I have been following 2008 Teslas on Ebay and it appears that prices have stabilized. A 2008 just sold for $76,101. That is about $2000 higher than I have seen average over the last 6 months.
Tesla | eBay
Tesla | eBay
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Prices stabilizing?
- Thread starter dhrivnak
- Start date
Perhaps so, although when Model S deliveries start there might be a bunch of people looking to sell their Roadster at that time.
I know of at least some stories of people who want Model S, but decided to get a Roadster to "pass the time" while they wait.
I know of at least some stories of people who want Model S, but decided to get a Roadster to "pass the time" while they wait.
Well false alarm as it appeared a nice 2008 with hard top and 240V charger just went for $67,601. Tesla | eBay That is the second one I have seen go for less than $70K and there seems to be many around for sale on e-bay. We will see but even if it does not hold it's value, the car is still the most fun I have had sitting down.
smorgasbord
Active Member
I don't think prices (in the US) will stabilize until new Roadsters are no longer available in the US, making used the only way to get one.
I know some here think there will be a flood of Roadsters on the market when the model S reaches production, and that that will hurt prices, but I think the model S can only make prices go up:
1) Tesla is a hard sale in areas of the country where you don't have a local service center. Tesla has to solve this for the model S, but that will also help the Roadster.
2) Many view Tesla as a company that won't survive. The success of the model S will change that opinion for some.
Also, note that most of the ones being sold now are early models - the newer 2.5s are better vehicles. Early VINs, however, may be worth more as collector cars in 20 years. I wonder if any of the really early Roadsters with the two-speed transmission still have that transmission? That would make it collectible and eventually valuable, like stamps with the planes printed upside down.
I know some here think there will be a flood of Roadsters on the market when the model S reaches production, and that that will hurt prices, but I think the model S can only make prices go up:
1) Tesla is a hard sale in areas of the country where you don't have a local service center. Tesla has to solve this for the model S, but that will also help the Roadster.
2) Many view Tesla as a company that won't survive. The success of the model S will change that opinion for some.
Also, note that most of the ones being sold now are early models - the newer 2.5s are better vehicles. Early VINs, however, may be worth more as collector cars in 20 years. I wonder if any of the really early Roadsters with the two-speed transmission still have that transmission? That would make it collectible and eventually valuable, like stamps with the planes printed upside down.
Yeah. At first I recall them mentioning that the upgrade to 1.5 would be optional (to skip for those that don't care about 0-60 acceleration), but then I think they got a little insistent about making sure everyone upgraded. Perhaps the reliability of 1.5 was better than the old one (even locked in 2nd gear), so they wanted to make sure everyone got "fixed"? Or perhaps they didn't want there to be any slow Roadsters out there. It did take a while to get everyone upgraded. Still, I wonder if there might be a car or two out there that never did get upgraded.
I wonder too. Besides Tesla cleaning house of any "collector cars" that had in storage for the much needed cash, last year Tesla also started contacting owners who had fallen off the radar (so to speak). Cars that had languished in collector's garages were picked up up by Tesla and driven for a few weeks by employees to give the batteries a workout. I would think they shook out any remaining spiderwebs during that process.
Resurrecting this old thread. Anyone have any data on if prices for roadsters has started rising lately? any opinions as to collectibility of the car now?
I feel pretty confident that the car will be desirable... there won't be more of them and it will always be seen as the first real viable, long-range EV and with great performance as well.
Just not sure when we'll see that in the resale prices.
I feel pretty confident that the car will be desirable... there won't be more of them and it will always be seen as the first real viable, long-range EV and with great performance as well.
Just not sure when we'll see that in the resale prices.
smorgasbord
Active Member
Well, I was wrong about Model S sales depressing Roadster prices, but they seem to have crept back up. Right now I think we're in a period of low demand and low supply. If you're a patient seller you might get a price from a buyer who wants something specific (version, color, sport, etc.)
But, going back to the original post, which had a 2008 selling for $76K - I don't think many v1.5s are going for that much right now unless they're fully optioned out.
As for future prices, I do agree Roadster is going to be a collector's car. The EV that started it all - the first practical long-range EV (and fast!). But as any collectible car nut can tell you, prices will oscillate greatly over time. There are lots of cars considered desirable today that you could have bought or a song 10-15 years ago.
If Tesla comes out with a new Roadster, that may depress prices - depending on what it is. If Elon's "something special" later this year truly is special, it may increase demand. Long-term it may come down to battery replacement availability. A 25 year old Roadster will almost definitely need a new battery pack. But, for collectible cars, original, untouched cars fetch the big dollars. With EVs, the collectible market may change. Yet, some of the Founder's series cars that may be locked away in storage bubbles (and plugged in in storage mode!) may be worth big bucks down the road. Then again, maybe not.
The best advice is to buy the car that you love. Take care of it, but enjoy it. If you're looking for a pure investment vehicle, there are better ways to earn money. But the car you love and if it appreciates in value, that's just icing.
But, going back to the original post, which had a 2008 selling for $76K - I don't think many v1.5s are going for that much right now unless they're fully optioned out.
As for future prices, I do agree Roadster is going to be a collector's car. The EV that started it all - the first practical long-range EV (and fast!). But as any collectible car nut can tell you, prices will oscillate greatly over time. There are lots of cars considered desirable today that you could have bought or a song 10-15 years ago.
If Tesla comes out with a new Roadster, that may depress prices - depending on what it is. If Elon's "something special" later this year truly is special, it may increase demand. Long-term it may come down to battery replacement availability. A 25 year old Roadster will almost definitely need a new battery pack. But, for collectible cars, original, untouched cars fetch the big dollars. With EVs, the collectible market may change. Yet, some of the Founder's series cars that may be locked away in storage bubbles (and plugged in in storage mode!) may be worth big bucks down the road. Then again, maybe not.
The best advice is to buy the car that you love. Take care of it, but enjoy it. If you're looking for a pure investment vehicle, there are better ways to earn money. But the car you love and if it appreciates in value, that's just icing.
Trying to predict which cars will be a "collectible" is a fools game. There is no way to predict the future with any accuracy.
Never buy a car as an "investment". The odds are against you. Buy a car because you like it, drive it, enjoy it, and if it appreciates consider yourself fortunate.
Never buy a car as an "investment". The odds are against you. Buy a car because you like it, drive it, enjoy it, and if it appreciates consider yourself fortunate.
Personally, I think the Roadster 2.5 is the only version that has the most potential of rising with time. I say that only because some of the earlier models had some Gremlins.
But as others have noted, yeah, buying any car thinking the price may rise is not a good strategy. If you love the car and want to drive it, buy it.
geosynch
wiztecy
Active Member
What gremlins? The PEM on the 1.5 are built like tanks and don't clog like the 2.x's, also the 2.5 is the same as the 2.0 except for the front nose and rear diffuser. The early Roadsters will be the one's that will be worth more for collectors, VPs, Sigs, etc... which are all 1.5's. As for 2.x's it would be the sports that hold value.
For me, it was the lack of a 12V battery on the early cars. I can't recall if it was added with the 2.0...? I've heard of other issues, but this is the one that stood out in my mind that I cared about, so, its the only one I remember without doing research. If I was in the market for a new car, a used Roadster would be on my list, but it'd be a 2.0 or 2.5. (driving a converted Miata and a BMW i3)
geosynch
as to early/later Roadster pricing, I think it's about time horizon and how early are we talking about.
near term, I suspect the plusses of the cars produced later (more comfortable as I understand it, and perhaps less gremlins) will always carry come weight, but that will be less so as time passes, and the cars are presumably valued more in terms of collectibility than usage. so it will be more about the "specialness" of the car with time, and being a low VIN car is one of the traits some will perceive to have "specialness." just how low a VIN is likely to make how much of a difference I wonder about... clearly the first handful of Roadsters will have this low VIN added value, and likely to some extent the Signatures... but what about Roadster #110 vs. Signature 90, or Roadster #120 vs. #320? 1.5 vs. 2.0 or 2.5? I do realize these are areas of speculation... but I am curious what other people speculate about these questions
near term, I suspect the plusses of the cars produced later (more comfortable as I understand it, and perhaps less gremlins) will always carry come weight, but that will be less so as time passes, and the cars are presumably valued more in terms of collectibility than usage. so it will be more about the "specialness" of the car with time, and being a low VIN car is one of the traits some will perceive to have "specialness." just how low a VIN is likely to make how much of a difference I wonder about... clearly the first handful of Roadsters will have this low VIN added value, and likely to some extent the Signatures... but what about Roadster #110 vs. Signature 90, or Roadster #120 vs. #320? 1.5 vs. 2.0 or 2.5? I do realize these are areas of speculation... but I am curious what other people speculate about these questions
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