Car fans across the world are still picking their jaws up off the floor after a Ferrari Luce went for $56 million in an auction at Monterey Car Week, despite the fact the company’s first EV has been hugely controversial… and the fact the new owner won’t be able to get their hands on it until next year.

This isn’t any Luce, though: it’s the first production chassis of the widely reviled 1035hp grand tourer. Called “Chassis 0”, the bespoke example from the marque’s Tailor Made program sold for more than 60 times the model’s usual estimated price when it went under the hammer with RM Sotheby’s in California over the weekend.

Front view of a white sports car with wide open butterfly doors in a dark studio setting, showcasing its sleek design.
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The stupendous amount – which is huge even for a special Ferrari auction – has gone to the Ferrari Foundation charity, with Sotheby’s waiving the usual buyer’s premium so every cent gets spent on Maranello’s chosen educational initiatives. The $US40 million price tag could also make this Luce the most expensive new car on the planet.

Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Dr Herbert Wertheim reportedly lodged the winning bid, which absolutely smashed pre-auction predictions that the Luce would go for around $US1.1million ($A1.55 million). He gets a Luce finished in unique Madreperla white paint, unique wheels and an interior trimmed in Le Mans metallic leather. But Ferrari is bringing the Chassis 0 back to Italy now that the auction is over, meaning no delivery until the first quarter of next year.

Designed by former Apple design boss Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson, the Luce created a storm of controversy that saw Ferrari’s share price drop when it was released in May. It marked one of the most significant changes in the company’s history as its first fully electric production car, but divided fans of the Prancing Horse with its looks, to put it politely. Former chairman Luca di Montezemolo even said “we’re risking the destruction of a myth” when the EV went public. 

In development since 2021, the Luce has an electric motor at each wheel, a 122kWh battery pack and 800-volt electrical system for a maximum output of 772kW and claimed 0-100km/h time of 2.5 seconds. Driving range is a claimed 529km, and fast charging capability of up to 350kW is supported. At more than five metres long, it’s the largest Ferrari ever built, while its four-door layout, complete with rear-hinged back doors is another first for the brand.