Untouched Tesla Roadsters up for sale after sitting in a crate in China for the last 13 years
Pristine 2010 Tesla Roadsters go up for sale after sitting in a shipping crate in China for the past 13 years
- Three unused Teslas are for sale after being abandoned for 13 years
- The Sport editions of the car sold for around £102,644 on release in 2010
- The last bid on their auction page was £600.00 for all three Tesla Roadsters
If Elon Musk built a time machine, this could just be the result.
Three untouched 2010 Tesla Roadsters have been put up for sale after sitting in an abandoned shipping crate for the past 13 years.
The sought-after Sport Models – in ‘near mint condition’ – were reportedly never picked up by their buyer after being delivered to a Chinese port.
Now Arizona-based Tesla Roadster broker Gruber Motor Company has put them up for sale, with £600,000 ($750,000) as the final offer for all three.
The company explained: “Every Roadster for sale has a story and we encourage sellers to share it. This one is going to blow your mind.
In the photo: three unused Teslas are for sale after being abandoned for 13 years
So, what if you could go back in time, Tesla days, and buy a brand new Roadster from Tesla? Would you do it?
“Here’s your chance, since a time capsule just opened, and here’s the interesting story: In 2010, a customer in China bought three brand new US spec LHD Roadsters from Tesla.
“They were shipped to a dock in China, but were abandoned by the buyer.
‘They have been in sea containers since 2010, in a port, untouched, with storage costs. Storage costs are paid by the seller.’
The three cars are listed as a ‘Radiant Red’ Sport Roadster and two ‘Very Orange’ Sport Roadsters.
The Sport editions of the car sold for around $128,500 (£102,644) when released in 2010.
Gruber says they have not been able to personally check the engines and will ship them to the US “mid-May”.
At this point, they don’t even know if the cars will start, as their battery packs have been inactive for thirteen years.
The Sport editions of the car sold for around £102,644 on release in 2010
The cars were discovered in a transport box and are now up for auction on Gruber
The ‘almost perfect’ Sport Models were apparently delivered to a Chinese port and left there
The last bid shown on their auction page was £600.00 for all three Tesla Roadsters
They add: ‘What we don’t know yet is whether the ESS packages had their service plugs pulled out before shipment, and more intriguingly, if so, is there still life in the packages after 13 years of storage. We won’t know until they’re recovered and set on fire.
“We also don’t know how many kilometers were on the odometer for testing/delivery of new Roadsters.
“As soon as, or if, the Roadsters come back to the US, they will be shipped to Gruber Motors for a full technical review.”
Each Roadster has unopened boxes in the trunk, presumably brand new charging cables, and a large box outside the car believed to be a hardtop with carrying case.
Says Gruber, “Due to the bizarre nature of this set of brand new Roadsters and its collectible status, this owner is only accepting bids at this time and trying to sell them as a set, but would be happy to split them up.”