Untouched Tesla Roadsters Go Up For Auction After More Than A Decade In Shipping Containers – SlashGear

Gruber’s auction page mentions that the three Roadsters eating dust in China also come with unopened boxes in their trunks most likely containing the charging gear, and another large package that might host the hard top part. The trio of EVs are expected to arrive on U.S. soil at some point in May, assuming they’re not sold in China before that. As well, Gruber reports that the seller is willing to fly to China if they find any prospective buyers there.

While the first-gen Roadster was not a bad-looking car by any stretch of the imagination, the bigger concern is whether the battery packs have any juice left in them. The auction page also warns what they “do not yet know is if the ESS pack Service Plugs were pulled before shipment.” Either way, the seller is already accepting bids via Gruber, but it is unclear how far up the bidding wars will go compared to the starting price of around $100,000 for the base model Roadster over a decade ago.

The sports car touted a range of around 245 miles on a single charge and went from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds, locking horns with gasoline-powered sports cars in its era. In 2023, Tesla is preparing to ship the second-gen Roadster, a four-seat electrified sports car that goes from zero to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, commands a top speed of over 250 mph, and claims an unprecedented range of over 600 miles.