Conventional wisdom tells us that cars depreciate in value, and that even “sure bet” collector cars have been known to lose money for investors. We recently told you about the oldest-known Ford Model A, which sold in 2007 for $693,000, but hammered at just $264,000 when resold last month.

We’re sure the former owner believed the car would only go up in value, but the market felt otherwise. The same holds true for more contemporary cars as well; while a low production number can enhance a car’s value, it can be many years before a car is worth significantly more than the original sticker price.

Pagani’s Huayra is already limited in production, and built to be equal parts fine art and mechanical masterpiece. At a starting price of around 1,000,000 euros ($1.3 million), it’s not for the faint of wallet, but the fact is that it’s still a production car. Under normal circumstances, used copies can be expected to sell for less than new copies.

That’s why we’re surprised to see a Pagani Huayra, rumored to be serial number 1, for sale at a German luxury dealership at a price of 2,000,000 euros ($2.6 million). Factor in the required VAT, and the price jumps to 2.38 million euros, or $3,095,400.

While it’s possible that the Huayra may appreciate in value (especially the first one produced) we find the asking price to be a bit ambitious. Sure, low serial number cars sell at charity auctions for staggering sums all the time, but the prices paid are generally tax-deductible for the buyers. That’s not the case with this particular Huayra.

We suppose that the promise of immediate delivery could appeal to some, though we’d bet that used Huayras can be had for less than double the asking price of a new model. What’s your take on the car: will it be a future collectible, guaranteed to turn a profit, or is it just an optimistically-priced used supercar?

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