The Original Tesla Roadster May Be Old But It Isn’t Cheap

While Tesla deserves all the criticism it gets about the delayed launch of the second-generation Roadster, it’s impossible to deny that the original Roadster was a very important car for the brand and helped contribute to the current fascination with EVs.

The first-gen Tesla Roadster was based around the Lotus Elise and this particular example is looking for a new home. It is located in Manhattan Beach, California, and has only ever been driven 11,589 miles (18,650 km). It is being sold with a window sticker, manufacturer’s literature, a clean Carfax report, a tool kit, service records, two sets of keys, and a clean California title.

Adorning the exterior of the car is Radiant Red metallic paint that’s nicely complemented by a set of forged 16-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels wrapped in 175/55 and 225/45 Yokohama Advan Neova AD07 tires. Silver brake calipers are also featured.

Found in the cabin of the electric sports car are bucket seats clad in black leather with beige leather inserts. The black and beige leather continues across the door panels and while the cabin is void of the massive touchscreens of all current Tesla vehicles, it does include an Alpine system with navigation. Cruise control and air conditioning are also featured.

Powering the car is a rear-mounted electric motor that produces 288 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque when it was new.

Given that the Tesla Roadster was the automaker’s first production car, it comes as no surprise that it was expensive by modern EV standards. In fact, the window sticker reveals this example had an MSRP of $131,745, a figure that included approximately $20,000 in options.