(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – It is a sum that even in the exclusive world of luxury auctions causes gasps for breath: a full 40 million US dollars was put on the table by US billionaire Herbie Wertheim to secure the very first Ferrari Luce in Monterey. With this incredible highest bid, the investor casually shatters a world record and makes Maranello’s hotly debated electric car the most expensive new car ever to go under the hammer.
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The vehicle is a one-off as a showcase for Ferrari’s electric future. But it is the buyer and the sum called that elevate this sale into collector folklore. For connoisseurs of Ferrari history, this moment marks the point at which a single car from the zero series, built even before the first customer vehicles, became its own chapter in the mythology of Maranello.
Chassis 0 and the record sale
The Luce is Ferrari’s first battery-electric model, and Chassis 0 is the first production chassis of the program, executed as a one-off by Ferrari’s Tailor-Made team and the design center. It was auctioned during the Monterey Car Week at an RM Sotheby’s auction; the entire proceeds are intended for educational projects through the Ferrari Foundation.
Ferrari had already presented the Luce as a stylistically independent, powerful electric car, but Chassis 0 stands outside the regular order program as a halo model with custom materials and details for one of the brand’s most important customers. Earlier this year, Ferrari also confirmed the broader Luce range and announced technical data, price expectations, and the schedule for the Luce’s premiere to emphasize that it is not just a design study.
The winning bid exceeded Ferrari’s internal expectations and surpassed the previous record for a new car sold at auction. This also exceeded the amount achieved in 2025 with a one-off Daytona SP3 for charitable purposes. Since the production slots for the Luce EV are effectively sold out even before most people could see the model in reality, this first chassis appeared to bidders as a unique opportunity for maximum prestige.
Who is Herbie Wertheim?
Herbert “Herbie” Wertheim (born 1939) is a billionaire investor and philanthropist, known for early investments in companies like Apple and Microsoft. Wikipedia states: “In 1970, he founded the company Brain Power, which produces tints for eyeglass lenses and optical devices for opticians and ophthalmologists. Wertheim filed over one hundred patents for his inventions.” His fortune in the 2020s was estimated at around 4.9 billion US dollars. By the way, he is not related to the German department store family Wertheim.
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For years, Herbie has supported universities and medical research, which is why a charity-oriented Ferrari auction fits well with his pattern of combining passion purchases with donation commitment. Wertheim is said to have already bid on charity cars at the Monterey Car Week in previous years. Especially since donations can also be tax-deductible in the USA…
One-offs and first Ferrari chassis today move in their own market class. Historic models like the 250 GTO, built only 39 times, play in a different league anyway, as is shown every time a rare 250 GTO comes up for auction. Chassis 0 adds a modern dimension to this: it is both the first example from Ferrari’s EV era and a custom Tailor-Made object that collectors consider a future reference vehicle.
Putting this sale in relation to other significant Ferrari auctions in Monterey – from the 288 GTO, which was offered together with Luce-related lots, to a rare Ferrari 250 GT from 1958 – the pattern becomes clear. Especially the very first or very last examples, which represent a turning point in brand history, attract buyers who do not just want a fast car for Sunday drives but a piece of Ferrari history. But rare vehicles up to one-offs also achieve very high prices.
Photo series: The first production model of the Ferrari Luce is insanely expensive
The sale shows how collectors now value the transition to electromobility: origin, classification, and the status as the first chassis apparently have the same appeal in the electric age as they once did with classic Ferraris. Whether this becomes a new benchmark for electric halo models or remains a spectacular one-off will be shown by the market.
More about the Ferrari Luce:
Ferrari Luce: Production for 2026 allegedly already sold out
Ferrari Luce (2026): At least nice inside?
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Source: supercarsfor.sale (Instagram) via TheSupercarBlog
