$7 million LaFerrari becomes the century's most expensive car sold at auction

Ferrari LaFerrari

Ferrari's liveries and decorations have often shown a patriotic streak, but this year the supercar marque has expressed its love for Italy in a more material way by donating a one-of-a-kind LaFerrari to the cause of raising money to help rebuild the parts of Central Italy affected by a series of earthquakes.

Auctioned off on Saturday for a cool $7 million, this car becomes "the most valuable 21st century automobile ever sold at auction." All proceeds from the sale go to benefit earthquake recovery efforts in Italy, under the auspices of the National Italian American Foundation’s Earthquake Relief Fund. The auctioneers, RM Sotheby's, also donated their expertise, though there's obvious cachet and prestige to be gained from being in charge of such an event.

The good cause seems to have spurred car collectors to open their wallets that extra bit wider, pushing the price up to nearly five times the original LaFerrari's $1.5 million. Then again, with only 499 units in existence before this special last one, LaFerraris were already hitting $5 million at auction earlier this summer, marking them out as extremely desirable by their sheer exclusivity. To make this latest 949-horsepower hybrid more alluring and thematically proper, Ferrari painted it a classic red with a white "dream line" on the hood and rear windshield, plus an Italian flag painted at the front.

Though there's always a chance of a private buyer speccing out, say, a Bugatti Chiron to ridiculous levels of excess, there are no production vehicles anywhere close to the $7 million price paid for this LaFerrari. With its designation as a special edition, it's an especially exclusive example of a limited-edition car, and should it ever be sold again, odds are good that the price will be even higher.