The Ferrari Luce, the first electric Ferrari, sold for 40 million dollars at auction

Sold for 40 million dollars, the Ferrari Luce becomes the first electric Ferrari in history to set a record. A closer look at an extraordinary sale.

AuthorThe Turismo editorial team
Read time9 minutes
PublishedAugust 18, 2026
Ferrari Luce 40 millions
RM Sotheby's

A car that sells for more than sixty times its list price does not happen every day. The Ferrari Luce, presented as the very first electric Ferrari, has just been sold for the record sum of 40 million dollars at auction.

What really happened during this sale?

The news was relayed by several international newsrooms, from CNN Business to Bloomberg, along with CNBC, Electrek and Euronews. All converge toward the same conclusion: what is described as the first electric Ferrari, the Luce, changed hands at auction for 40 million dollars. That is an amount which immediately places the example among the most expensive automotive objects ever sold in this format.

According to Electrek, the Luce in question carries chassis 0, in other words the very first example of the lineage. The outlet specifies that the hammer price represents roughly 36 times the estimate that had been communicated ahead of the sale. It becomes easier to understand, then, why the headline from Le Parisien mentions a spectacular multiple compared to the reference price. When a figure soars to this extent, it is no longer a transaction, it is an event.

One detail particularly catches the attention of observers: according to Gulf News, the Luce is associated with design work led by Jony Ive, the former head of design at Apple. This signature, rare in the automotive world, helps explain the aura of the object and the bidding that followed.

Why is the Luce not the production electric Ferrari?

abstract electric car silhouette glowing lines dark studio
Ferrari's electric transition is written in two stages: an exceptional object and a production model.RM Sotheby's

This is the essential nuance to establish in order to understand the news. The Ferrari Luce is not the model you will find tomorrow at dealerships. It is a unique object, an exceptional example, whose sale belongs as much to art and collecting as to the automobile in the classic sense.

The production electric Ferrari, for its part, carries another name: the Elettrica. According to Electrek and InsideEVs, its specifications were revealed in October 2025. Both outlets describe a car powered by four electric motors developing roughly 1 000 horsepower. It is this Elettrica that will embody Maranello's electric strategy on a large scale, while the Luce will remain a collector's piece priced in an entirely different logic.

To clarify the roles, here is what can be stated with certainty based on verified sources:

  • The Luce is presented as the first electric Ferrari and corresponds to chassis 0, a unique example.
  • The Luce sold for 40 million dollars, roughly 36 times its estimate according to Electrek.
  • The design of the Luce is associated with Jony Ive, former head of design at Apple, according to Gulf News.
  • The Elettrica is the production electric model, at roughly 1 000 horsepower and four motors, revealed in October 2025.

How do you explain a price sixty times higher than the list price?

The headline relayed by Le Parisien highlights a multiple: more than sixty times the list price. This type of ratio is by no means an accident on the market for unique examples. Three logics combine to propel a bid to this level.

  1. Absolute rarity: a chassis 0, first of its lineage, only comes around once. This historic first commands a premium.
  2. The charitable and symbolic dimension: sales of this kind are frequently orchestrated around a cause or a landmark moment, which pushes bidders well beyond financial reason.
  3. The creative signature: the involvement attributed to Jony Ive adds a collector value that goes beyond mechanics alone.

In other words, you are not paying here for a car to drive. You are paying for a place in the history of a brand, at the precise moment when it shifts toward electric. The multiple of sixty is not an aberration: it is the numerical translation of a cultural turning point.

What does this sale change for Ferrari's electric image?

electric charging cable plugged into luxury sports car night ambiance
Maranello is preparing its electric shift, between combustion heritage and a new era.RM Sotheby's

For decades, Ferrari's identity has been inseparable from the sound of a combustion engine. Crossing over to electric is therefore not only an industrial decision: it is a major image issue. The Luce plays the role of a showcase here. By associating its first electric car with an exceptional object, sold at a record price, the brand asserts that electrification does not dilute its premium status, quite the opposite.

This message is twofold. On one hand, it reassures collectors, often attached to the brand's combustion heritage, by showing that value remains present. On the other, it prepares the ground for the production Elettrica, which will have to convince a broader clientele without disowning the Maranello aura. An auction record, in this context, is worth more than a long communication campaign.

For the general public, the event above all has an educational virtue: it establishes the idea that an electric Ferrari now exists, and that it can arouse the same desire as a mid-engined berlinetta. It is precisely this shift of desire toward electric that interests a platform like Turismo, which makes premium driving accessible through subscription rather than purchase.

How does the Luce stand against other exceptional electric cars?

Comparing the Luce to rivals is a delicate exercise, because it is a unique example and not a production model. It can nonetheless be placed within the constellation of exceptional electric sports cars, while keeping in mind an important distinction: the Luce trades in a collecting logic, while its conceptual cousins fall within a limited-production logic. Here are two reference points from the segment, presented in a consistent way.

Ferrari Luce

  • Status: first electric Ferrari, unique example (chassis 0)
  • Price: sold for 40 million dollars at auction
  • Estimate: roughly 36 times less, according to Electrek
  • Signature: design associated with Jony Ive (Gulf News)
  • Purpose: an object of collection and history

Ferrari Elettrica (production model)

  • Status: Ferrari's production electric model
  • Power: roughly 1 000 horsepower (Electrek, InsideEVs)
  • Architecture: four electric motors
  • Reveal: specifications unveiled in October 2025
  • Purpose: to embody the electric strategy on a large scale

The reading is clear: the Luce and the Elettrica do not play in the same league. The first is a manifesto, a symbolic and financial starting point. The second is the product meant to last, with an already impressive power figure. We deliberately communicate no range, charging or pricing figure that verified sources have not confirmed, out of a concern for accuracy.

Should we draw a lesson for the premium market?

open road at dusk luxury electric car driving premium mood
Premium automotive desire is gradually shifting toward electric.RM Sotheby's

Yes, and it goes beyond the Ferrari case alone. This record sale confirms an underlying trend: high-end electric is no longer perceived as a compromise, but as an object of desire in its own right. The record amount does not only reflect the value of a car, it reflects the value that the market now grants to electric modernity associated with a great brand.

For the motorist, the lesson is more down to earth. Accessing premium electric no longer necessarily requires ownership. The all-inclusive subscription lets you live the experience of a high-end vehicle, without tying up capital or bearing depreciation. This is exactly the promise of Turismo in Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Switzerland: a monthly package that covers the essentials and follows your desires.

Verdict

The Ferrari Luce at 40 million dollars is not a car you will pass on the road: it is a milestone. It confirms, record figure in hand, that Ferrari is entering the electric era through the front door, while preserving its exceptional status. The real event for the general public, however, is called Elettrica and will play out on the road, not on an auction podium. For anyone who wants to taste premium electric today, the real question is no longer the purchase price, but the freedom to access it without committing for ten years.

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Faq

How much did the Ferrari Luce sell for?

The Ferrari Luce, presented as the first electric Ferrari, sold for 40 million dollars at auction, a record amount confirmed by several international outlets including CNN Business, Bloomberg and Electrek.

Is the Ferrari Luce the production electric Ferrari?

No. The Luce is a unique example corresponding to chassis 0. Ferrari's production electric model is the Elettrica, whose specifications were unveiled in October 2025.

Who took part in the design of the Ferrari Luce?

According to Gulf News, the design of the Luce is associated with Jony Ive, the former head of design at Apple, which strengthens its status as a collector's object.

What is the power of the Ferrari Elettrica?

According to Electrek and InsideEVs, the Ferrari Elettrica develops roughly 1 000 horsepower thanks to a four-motor architecture.

Why did the Luce sell for sixty times its list price?

The multiple is explained by the absolute rarity of the example (chassis 0), the symbolic and often charitable dimension of this type of sale, and the design signature associated with it. Electrek mentions a price of roughly 36 times the estimate.

In summary

The Ferrari Luce, the first electric Ferrari, sold for 40 million dollars at auction, a record that marks Maranello's symbolic entry into electric. A unique object signed by a prestigious designer, it paves the way for the arrival of the production Elettrica, roughly 1 000 horsepower and four motors. Beyond the record, the event confirms that premium electric has become a true object of desire.

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Sources(12)
  1. Exclusive model of Ferrari’s first electric car, Luce, sells for record $40 million | CNN Business
  2. Ferrari Luce: First fully electric Ferrari to sell for $40 million
  3. First Ferrari Luce EV sells for $40 million, 36x its estimate | Electrek
  4. Ferrari Luce: Polarizing EV becomes a $40 million collector’s item
  5. Ferrari’s First Electric Car Fetches Record $40 Million at Auction - Bloomberg
  6. Ferrari's first Luce EV sells for $40M at California auction | Fox Business
  7. Ferrari's controversial first EV sells for record $40 million at auction
  8. Someone Just Spent $40,000,000 On The First Ferrari Luce, Making It Likely The Most Expensive Electric Car Ever Sold - The Autopian
  9. Ferrari reveals the specs of its first all-electric car: Elettrica | Electrek
  10. Ferrari's first electric car, the Elettrica, is a 1,000hp beast
  11. Ferrari’s First Electric Car Is Coming—And It Will Be A Loud, Quad-Motor Demon
  12. EVWORLD.COM - Ferrari Elettrica: Electrified, Not Tamed