Adapted by:
Rubén Andrés
Writer
Alba Mora
WriterBrand names such as Bugatti, Ferrari, and Pagani often top the lists of the world’s most expensive cars. However, one vehicle’s cost far surpasses the price of luxury cars, selling for $51.7 million, according to Forbes.
Despite the luxury, engineering marvels, and premium leather of today’s supercars, none of them can compete with a car made in 1971. Notably, it isn’t available at auctions and can’t be driven on Earth.
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was the first electric convertible SUV. Only astronauts have had the privilege of driving it, and its test track is the surface of the Moon.
The Most Exclusive Car Came With No Luxuries
The LRV wasn’t a luxury item for millionaires. It was specifically designed to operate in an extremely hostile environment with no air, no roads, and significantly lower gravity than Earth. The most expensive car in history was a lunar rover that revolutionized space exploration. Its price elevated it to a level that makes it unattainable for any other vehicle.
NASA developed the vehicle, while Boeing and Delco Electronics manufactured it. The LRV was used during the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions. Only four units were built. Only three of them made it to the Moon, and the fourth was kept for spare parts.
This seemingly simple vehicle was a remarkable feat of engineering for its time. It featured four-wheel drive, with each wheel powered by its own independent engine. By 1971, it used drive technology similar to what some luxury electric cars use today.
Unlike high-performance cars such as Bugatti and McLaren, the LRV had a maximum speed of 8 mph, although it could reach 11 mph. The speed was limited for safety reasons. Being 239,000 miles from the nearest garage warranted extra caution.
The speed restriction was only lifted in 1972 when NASA astronaut Gene Cernan reached 11.18 mph during the Apollo 17 mission, setting a lunar speed record.
The LRV didn’t have a conventional steering wheel. Instead, it was controlled using a joystick to manage direction and speed. Two 36-volt non-rechargeable batteries powered it and could travel up to 55 miles, which was enough for the Apollo missions.
The LRV measured 10.2 feet long and 44 inches high and weighed just 460 pounds when empty. Despite its lightweight design, it was capable of carrying twice its weight and accommodated two astronauts, their suits, and scientific equipment.
Among its technological innovations, the LRV featured front and rear cameras, a navigation gyroscope, and a television camera that could be remotely controlled from Houston. The vehicle enabled the Apollo 15 astronauts to explore 17.3 miles of the lunar surface, significantly broadening the scope of scientific research.
The Most Expensive Car Ever Built
The development and construction of the LRV involved a massive investment. In 1971, it cost $38 million. Adjusted for inflation, this is roughly about $281 million today.
To put this into perspective, the Moon buggy cost almost three times the $100 million spent on developing the Bugatti La Voiture Noire. The Bugatti car ultimately sold at auction for $16.3 million, far eclipsing any other known supercar.
The three LRV units that reached the Moon during the Apollo missions have remained there since the 1970s. NASA didn’t plan for their return due to the extra weight they would add to the lunar module during liftoff.
As such, these vehicles, each currently valued at nearly $300 million, continue to sit parked on the lunar surface, representing unique pieces of engineering and space exploration history.
Images | NASA/Dave Scott | NASA LRV Stowage | Alexander Migl
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