This car, Lot 253, sold for $7,267,500 (€6,250,000), including buyer’s premium, at Broad Arrow Auctions’ Cernobbio, ITA, sale, on May 16, 2026.
Ferrari describes the Icona series as “a new concept that taps into a leitmotif of the most evocative cars in the company’s history to create a new segment of special limited-series cars for clients and collectors.” It continued, “The intention is to use a modern aesthetic to reinterpret a timeless style, with technologically advanced components and the highest performance possible through continuous innovation.”
Ferrari’s carefully worded announcement hinted at nostalgia without mentioning “retro.” Like rock bands and greatest-hits albums, Ferrari wanted to trade on history without looking like it was relying on the past. The first spawn of the Icona program was the 2018–20 Monza SP1 and SP2. The single-seat Monza SP1 and 2-seat Monza SP2 resurrected the topless barchetta body style of the 1950s and mounted it on a contemporary chassis and drivetrain derived from the 812 Superfast.
The Monzas used tricky aerodynamics rather than a windshield to keep cabin wind down. They did not have a top, and they were not homologated for use on U.S. roads. They did, however, go like hell, and delivered a driving experience lost since the early barchettas and classic open-top sports racers.
A tribute to the ’60s
The second Icona-class Ferrari was the Daytona SP3, produced from 2022 to ’24. The Daytona SP3 was a modern interpretation of Ferrari’s incredible 1960s prototype race cars. During that era, Ferrari prototype racing was at its peak and Ferrari’s battle with Ford was raging. Ferrari designated its prototypes with a “P,” as in 330 P. For updates, a version number was added, as in 330 P2. This naming convention is also used on the Icona SPs.
In 1967, Ford saw payback for the GT40’s Le Mans podium sweep the year prior. Ferrari opened the season at the Daytona 24-hour race with decisive 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-place finishes. The moment was captured in a famous photograph of the three cars — two 330 P4s and a 412 P — in order, passing the Daytona sign on the track wall. It is this moment that inspired the Daytona SP3.
The P cars that inspired the SP3 were pure racers, devoid of any frills and featuring only the most basic creature comforts. The SP3, on the other hand, adds comfort to the mix. Looking at the lines, there is no denying the P-car lineage of the SP3. The SP3, though, offers a more whimsical take, with gills surrounding the front grille and full-width horizontal strakes defining the rear end. Passive aero aids abound, with some designed into the carbon-composite body and others being attached appendages.
The cloth-upholstered seats of the P racers are carried through to the SP3, except the new car’s seats and dash are upholstered in Alcantara. The dash is perhaps too digital, as was the trend at the time. Electric windows, air conditioning and premium sound finish the interior in a manner expected by today’s Ferrari buyers.
Beyond the aesthetics, the SP3 is a modern supercar. Ferrari borrowed the carbon tub of the LaFerrari Aperta to produce a chassis strong enough to allow for the removal of the SP3’s targa-style roof panel. The drivetrain came from the 812 Competizione: a naturally aspirated, 6.5-liter V12, producing 830 hp, with a 9,500-rpm redline. The F1 automated transmission is a super-fast-shifting, dual-clutch 7-speed. Suspension, brakes and other mechanicals were similarly borrowed from the 812 Comp.
Only VIPs get SP3s
Icona-series cars were carefully allocated to Ferrari’s best customers. The first draw of $2,350,000 SP3 allocations went to clients who had kept their Monza SP2/3, while those who’d sold their $1.8m Monza were not allowed to order one. If the same rule holds true for the Daytona’s successor, playing this game could get very expensive.
Perhaps this is partly why our subject Daytona SP3 is only the third example to arrive at public auction. The first Daytona to sell at auction was a brand-new special build (an extra to the limited 599-car production run) donated by Ferrari itself to benefit the Ferrari Foundation’s education outreach. That SP3 sold for $26m at RM Sotheby’s 2025 Monterey auction. That sale represented a generous donation to the foundation rather than any realistic valuation of the car.
The second SP3 to sell at auction was also through RM Sotheby’s, at its Tailored for Speed sale in Zurich, CHE, last October. That auction saw a Ferrari VIP client liquidating their fabulous collection. The SP3 showed 2,933 kilometers (about 1,800 miles) and sold for $6,669,180. The SP3’s original base price, before options, was about $2.3m.
Broad Arrow Auctions gave no hint on the lineage of its SP3 or any reason why it was being sold. Someone was sure to lose their VIP status over selling it, but a few million dollars is a big motivator to risk a hand slap from Ferrari. The car showed the quivalent of just 462 miles and came with a Classiche Yellow Book and all the toys and extras from first delivery. It sold on the second bid to a surprised bidder for €6.25m (about $7.3m).
Going up
Special Ferraris of all types are red-hot right now. The few SP3s that change hands generally get quietly sold by Ferrari dealers in a consignment arrangement with their VIP clients. Ferrari strongly discourages advertising Iconas, so it is hard to track prices. American buyers like American-market examples, since converting a European version to U.S.-spec would take a long time and be expensive, if even possible. Since Ferrari made a U.S-homologated SP3, that shuts the door on special “Show and Display” importation. I am told that a few months back a U.S.-spec SP3 was worth around $7m. Since then, they’ve jumped to $10m and currently could command as much as $11m.
Today’s U.S. Ferrari market is more speculative than logical. Without a lucrative U.S. market, European pricing is lagging behind. Any number over $6m is a $3m-plus windfall to the seller. Broad Arrow’s sale may have favored the buyer, but there are no tears for the seller. It is better to leave some money on the table than lose out for being greedy.
