The first-ever Ferrari Luce, called the 'Chassis 0,' holds special significance for many because it is the prancing horse's first all-electric vehicle, marking the beginning of an unusual chapter in the iconic brand's storied history. The car was sold for a whopping $40 million at the Monterey Car Week Auction conducted by RM Sotheby's, and the buyer was a billionaire doctor and inventor from Florida.The sale price made the EV in question the most expensive brand-new car to be sold at an auction. The buyer, Dr. Herbert "Herbie" Wertheim, founder and CEO of Brain Power Incorporated (BPI), is a renowned inventor and a major investor known for massive educational and healthcare donations.Motorbiscuit recently reported that the proceeds from the auction will go toward supporting educational initiatives through the Ferrari Foundation. Footage shows that bidding for the Chassis 0 Luce started at $1 million and rose to $5 million within seconds, eventually reaching $20 million. From there, bidders took giant leaps, pushing the price to $36 million. In the end, though, the winning bid stood at $40 million, sealing the deal in Dr. Wertheim's favor. Notably, it appears that his representative was bidding on his behalf in the video.AdvertisementAdvertisementA brand-new Ferrari Luce would start at $640,000 at a dealership, but the white one, Ferrari's first official Luce, was auctioned for over 60 times the showroom price. The five-seater EV has electric motors that produce 141 hp each at the front and roughly 415 hp each at the rear, delivering a combined peak output of 1,050 cv (1,035 bhp), helping it cross the 60 mph mark in 2.5 seconds.Surprisingly, a 1996 McLaren F1 GTR was expected to sell for $35 million at the Monterey auction and was anticipated to be the top lot. However, it actually sold for $34.6 million and was outsold by the Luce. Recent car collector trends indicate that the Ferrari badge makes all the necessary difference. However, an additional contributing factor could be the major shift in this year's auction market, as a younger generation of millennials and Gen Z buyers is gradually replacing baby boomers, bringing different tastes and preferences.Image Credit: RM Sotheby'sThat means the young car collectors aren't drooling over the classic American and European cars from the 1950s and 1960s. Instead, they're coveting modern performance cars. Also, rather than driving their purchases, young collectors are treating these cars as investments to resell for a quick profit.AdvertisementAdvertisementNotably, among automakers, Ferrari has emerged as the hottest brand with collectors. A 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for $17.9 million in January, nearly tripling the previous auction record for the model, while another Enzo fetched $15.2 million in March. Ferrari F40s are also among the most sought-after modern classics, with an F40 LM selling for $11 million at Monterey last year.Ferrari's dominance extends beyond individual models. A 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 sold for a staggering $26 million at last year's Monterey auctions, which was far above its $3.5 million pre-sale estimate. Hagerty stated that nine of the ten most expensive cars sold at auction so far this year have been Ferraris, while five of Monterey's top lots this year are from the Italian automaker.
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