Signature 100 Tesla Roadster — VIN 99, Custom Green, Elon Musk Backstory
This
Signature 100 Tesla Roadster is being offered by its second owner and is boldly priced at
$200,000. While the current Roadster market has softened, the seller understands that cars with this level of provenance, rarity, and early Tesla history are once-in-a-generation finds.
As Roadsters continue their rise as modern EV classics, this
Signature 100 edition stands apart because of its remarkable backstory, custom color, and connection to Tesla’s earliest sales and service history. This is
VIN 99, one of the exclusive early Signature 100 Tesla Roadsters.
This Roadster came to Gruber Motor Company in the summer of 2020 with an ESS battery pack issue. The vehicle arrived bricked, and the ESS issue was resolved through internal sheet repairs and modifications.
Vehicle Highlights
- Signature 100 Tesla Roadster
- VIN 99
- Offered by the second owner
- Asking price: $200,000
- One-of custom green exterior color
- Color reportedly matched to the original owner’s 1931 Bugatti in France
- Early Tesla / Elon Musk backstory
- ESS battery pack issue resolved by Gruber Motor Company in 2020
- Internal sheet repairs and modifications completed
- Collector-grade early Tesla Roadster provenance
Signature 100 Collector Significance
As one of the exclusive early
Signature 100 Tesla Roadsters, VIN 99 represents one of the earliest chapters in Tesla’s production history. Signature 100 cars were among the first Roadsters made available to early buyers and supporters, making them especially meaningful to Tesla collectors and EV historians.
With its unique color, early VIN, and connection to Tesla’s first commercial sales and service location, this Roadster carries a story that goes far beyond mileage and condition. It is the type of car that serious collectors pursue because of what it represents in the broader Tesla timeline.
The Elon Musk / Santa Monica Backstory
According to the first owner, the story behind this Roadster begins when early Tesla founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning wanted to open Tesla’s first sales and service outlet for the Roadster in downtown Santa Monica.
They approached the owner of a commercial facility near the 405 and Santa Monica Boulevard to lease the space. During the process, a routine credit check reportedly raised financial concerns, and Tesla was initially denied the lease.
Elon Musk, who was already involved with Tesla by that time, later visited the property owner and made a strong personal case for allowing Tesla to lease the space. As the story goes, Elon brought a satchel full of Tesla patents and worked to convince the building owner that Tesla had the technology, ambition, and future potential to justify the risk.
The property owner, originally unimpressed with Tesla’s financials, was ultimately persuaded by Elon’s persistence, charisma, and the patents Tesla had accumulated. Elon prevailed, and the owner agreed to lease the space, giving Tesla what became its first commercial sales and service center — a location still associated with Tesla today.
How VIN 99 Became Part of the Deal
According to the backstory, allowing Tesla to lease the property came with one condition: Elon had to sell the property owner a
Signature 100 Roadster.
The owner originally requested VIN 100, but that car had already been spoken for. Elon instead provided
VIN 99. An additional negotiating point was that the Roadster had to be painted in a one-off custom green color to match the owner’s 1931 Bugatti in France, which he raced there.
As a result, VIN 99 wears a highly custom green finish. Aside from Signature Green and British Racing Green, which were close in tone, Tesla would not introduce a similar green Roadster color until years later with Lightning Green, a color used on only a small number of cars.
Service History & Gruber Motor Company Work
This Roadster arrived at Gruber Motor Company in the summer of 2020 with an ESS battery pack problem and was in a bricked state. The issue was resolved through internal sheet repairs and modifications, returning this historically significant Roadster back from a major battery-related failure.
For buyers familiar with early Tesla Roadsters, documented ESS repair history and specialist intervention are important ownership details. This car’s service history adds another chapter to an already unusually rich provenance story.
Owner / Seller Notes
This pedigreed Roadster is being offered by its second owner, boldly priced at $200K despite the current softness in the Roadster market.
Why? Because he understands something most do not: cars like this are once-in-a-generation finds. As the Roadster’s status as a modern classic continues to rise, this Signature 100 edition — complete with an Elon Musk backstory — is destined to sit at the pinnacle of future EV collectibles.
This is VIN 99, and the Roadster came to Gruber Motor Company bricked with an ESS battery pack problem in the summer of 2020. That issue was resolved with internal sheet repairs and modifications.
According to the first owner, early Tesla founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning wanted to open their first sales and service outlet for Tesla Roadsters in downtown Santa Monica. After Tesla was initially denied the lease due to financial concerns, Elon Musk personally visited the property owner and successfully convinced him to lease the space to Tesla.
As part of the agreement, Elon had to sell the property owner a Signature 100 Roadster. The owner requested VIN 100, but since that car was already spoken for, Elon provided VIN 99. The car was also required to be painted a one-off custom green color to match the owner’s 1931 Bugatti in France.
Gruber Motor Company Roadster Matchmaking
Gruber Motor Company offers Tesla Roadster matchmaking services. We unite sellers with buyers, and offer this service free of charge. Our Tesla fan and customer data base is extensive, and we maintain a growing list of “want to buy” contacts.
Between our social media exposure,
Our YouTube Channel – and growing
Website traffic, we have been highly successful placing Roadsters into the hands of appreciative new Tesla Roadster owners.
Contact us at ev@gruber.com if you would like to buy or sell a Roadster.
Gruber Motor Company offers Tesla Roadster matchmaking services. We unite sellers with buyers, and offer this service free of charge. Our Tesla fan and customer data base is extensive, and we maintain a growing list of “want to buy” contacts. Between our social media exposure, Our YouTube Channel – and growing Website traffic, we have been highly successful placing Roadsters into the hands of appreciative new Tesla Roadster owners.
