Ferrari’s one-off “Tailor Made” Daytona SP3 sold for $26 million at RM Sotheby’s this August, as the Monterey Car Week, held from August 8 to 17, concluded—setting the all-time record for a new Ferrari at auction.
A new owner gets his dream vehicle, and charity gets the money. A win for society.
Ferrari built this car as “599+1”, an extra example beyond the original 599-car run of the Daytona SP3—all 599 regular cars were spoken for by top Ferrari clients, a list that includes Charles Leclerc and Sir Lewis Hamilton, both of whom drive for the Italian car brand in Formula1.
It was created specifically to raise money for The Ferrari Foundation, which funds education projects worldwide (including a recent rebuild effort for a California school damaged by wildfire).
The bidding went wild. The auction opened at $5 million, jumped to $10 million almost instantly, and kept climbing in huge steps until the hammer fell at $26 million, a price putting it among the most valuable cars ever sold at an auction.
Far above talks of the quoted “more than $3.5 million” before the sale, even auctioneer Sholto Gilbertson expressed his surprise at the final sale price.
The spec is another factor that has heads turning.
Outside, the car wears a two-tone look: exposed carbon fibre paired with Giallo Modena yellow, split down the middle by a full-length “FERRARI” wordmark—something you’ve never seen on a Ferrari road car before.
Inside, it mixes black with yellow accents and uses Q-Cycle, a fabric made from recycled tyre material.
Yellow seatbelts and stitched prancing horses finish the cabin. Ferrari also used special carbon fibre for key parts like the steering column and dash, similar to the material used on its current F1 car.
Under the yellow and black skin, nothing changes—credit to Ferrari for making it the same as the 599 before it, with no upgrading or downgrading tweaks.
The mid-mounted 6.5-litre V12 makes 829 hp and pairs with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Ferrari quotes 0–62 mph in about 2.85 seconds, 0–124 mph in 7.4 seconds, and a 211-mph top speed.
Many enthusiasts see the SP3 as likely the last mid-engined, non-hybrid V12 Ferrari, which further adds to the car’s pull with collectors.
It should be noted that the Daytona SP3 launched in late 2021 as part of Ferrari’s Icona series, a line that nods to the brand’s 1960s sports-prototype legends.
This final “Tailor Made” example—599+1—wrapped that story with a record, a good cause, and a clear message: when a dream car also does real-world good, people will pay up.
How much would you be willing to pay for your dream car, knowing every cent was going to charity?
