The LAST original Tesla Roadster up for sale – for £1.2 million

The very last of the original Tesla Roadsters – the electric ‘Lotus’ – is up for sale, with the seller asking a not inconsiderable £1.2 million for a piece of Tesla history.

The original Tesla Roadster – an electrified Lotus – didn’t have the easiest of rides, especially from Top Gear, but whatever you may think of the original Roadster it is responsible for the transformation of the company from a quirky startup to a quirky industry giant – at least in terms of value.

Just 2,500 of the original Tesla Roadsters were built, and with prices pushing on £100k when new it’s no real surprise that Tesla only managed to shift 2,500.

But prices for used Roadsters remain strong, perhaps because of their rarity or their place in EV history, and you’ll still need to find around £80k to get in to a decent used one. 

That may seem a lot of money for a decade-old electric car with now ancient technology, but you can spend an awful lot more at the moment for a Roadster.

A Swiss dealer has the very last Tesla Roadster built – number 2,500 – which has been stored in ideal conditions, sat on foam pads resting on a marble floor for the wheels and with regular charging to keep its batteries conditioned. And it’s never been registered and has done just 124 miles.

But if you want the special, very last, Roadster, complete with its black and white leather interior, custom white paint job and battery signed by the Tesla team at the time, you’re going to have to find £1,200,000. Or the price of 15 other Tesla Roadsters, and 50 per cent more than the ambitious owner of a prototype Tesla Roadster wanted for his car.

Which, even for a bit of automotive history, does seem just a bit steep.