Early Teslas are starting to cross the line from “used tech” into legitimate collector territory, and this 2008 Tesla Roadster listed on eBay sits right at the center of that shift. With just 600 original miles and one-owner history, this example is being described as the lowest-mile original Tesla Roadster in existence, making it about as close to a modern-day barn find as an electric car can get.

The first-generation Tesla Roadster is an important piece of automotive history. It wasn’t just Tesla’s first production car—it was the vehicle that proved an all-electric sports car could be fast, usable, and desirable. Built on a lightweight two-seat convertible platform and driving the rear wheels, the Roadster changed the conversation around EVs long before they became mainstream.

According to the seller, this Roadster spent many years in storage before being recommissioned in 2025 by Gruber Motors, a well-known specialist in early Tesla service. That work reportedly included new tires, a battery update, and additional service to return the car to proper running condition after long-term storage. The seller even refers to it as a “barn/warehouse find,” which is a fair description given how rarely these cars surface with mileage this low.

This example remains largely untouched, retaining its original configuration and showing just 600 miles since new. It’s a clean-title, left-hand-drive car with an automatic transmission, electric drivetrain, and rear-wheel drive. The interior is listed as gray, and features include air conditioning, leather sport seats, power windows, and electric mirrors—features that were considered high-tech at the time but now help highlight how far ahead Tesla was in 2008.

The Roadster was never produced in large numbers, and attrition has already thinned the herd. Most examples on the market today show significant mileage, battery upgrades, or modifications. Finding one with this level of originality and documented service history is becoming increasingly uncommon, especially as early Tesla interest grows and speculation continues around the release of a future-generation Roadster.

While the seller openly frames this as a collector car and investment-grade example, the significance goes beyond value trends. This is a snapshot of Tesla at the very beginning—a car that helped launch an entire company and reshape the auto industry.

As EVs continue to evolve at a rapid pace, untouched early examples like this one may end up being the most historically important of all. Would you preserve a 600-mile Tesla Roadster exactly as it sits, or is it meant to be driven—even if only sparingly—after all these years?