Official Ferrari image. It depicts the one-off Tailor Made car associated with the 2025 charity auction, not the production car sold in 2026.

A 2023 Ferrari Daytona SP3 sold for $17.825 million at RM Sotheby’s Monterey in August 2026. The result includes the buyer’s premium and sits above the auction house’s $10 million–$12 million estimate. The car had travelled only 227 miles, about 365 kilometres, when it was catalogued, and was offered from The Driver’s Philosophy Collection.

The figure should not be confused with Ferrari’s separate $26 million Daytona SP3 sale in 2025. That earlier car was a one-off Tailor Made example built in addition to the original 599-car series. Ferrari said the proceeds from that sale went to The Ferrari Foundation. The 2026 Monterey lot was a production example, so the two auction results describe different cars and different circumstances.

Details of the Monterey lot

RM Sotheby’s listed chassis number ZFF05UMA0P0297567 and a US title. The car had two owners and came with its original manuals, tools and a copy of the window sticker. The mileage, ownership chain and supporting documents formed part of the lot description and help explain why the sale cannot be treated as a universal Daytona SP3 price.

The specification was also unusually detailed. The exterior used Giallo Triplo Strato paint with Nero racing stripes and an Italian flag motif. The Nero cabin received yellow accents. The catalogue listed a carbon-fibre roof panel, carbon-fibre lower bodywork, airbrushed Scuderia shields, matte black wheels and glossy brake callipers. A suspension lifter was among the listed equipment.

At $17.825 million, this is a documented auction outcome, not a Ferrari retail price. Low mileage, configuration, provenance, location and the bidders present can all move a collector-car result. A different Daytona SP3 with a different history might not attract the same number, even if its mechanical specification is identical.

The engineering behind the model

Ferrari launched the Daytona SP3 in 2021 as the third member of its Icona series, after the Monza SP1 and SP2. The name recalls Ferrari’s 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. The styling draws from Ferrari’s mid-engined prototypes of the 1960s, including the wraparound windscreen, pronounced wheel arches, wing-mounted mirrors and slatted rear bodywork.

The Daytona SP3 relies on passive aerodynamic work instead of active aerodynamic devices. RM Sotheby’s description highlights “chimneys” that extract low-pressure air from the underbody. A removable hardtop sits above the mid-engined cockpit. The combination gives the car a distinctive roof and body treatment without turning it into a conventional convertible.

Power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 from Ferrari’s F140 engine family. Ferrari’s official material quotes 840 cv, a 0–100 km/h time of 2.85 seconds and 0–200 km/h in 7.4 seconds. The engine drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. RM Sotheby’s catalogue gives the same car’s output as 829 horsepower, reflecting different power-reporting conventions in the two sources.

The original production plan was limited to 599 cars. Scarcity is only one part of the explanation for the auction interest: the V12, the Icona positioning, the prototype-inspired design and the factory personalisation also matter. None of those factors guarantees that every future resale will be a record.

Why the $26 million sale was different

Ferrari and RM Sotheby’s sold a one-off 2025 Tailor Made Daytona SP3 in 2025. Ferrari described it as an additional example beyond the original 599-unit run. It featured exposed carbon fibre, Giallo Modena detailing and what Ferrari described as the first full-length Ferrari logo applied across the body. The interior used Q-Cycle, a material made with recycled tyre content, plus yellow seatbelts and embroidered Prancing Horse logos.

The car reached $26 million in a charity auction. Ferrari said the proceeds would benefit The Ferrari Foundation, a US public charity that supports education programmes and community projects. This makes the result an important record for a unique charity lot, but it is not a direct price guide for a standard production Daytona SP3.

The Monterey 2026 sale gives a different reference point. It involves a normal production car, although one with exceptionally low mileage and a documented, highly personalised specification. Its $10 million–$12 million estimate and $17.825 million final result show how a major auction can exceed expectations without establishing an average market price.

What the auction result actually proves

Collector-car headlines can hide whether a figure includes fees, whether the vehicle was unique or whether the sale had a charitable purpose. Those details are decisive here. The 2026 car had a chassis number, 227 miles and a known two-owner history. The 2025 car was a special Tailor Made build created outside the regular production count.

For anyone assessing a Daytona SP3, service records, title history, mileage, factory options and ownership documentation matter alongside the engine and performance figures. The careful conclusion is therefore limited: RM Sotheby’s sold a production Ferrari Daytona SP3 for $17.825 million including the buyer’s premium at Monterey in 2026, while a separate one-off Tailor Made car reached $26 million in a 2025 charity auction.

Sources

Image: Ferrari official press material. The photograph is illustrative and does not show the 2026 RM Sotheby’s lot.