Can we interest you in two battery-operated Teslas for the price of one? Don’t get too excited – only one of them is a full-size, street-legal vehicle. The other one is a radio-controlled scale-model toy. Featured on AutoHunter are a 2008 Tesla Roadster – and a smaller version thereof – listed by a dealer in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The auction will end on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. (MST).
The Tesla Roadster was a groundbreaking innovation for its time. EV technology dates back many decades (remember, we recently featured a throwback to when Motor Trend called 1969 the “Year of the Electrics”). But advancements in the electric arena really started to pick up speed in the last 15 or so years, and one of the cars that helped pave the way was the Roadster. To be fair, the Roadster wasn’t a ground-up invention. Tesla borrowed most of the car’s body and chassis architecture from the Lotus Elise.
The Roadster changed perceptions a bit because it was able to achieve sports car performance (and with sports car looks) while leveraging electric power. Up until that point, a lot of electric cars (especially “conversion-style” prototypes) were unsightly, to say the least. Exterior features of this 14,487-mile Roadster include a color-matched removable top, a front-hinged hood, LED taillights, and staggered 16-/17-inch aluminum wheels. The cozy two-seat interior has been trimmed in tan leather; it comes equipped with a center console, air conditioning, cruise control, and an aftermarket JVC stereo.
But how’s the range? Momentum comes from a four-pole 185-kW AC induction electric motor paired with a direct-drive single-speed transmission. When the car was originally manufactured, a 53-kWh lithium-ion battery pack gave it around a 244-mile range. This car has since been upgraded with a “second generation” 3.0 R80 battery, giving it a 40-percent increase over the original battery’s capacity and an estimated range of 340 miles.
As we mentioned, the Roadster comes with added goodies, including two chargers, a tool kit, a car cover, and even a scale-model, radio-controlled car. Incidentally, to my knowledge it’s the second time a Tesla Roadster has been listed on AutoHunter; another one was featured in October 2024. In your opinion, is it a current or future collectible? Keep an eye on the auction and let’s find out what happens when the auction for this 2008 Tesla Roadster ends on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. (MST).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
