Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- š° A low-VIN Tesla Cybertruck was auctioned for $400,000 at the 29th Petersen Gala, hosted by Jay Leno on October 7, 2023.
- š The auctioned Cybertruck was a 2024 model, and attendees of the Gala were allowed to bid on it.
- š Speculations were high about a high selling price due to the event’s premium cost, but the Cybertruck was sold for $400,000.
- š¤ The winning bid was lower than some other notable electric vehicle auctions, like the GMC Hummer EV, which sold for $2.5 million.
- š It’s unclear if the auctioned Cybertruck was VIN 001, and Elon Musk has a history of keeping some VIN 001 vehicles.
- š£ļø Despite the price, the Cybertruck is seen as a groundbreaking vehicle that could change the roads’ landscape.
Reports from the electric vehicle community suggest that a low-VIN Tesla Cybertruck has been auctioned for $400,000. The auction was held on October 7, 2023, at the 29th Petersen Gala, which was hosted by automotive legend Jay Leno.Ā
As noted by Tesla, the vehicle that was auctioned off at the Petersen Museum was a low-VIN 2024 Cybertruck. Participants of theĀ 29th Petersen GalaĀ were allowed to bid for the vehicle. Initially, speculations were high that the Cybertruck may fetch a high price among the eventās attendees, considering the fact that a seat at the event costs $1,750 per person.
As could be seen in a short video shared by Cybertruck enthusiast @greggerruck on social media, the bidding for the all-electric pickup truck was quite interesting as one of the attendees seemingly had their paddle ārippedā out of their hands. Ultimately, the Cybertruck was reportedly sold for $400,000, which is most definitely several times the vehicleās consumer price.
It should be noted, however, that the Cybertruckās $400,000 winning bid is quite a bit lower than the winning bids for other notable electric vehicles. TheĀ GMC Hummer EV pickup truckās VIN 001 unit, for one, was sold for $2.5 million, and its sister vehicle, theĀ GMC Hummer EV SUV, also sold its VIN 001 unit for $500,000. Both vehicles were auctioned for charity.
That being said, it appears that the Cybertruck which was auctioned off was not necessarily VIN 001. Tesla, after all, only described the vehicle as a ālow-VINā unit. It still remains to be seen who will be driving the Cybertruckās VIN 001 unit, though CEO Elon Musk is known to have kept some of Teslaās VIN 001 vehicles in the past. These included the original Tesla Roadster VIN 001, which Musk personally drove.
With this in mind, perhaps the $400,000 that the early-VIN Tesla Cybertruck fetched from the 29th Petersen Gala was not too bad at all. Considering that the Cybertruck could very well change the look of the roads forever, such a price would definitely be worth it.
