The Ferrari Luce isn’t just one of the most controversial cars of 2026; it’s among the most contentious in modern automotive history.

When the iconic Italian supercar maker unveiled its first electric vehicle, it sparked far more than a stir.

Its launch in May triggered a social media meltdown, with AI-generated memes and images mocking Ferrari’s decision to build a battery-powered four-door, five-seater developed with the help of iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive. Shares in the company fell sharply amid the backlash.

But it seems Ferrari executives in Maranello are having the last laugh.

Not only has Ferrari announced it has already sold out this year’s allocation of the divisive EV, but the very first production example has now smashed auction records.

‘Chassis 0’, officially the earliest production car built, went under the hammer in California at the weekend, fetching a staggering $40million (£29.5million).

The figure is more than 35 times the Luce’s list price and is believed to be the highest amount ever paid for a brand-new car at public auction.

All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Ferrari Foundation’s educational programmes.

Record breaker: Ferarri Luce ‘Chassis 0’ has become the most expensive new car ever sold at auction. The winning bid placed in California at the weekend was a massive $40m (£29.5m)

RM Sotheby’s has not named the buyer of Luce Chassis 0, a bespoke example heavily customised through Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme. Nor has the Italian carmaker revealed the winning bidder’s identity.

The car features a unique ‘Madreperla Semi-Gloss’ finish developed exclusively for this one-off model.

While it appears white to the naked eye, the paint contains a special pigment that creates iridescent reflections, changing colour like a chameleon.

Depending on the angle and intensity of the light, the bodywork can shift from green to violet.

The $40m sale figure is more than 35 times the Luce’s list price – not bad for an EV that’s been ruthlessly mocked since it debuted in May

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The one-of-a-kind car has been created by the Ferrari Tailor Made bespoke division. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Ferrari Foundation’s educational programmes

The car features a unique ‘Madreperla Semi-Gloss’ finish. While it appears white, the paint contains a pigment that creates iridescent reflections, changing colour like a chameleon

Inside, there are more exclusive touches, including bespoke ‘Le Mans metallic leather in Perla’, a one-of-a-kind material developed for Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme and derived from carefully selected Swiss hides.

‘Its distinctive softness and reflective properties contribute to the diffusion of light within the cabin, enhancing the sense of space and refinement,’ RM Sotheby’s says.

The material is paired with a ‘Grigio Corvara’ medium-grey shade which, according to Ferrari, ‘evokes the winter colours and tones of the Alps’.

The theme extends to the white wheels, brake calipers and Ferrari badges, which are set against an optical white background.

This is contrasted against a piano black roof, sills, front splitter and grille, and the rear diffuser and light cluster housing.  

The largely white-on-white specification of this one-off Luce is, whether intentional or not, a fitting nod to the the original Apple smartphone designed by Ive.

Inside and out, the car is largely white and black. Whether intentional or not, it’s a fitting nod to the original Apple iPhone, designed by Sir Jonny Ive, who also penned the Luce

Inside, it features ‘Le Mans metallic leather in Perla’, a one-of-a-kind material developed for Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme and derived from carefully selected Swiss hides

Ahead of Saturday’s auction, RM Sotheby’s said Lot 345 represented an ‘unbeatable opportunity’ to own the first production example of the Luce.

Its sale price eclipsed the previous record for the highest amount paid for a zero-mileage new car at auction. That honour was held by another Ferrari Tailor Made model, a Daytona SP3 sold last year that raised $26million for the carmaker’s educational initiatives.

The highest price paid for a new car sold at auction that was not for charity was also achieved in 2025, when the first of five handcrafted Gordon Murray Automotive S1 LM supercars sold through RM Sotheby’s in Las Vegas for $20,630,000 (£15.7million).

The current record for the highest price paid at auction was an ultra-rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which was sold for $142million in 2022.

The Sir Jony Ive-designed model has divided opinion , not least because it is a four-door electric saloon with five seats – a dramatic departure from the low-slung, sharp-edged supercars for which Ferrari is famous

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Despite the backlash against Luce, Ferrari says it has already secured enough orders to meet this year’s production target. This is just below 500 global sales

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Ferrari has already sold its 2025 Luce allocation

The backlash against the £500,000 Luce, unveiled on May 25, has been seismic, drawing comparisons with the outrage that greeted Jaguar’s rebrand in 2024.

The Sir Jony Ive-designed model has divided opinion, not least because the four-door electric saloon represents a dramatic departure from the low-slung, sharp-edged supercars for which Ferrari is famous.

Even the company’s former chairman publicly criticised the car within hours of its unveiling.

Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari chairman between 1991 and 2014, told Italian media: ‘If I had to say what I really think, I would be hurting Ferrari. This is surely a car that at least the Chinese won’t copy from us.’

Yet despite the ridicule that followed its debut, along with the subsequent departure of Ferrari’s long-serving marketing chief, the firm says it has already secured enough orders to meet this year’s production target.

That figure is understood to be just under 500 cars worldwide.

Presenting Ferrari’s second-quarter results at the end of July, chief executive Benedetto Vigna said the company was ‘very pleased with how orders are proceeding’.

He said demand was ‘in line with our expectations’, with reports suggesting China has generated the highest number of pre-orders.

‘Clients who place orders are both existing and new customers, and this too is in line with our expectations,’ he told reporters, adding that the Luce had not altered Ferrari’s long-term EV strategy.

‘When clients see the car, they’re really enthusiastic and happy,’ Vigna said, dismissing suggestions Ferrari was resorting to aggressive marketing tactics or pressuring loyal customers into placing orders.

‘It’s a product they have to buy if they love it, if they have a genuine interest in it,’ he added.

The Luce produces 1,000hp and can sprint from 0-60mph in just 2.5 seconds thanks to four electric motors, one driving each wheel.

Top speed is 193mph.

Ferrari says the model can travel more than 329 miles on a full charge, while its retro-inspired interior, heavily influenced by Ive, is likely to shape the cabins of future models.

The company also says all key components are produced in-house, enabling it to support and repair the vehicle long into the future while helping protect residual values.

According to previous Daily Mail reports, the Pope enjoyed the world’s first test drive after being granted exclusive early access to Ferrari’s first EV before its official unveiling.