Heading into Monterey Car Week, the first production-spec Ferrari Luce carried an estimate of $1.1 million, with room to climb a little past that if the room got excited. The room got more than excited. Saturday’s hammer landed at $40,000,000, and no, that isn’t a stray digit or a typo that slipped past an editor.

The Man Who Wrote The Check

The buyer turned out to be Dr. Herbert Wertheim, affectionately known as Dr. Herbie, the 87-year-old billionaire optometrist and inventor who Forbes said “built a fortune over five decades of investing in stocks,” hailing him as “the greatest investor you’ve never heard of.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Supercars For Sale (@supercarsfor.sale)

Wertheim was born in Philadelphia in 1939 to working-class parents who moved to Florida and lived above a bakery, per Supercarsforsale on Instagram. In 1969 he established that UV light causes cataracts, then invented the UV-absorbing dye for plastic lenses. His company, Brain Power Inc., became the world’s largest maker of optical tints, and he holds more than 100 patents. From 1970 the profits went into the market, into Apple and Microsoft at their IPOs, and eventually into the largest individual stake in Heico. Which is how $40 million for a car becomes a rounding error in your bank account.

Now, you may be wondering why anyone would pay this much money for an EV that has been kicked around as much as the Luce. The answer starts with where the money goes. All of the funds raised by the auction benefit The Ferrari Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3) public charity.

Read: Ferrari Boss Was Thrilled When Fans Trashed The $640K Luce

What this means is that the winning bidder has effectively written a $40 million check to charity and can claim the gap between the Luce’s fair market value, presumably somewhere near its $640,000 MSRP, and the final price as a tax write-off. Call it $10 million to $15 million in savings on a $40 million outlay, which leaves him around $25 million lighter than he started.

Wertheim Has Done This Before

RM Sotheby’s

None of this is new to him. Wertheim was the buyer when Ferrari ran the same charity formula on a one-off Daytona SP3 at Monterey last year, and he took that one home for $26 million. The difference is what happens next. Standard Daytona SP3 values are climbing hard, with one selling this past weekend for $17.8 million, so give it long enough and the $26 million car might actually be a $26 million car. The Luce is unlikely to ever see its number again.

RM Sotheby’s

Is there actually anything special about this particular Luce? Yes, there is. For starters, it is painted in a bespoke shade of white known as Madreperla Semi-Gloss, which reflects green and violet depending on the viewing angle and light. The EV also sits on matching white wheels.

Ferrari’s Tailor Made department also worked extensively on the EV’s interior, using special Le Mans metallic leather from carefully selected Swiss hides, and also tinted white to match the outside.

When Ferrari unveiled the Luce in May, the internet had plenty to say, and very little of it was complimentary. Critics blasted its styling, investors briefly punished the stock, and even a former Ferrari chairman publicly argued it shouldn’t wear the badge. None of that appears to have slowed demand, if we’re to believe Ferrari. According to a new report, the Italian supercar maker has already met its first-year sales target for their first production EV just two months after launch.

More: Ferrari Boss Was Thrilled When Fans Trashed The $640K Luce

The Financial Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, reports Ferrari planned to sell “just under 500” Luce models during its first year on the market. That allocation was reportedly spoken for earlier this month despite a starting price of €550,000 (roughly $640,000 at current exchange rates) before taxes. While Ferrari has denied that it’s requiring customers to buy the Luce to remain in its good graces, there will no doubt be many who believe that played a role in this new report.

Chasing New Money, Not Old Collectors

Evidently, dealers were instructed not to pressure traditional collectors into buying the Luce, instead focusing on new customers, particularly wealthy buyers in China and from technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, where electric vehicles are already commonplace. That strategy appears to be paying off.

According to the FT, Ferrari has set a longer-term goal of roughly 2,500 Luce sales by 2030, or about 600 units per year. That would account for around 5 percent of the company’s yearly total.

Sources cited by the FT say demand has been especially strong in China, while U.S. technology entrepreneurs have also responded positively to the model. Independent luxury analyst Scott Sherwood told the publication Ferrari’s customer targeting is “on another level versus a lot of their competitors.” Yeah, it would seemingly have to be considering what we’re talking about here.

The Most Divisive Ferrari In Years

Nothing about the Luce’s launch felt particularly smooth. The premier online was glitchy. Critics and everyday folks panned it. Other automakers even got in on the fun. Social media users compared it to far less expensive mainstream crossovers, while Ferrari’s shares dropped more than 8% immediately after its unveiling. It’s probably the most divisive car since the Cybertruck debut.

Ferrari Luce ‘Tailor Made’ (Photos RM Sotheby’s)

The backlash was followed by the exit of Ferrari’s long-serving chief marketing and commercial officer, Enrico Galliera. Ferrari said his departure, and his replacement by a former BMW executive, had been decided before the Luce broke cover.

The first production-spec Luce will be auctioned during Monterey Car Week next month, where Sotheby’s reportedly expects the charity ‘Tailor Made’ car to bring more than $1.1 million. Now we just wait to see if the Luce can maintain its yearly sales goal or if it falls off a cliff like the aforementioned Tesla.

Photos: Ferrari

Ferrari’s first electric car has already divided opinion long before most customers have even seen one in person. Now the Italian automaker is turning that controversy into a fundraising opportunity by auctioning off the very first production example of the Luce.

The car, identified as “Chassis 0,” will cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Car Week sale in August. Ferrari says the sale represents a unique chance to acquire the first production chassis from the Luce program, and all proceeds will go toward educational initiatives supported by The Ferrari Foundation.

Related: Ferrari Boss Was Thrilled When Fans Trashed The $640K Luce

That charitable angle could help push bidding well beyond the car’s already substantial value. RM Sotheby’s estimates the one-off EV is worth more than $1.1 million, a significant premium over the standard Luce, which costs $640,000.

RM Sotheby’s

What buyers will get in return is a Luce that’s been curated by Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalization division. The entire concept revolves around light and the way it changes the appearance of surfaces, with a color and materials package developed specifically for this example.

The exterior wears a bespoke Madreperla Semi-Gloss finish that Ferrari says incorporates a dedicated Tailor Made pigment. Depending on lighting conditions and viewing angle, the paint is designed to produce shifting reflections that move between green and violet tones. Ferrari also claims that the complexity of the finishing process means every application develops its own character.

Metallic Leather Upholstery

Inside, the cabin continues the theme with Perla Le Mans metallic leather paired with Grigio Corvara secondary trim pieces. Ferrari says the metallic leather was developed exclusively for the Tailor Made program and was selected for both its appearance and its ability to enhance the cabin’s sense of brightness. Whatever you do, don’t eat in there.

This particular Luce also receives color-coded wheels in a conventional five-spoke design, rather than the ugly disc wheels seen in some Luce launch images, and bespoke brake calipers. And there’s a unique plaque identifying it as the first production chassis of the Luce program.

Whether you view the electric Luce as a bold step into the future or an unwelcome departure from tradition, its place in Ferrari history is already secure. And the controversy could mean that for once the biggest auction price shock at Monterey isn’t how much someone paid for a vintage V12-powered 250 GT SWB or California Spider, but how much money changed hands for a modern Ferrari with no engine at all.

RM Sotheby’s

Anyone who came of age in the ’80s is living in a different world now. Back then, nobody would have guessed that the poster cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini would one day lose to a family SUV. Technology keeps chipping away at acceleration numbers, and the latest proof comes from a stunt staged by Skoda, the value brand of the VW Group.

The automaker took its quickest production model, the Skoda Elroq vRS, and lined it up against some of the most recognizable sportscars and supercars of the ’80s for a straight-line shootout. The opposition consisted of a brown Ferrari Testarossa, an orange Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, and a burgundy Porsche 944 Turbo.

Review: The 2026 Skoda Elroq Gets The Hard Stuff Right And The Easy Stuff Wrong

Back in their heyday, these machines were the undisputed kings of the road. However, ICE nostalgia is no match for the instantaneous torque of modern EVs, and the crossover won the drag race by a wide gap, leaving the legends behind.

Watching the footage closely gives a sense of what the four cars ran at the Dunsfold track. There’s no telling how gentle the drivers were with the clutches of these coveted classics, but the finishing order reflects their real-world launch performance well enough.

More: A 9,000-Lb Camera Truck Just Gapped A Ferrari And Ford GT Like They Were Parked

The Skoda Elroq vRS crossed the line at 19.19 seconds, followed by the Ferrari at 20.08 seconds, the Lamborghini at 21.22 seconds and the Porsche at the 22.10 mark.

While this particular drag race had a clear winner, it is worth noting that all three classics would easily beat the EV on a longer stretch of road. Skoda caps the Elroq’s top speed at 111 mph (179 km/h), well under the 162 mph (261 km/h) of the Porsche, the 180 mph (290 km/h) of the Ferrari, and the 188 mph (303 km/h) of the Lamborghini.

In any case, the flagship trim of the family EV with its dual-motor AWD setup produces 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS), allowing a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.4 seconds. For comparison, the 5.2-liter V12 of the Lamborghini produced 449 hp (335 kW / 455 PS), the 4.9-liter flat-12 of the Ferrari was good for 385 hp (287 kW / 390 PS), and the turbo 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine of the Porsche made 247 hp (184 kW / 250 PS) back when they left the factory floor.

More: Skoda Peaq Debuts As Three-Row EV Flagship With 402-Mile Range

Another advantage of the Skoda Elroq vRS over the classic models is its spacious five seater cabin and the generous boot capacity of 470 lt (16.6 cubic feet), making it significantly more practical as a daily in combination with the standard Dynamic Chassis Control system. Despite its larger body, it is also significantly more aerodynamic than the wedge-shaped supercars, with a drag coefficient of 0.26 cd.

Skoda UK

Performance is one thing, but the silent electric powertrain is no match for the glorious sound of the 12-cylinder engines from the past. Furthermore, looks might be subjective, but we seriously doubt anyone would pick the Skoda over the Ferrari, the Lamborghini, or the Porsche in a beauty contest.

At the end of the day, it is fun knowing that a family SUV of today can outrun the coolest supercars of the ’80s. In fact, if you drive a Tesla Model Y Performance you can probably beat supercars from the ’00s. But which one would you rather have in your garage?

Skoda UK

Ferrari knew its first EV wouldn’t be universally loved. What it probably didn’t expect was for one of the enthusiasts it was actively trying to recruit as a customer to publicly torch the car in a response that’s now circulating online. The exchange offers a rare glimpse into the pushback Ferrari is facing as it prepares to bring the Luce to market.

According to screenshots shared online, Ferrari sales consultant Lee Perkins reached out to hypercar collector Jeffrey Cheng, better known on Instagram as @speedy_jeff. The email described the Luce as Ferrari’s vision for the future while assuring potential buyers that the driving experience remains faithful to the brand’s DNA.

More: Ferrari’s Luce May Not Have Sold Out In China After All, But Buyers There Love It Anyway

Perkins explained that Ferrari was contacting a select group of owners and EV enthusiasts interested in learning more about allocations and the ordering process. Cheng’s response was anything but encouraging. “You honestly have to be kidding me,” he wrote before saying he wouldn’t be “caught dead” in the vehicle. He went on to say he felt “almost embarrassed” for Ferrari sales consultants tasked with selling the car and described the Luce as an “abomination.”

The criticism wasn’t directed solely at the fact that the Luce is electric. Instead, Cheng focused heavily on the styling, arguing that the design feels disconnected from Ferrari’s heritage. “The Luce isn’t worthy of a Hyundai or Kia badge, let alone a Ferrari badge,” he wrote. “It’s an absolute joke on so many levels that it’s literally unfathomable a group of Italians—arguably some of the best automotive designers in the world—could approve something so completely un-Italian.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ghost (@speedy_jeff)

Cheng argued buyers could purchase top-tier EVs from Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid and still have enough money left over for a private-jet vacation. Perhaps the most telling part of the email came when Cheng suggested that the only people likely to buy the Luce are customers trying to improve their standing within Ferrari’s famously complex allocation system. He concluded by encouraging the consultant to share the email directly with Ferrari executives.

Read: Nissan Deletes Its Ferrari Luce Troll Post, Mazda Doubles Down

A lot of these talking points are things that automotive enthusiasts have said online. Ferrari can probably ignore those comments. Turning a blind eye to someone in its demographic, specifically one that it reached out to directly… that’ll be considerably harder.

Photos Ferrari, Ferrari China | H/T to The Supercarblog

Ferrari’s first electric car might have divided enthusiasts almost everywhere else, but China’s wealthy buyers don’t seem nearly as bothered. Despite the internet’s endless debate over the Luce’s strange styling and lack of a ‘real’ engine, Ferrari appears to be enjoying a warm reception in its second-biggest market, judging by a recent sales report.

Car News China wrote this week that the country’s allocation of 88 cars for this year sold out almost immediately after the Luce launched with a price of 3.988 million yuan, or around $586,600. That made for an eye-catching headline, particularly given the mixed reaction the EV has received in Europe and North America.

More: Ferrari Bet Big On Its First EV, Lamborghini’s Boss Says Its Buyers Want None Of It

But maybe the story isn’t quite that straightforward. According to a subsequent report in Beijing Business Today, Ferrari sales staff in Beijing dismissed claims that orders have been halted because the allocation is exhausted.

Instead, they say the Luce remains available to order ahead of its Beijing debut between July 3 and July 5. That suggests Ferrari either has additional cars earmarked for China or the original reports overstated how final that initial allocation really was.

Ferrari’s China Sales Slipping

China is certainly a key market for the Luce, as Ferrari sales have slipped in the country from 1,500 cars annually in 2022 to around 900 in 2025, an earlier Car News China story revealed. Some of that decline is due to steep taxes on luxury cars with combustion engines, and also the difficulty in gaining a license plate for an ICE car in large cities.

Photos Ferrari China

Because it’s an EV, the Luce gives easy access to a license plate and is also exempt from the country’s 40 percent consumption tax, the story explains. In fact, at $586,600, the Luce costs $53k less in China than it does in the USA.

Also:

But it still looks expensive compared with cheaper Chinese EVs, some of which are faster and more powerful, though the Luce is positioned as a five-seat grand tourer rather than an outright supercar. It’s also very likely to be more exclusive. Ferrari never divulges production numbers until after a car has been taken off sale at the end of the model’s lifespan, but industry watchers seem to be suggesting that Ferrari will make fewer than 1,000 (and maybe fewer than 800) Luce EVs each year.

Ferrari