- Ferrari’s EV gamble could reveal how far collectors will go to stay inside Maranello’s inner circle.
- The Luce could be Ferrari’s hardest sell yet: electric, four-door, visually divisive and likely exposed to heavy depreciation.
- Ferrari officially frames allocation in terms of loyalty and long-term relationships, not simply as “buy this car to get that one.”
Ferrari is reportedly using its first electric vehicle, the controversial Luce, as a loyalty test for its wealthy customers. The Italian manufacturer has long rewarded buyers who keep purchasing regular production cars—mainly softer GTs and four-seat models like the California, FF, GTC4Lusso and Portofino—and who build a long-term relationship with the company, earning access to limited-run cars.
These regular production models are often hit with heavy depreciation the minute they leave the showroom, and the $640,000 Luce will likely not be an exception. It’s not out of the question that it becomes the quickest-depreciating Ferrari in the current lineup, since it’s its first EV and has stirred controversy with the way it looks, so it makes sense that Ferrari will apply the usual tactic to start moving these cars.
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Source: Ferrari
Reuters compares Ferrari’s allocation system for more exclusive models to an impossible-to-book fancy restaurant. The more often you show up, the more important you become to that establishment, and the more access you gain.
The Luce will likely be Ferrari’s hardest sell yet. It’s an unusual-looking four-door electric vehicle that breaks with pretty much everything traditionally associated with the brand. This will truly be a test for brand loyalists, although it’s too early to tell how well it will do. The internet’s mostly negative reaction should not be taken as a clear indication that it will be unsuccessful.
Ferrari employs a scarcity strategy to try to maintain the value of its cars. It builds fewer than 14,000 vehicles per year, making its limited availability part of its appeal. It has mostly worked out so far, but it’s never had anything as divisive as the Luce in its lineup.
However, there are countless Ferrari models that got a negative reception when they came out but still eventually became appreciated classics sought after by collectors. Reuters mentions the Mondial four-seater as an example, but there are countless others, even more recent cars, and the Luce is unique enough that it might break the mould.
Nobody outside Ferrari has driven a Luce yet, and the way it goes down the road is expected to be one of its redeeming characteristics. With a quad-motor setup producing over 1,000 horsepower and a chassis tuned by some of the best sports car engineers in the world, the Luce might change some minds once the first driving impressions are in.
Ferrari hasn’t commented on the Luce directly, but its official position on the matter is not “buy this car to get access to that car.” It frames this as a long-term relationship with the customer and officially says limited production and waiting lists are part of the brand’s appeal. In a 2024 filing, Ferrari admitted it practiced a “deliberate allocation strategy.”
The company knows its customers well, many of them personally. The same official report noted that 81% of its new car sales went to existing clients, while 48% went to collectors who owned more than one Ferrari. This was meant as proof of demand, exclusivity, and continued buyer loyalty. Still, Ferrari will always officially stop short of admitting customers must buy less desirable cars to unlock better allocations.