Ferrari has auctioned a one-of-a-kind bespoke version of the Luce, its first fully electric car, for a record $40 million. The Italian luxury automaker said the proceeds will go toward education initiatives aimed at supporting 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 euro ($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 U.S. and elsewhere through its Ferrari Foundation.
