriously emphatic way to begin its story.