Total Controversy: Ferrari's First EV Left No One Indifferent
The Ferrari Luce was unveiled on May 25, 2026, in Rome as the first 100% electric car in the Italian marque's 80-year history. It is a four-door, five-seat sedan, a format that broke with the two-seat sports tradition that fans expect from Ferrari.
The exterior design was developed alongside LoveFrom, the creative studio founded by Jony Ive, the designer behind the iPhone and iMac at Apple. While the interior was praised for bringing back physical buttons against the trend of touchscreens, the exterior drew viral comparisons to a Nissan Leaf, one of the most affordable electric cars on the market.
The backlash was so intense that on the day of the presentation, Ferrari's shares fell up to 6.3% on the Milan stock exchange. But the hardest blow came from within: Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Ferrari's president from 1991 to 2014 and architect of a golden era with 19 Formula 1 titles, declared: "If I said what I really think, it would harm Ferrari. We are risking the destruction of a myth, and I feel terrible about it. I hope at least they take the Cavallino off that machine." He added: "At least this is a machine the Chinese won't copy."
The Auction That Broke All Records
During the Monterey Car Week in August 2026, RM Sotheby's auctioned off the Chassis 0, the first production unit of the Luce, with chassis number ZFF21BUA8T0338000. The pre-auction estimate was just over $1.1 million, but the final hammer closed at $40 million, i.e., 36 times more than the estimate.
That figure makes the Luce the most expensive new production car ever sold at auction, surpassing the McLaren F1 GTR by $5.4 million and coming within just $8.4 million of the legendary 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO.
The list price of the standard Luce is €550,000 (about $640,000), so the final price multiplied the vehicle's original value by more than 60 times.
Who Is the Buyer?
The winner was Herbert Wertheim, an American ophthalmologist, inventor, and billionaire aged 87. According to Forbes, he is one of the most successful yet lesser-known investors: he built his fortune over more than five decades by investing in the stock market, holding positions in Apple and Microsoft since their IPOs. He holds over 100 patents, including a UV-absorbing tint for plastic lenses.
This isn't the first time Wertheim has paid a fortune at this auction: in 2025, he bought a Ferrari Daytona SP3 Tailor Made for $26 million at the same charity event.
A Donation with Tax Benefits
All proceeds go to the Ferrari Foundation, specifically to initiatives related to transverse myelitis, an inflammation that can damage the spinal cord. RM Sotheby's waived its buyer's commission, so the $40 million is a full donation.
Additionally, Wertheim could receive a tax deduction of between $10 and $15 million for the difference between the car's market value and the price paid, reducing the real cost of the operation.
Meet the Ferrari Luce Chassis 0
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Body style | 4-door, 5-seat GT sedan |
| Power | 4 electric motors (one per wheel), 1,050 hp combined |
| Acceleration | 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds |
| Standard price | €550,000 (~$640,000 USD) |
| Auction price | $40,000,000 USD |
| Exclusive paint | Madreperla Semi-Gloss (pearl white with iridescent green-purple highlights) |
| Interior | Metallic Le Mans leather in Pearl tone with Grigio Corvara details |
| Customization | Ferrari Tailor Made program |
| Delivery | First quarter of 2027 (returns to Maranello before) |
The final irony is undeniable: the car that almost sank Ferrari on the stock exchange, that was rejected by the fan community and even by a former president of the brand, ended up starring in one of the most talked-about auction results of the year. Sometimes, controversy also pays off.
Sources: Carwow · Marca · Vietnam.vn