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June 5, 2025 – Ferrari’s first fully electric model, the Luce Tailor Made, has shattered auction records, fetching $40 million at a RM Sotheby’s charity sale. The staggering price makes it the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, eclipsing previous highs set by limited-edition hypercars from Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz.
The Luce, which debuted earlier this year as Ferrari’s electric flagship, was commissioned in a one-off “Tailor Made” specification by the Scuderia’s most exclusive personalization program. The auction, held at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, benefited the Future of Mobility Foundation, a nonprofit supporting sustainable automotive research.
The Luce Tailor Made features a unique bodywork crafted from diamond-weave carbon fiber, with hand-polished aluminum accents that mimic the lineage of the 1960s Ferrari 250 GTO. The interior is swathed in sustainably sourced Alcantara and recycled silk, embroidered with a custom “Luce” motif by Italian artisans. The car’s active aerodynamics, including a rear diffuser that adjusts in real time, are also exclusive to this unit.
Under the hood — or rather, under the floor — the Luce packs a quad-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain delivering over 1,500 horsepower, with a 100 kWh solid-state battery pack that enables a 500-mile range (WLTP). Ferrari engineers have confirmed that this specific car’s software was tuned for track performance, adding a “Passione” mode that unlocks all torque instantly.
The winning bidder was identified as Miuccia Prada, the fashion icon and longtime Ferrari collector, who plans to display the Luce at her private museum in Milan. “The Luce represents the perfect marriage of Italian craftsmanship and electric innovation,” Prada said in a statement. “I’m proud to support the Foundation’s mission to decarbonize the automotive industry.”
The auction proceeds will fund research into solid-state battery recycling and hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure. RM Sotheby’s noted that the sale attracted 12 bidders from five continents, with the final price more than doubling the pre-auction estimate of $15–$18 million.
The Luce Tailor Made’s record reinforces the growing appetite for ultra-luxury electric vehicles among high-net-worth collectors. Ferrari’s decision to auction its first EV for charity was a strategic move: it avoided the controversy of pricing a road-legal EV above traditional combustion models while generating massive media buzz.
Industry analysts point to the sale as a bellwether. “Ferrari has proven that EVs can command the same emotional and monetary premium as V12 legend cars,” said Dr. Henrik Ljungqvist, automotive economist at the University of Oxford. “The Tailor Made program allows Ferrari to test the limits of personalization, which will be crucial as they scale electric production by 2030.”
Ferrari plans to have 60% of its lineup electrified by 2026, with the Luce serving as the halo car. The brand’s first EV, codenamed “F250,” is expected to enter production in late 2025, with a starting price around $1.5 million. The Luce Tailor Made’s auction success has already driven deposits for the standard Luce model, which starts at $875,000.
The auction also highlights a shift in collector behavior. “We’re seeing a new generation of buyers who value sustainability as much as speed,” said Megan F. Griffin, RM Sotheby’s head of luxury sales. “The Luce’s charity component and its one-of-a-kind specification made it irresistible.”
Ferrari’s Luce Tailor Made has not only set a record but also set a precedent: the electric supercar is now a legitimate auction star. Whether it will be surpassed by other bespoke EVs remains to be seen, but for now, the Prancing Horse has galloped ahead of the pack.
