Ferrari's bespoke Luce EV one-off fetches $40 million at charity auction

MILAN: Ferrari has sold at auction a one-off, bespoke version of the Luce, its first ​fully electric vehicle, for $40 million, the Italian luxury sports ‌car maker said, adding that the money will be used for education projects to help young people.

U.S. billionaire investor and Ferrari collector Herbert A. Wertheim, ​an optometrist and founder of optical lens technologies manufacturer Brain ​Power Inc., bought the vehicle at an auction during ⁠Monterey Car Week.

The auction, in partnership with RM Sotheby’s, came as ​Ferrari seeks to build momentum behind the Luce, which was unveiled ​in May as the most radical product launch in the company’s history, but was met with a lukewarm reception.

At its launch, the €550,000 ($638,400) five-seat, four-door EV triggered ​a heated debate among Ferrari enthusiasts, analysts and on social media, ​drawing criticism from purists over its unconventional styling and its break with the ‌marque’s ⁠combustion-engine heritage.

The reaction prompted questions about whether wealthy clientele would embrace a fully electric Ferrari, but the company last month said it was “very pleased” with orders for the Luce, although it did not ​provide figures.

The auction ​price for ⁠the one-off vehicle — known as “Chassis 0” and created by Ferrari’s Tailor Made division and design centre — set ​a world record for a new car sold ​at auction, ⁠the company said on Sunday.

The price exceeded the $26 million fetched by a one-off Ferrari Daytona SP3, which was also bought by Wertheim last ⁠year.

The ​company said proceeds from the sale ​would support education projects in the United States and elsewhere through its Ferrari Foundation.