Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🎁 The first-ever Tesla Model S, the P85 variant, has been donated to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles by entrepreneur and early Tesla investor Steve Jurvetson.
- 🏛️ Jurvetson has previously donated other Tesla vehicles, including the Roadster and Model X, to the museum, emphasizing their historical significance.
- 🚗 The Model S donation is part of Jurvetson’s contributions to preserving the history of Tesla and EV innovation.
- 📜 Jurvetson shared quotes from 2012 reviews about the Model S, highlighting its revolutionary impact and importance in the automotive world.
- 📸 Jurvetson also posted images, including early Model S production photos and his first test drive with Elon Musk, showcasing the historical journey of the Model S.
The first-ever Tesla Model S to roll off the production line has been donated to an automotive museum in Los Angeles by its owner.
Entrepreneur and early Tesla investor Steve Jurvetson has donated his Tesla Model S P85 to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, as shared on X on Wednesday. Jurvetson has donated the Model S to the museum along with his prior Tesla donations, and he also shared some photos of the vehicle.
In addition, Jurvetson also posted some quotes from stories covering the Model S upon its 2012 release, and he says reading them gives him goosebumps as he thinks back on that time.
Here are just a few of the shorter quotes Jurvetson shared from the 2012 reviews:
“The Model S isn’t just the most important car of the year. It’s the most important car America has made in an entire lifetime.”
-Road & Track“The Model S feels and drives like the future. It’s a rolling testament to the potential of automotive innovation, and a massive leap forward”
-WIRED“The Model S could become the Model T of an approaching petroleum-free era.”
-New York Times“What is the bottom line on the Tesla Model S? It’s an eye-opener like the automotive world has never seen in its entire history.”
–The Street
Jurvetson managed to acquire the first production Model S by spotting pricing for the vehicle on an internal Tesla document and writing a check for that amount, despite the fact that CEO Elon Musk had already stopped taking reservations for the highly anticipated electric vehicle (EV).
The entrepreneur also donated his Tesla Roadster, Model S and Model X to the museum, and he has been outspoken about the vehicles’ place in history over the years. He also posted several images in the thread, including some from early Model S production and his initial delivery.
You can see these photos below.
You can also see Jurvetson’s first test drive with Musk in a Model S below, as posted later on in the thread.
