Tesla Cybertruck early build auctioned for $400,000

A “low-VIN” Tesla Cybertruck was sold at auction over the weekend for $400,000 to benefit the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles at its annual charity gala.

The much-discussed Telsa model wasn't on hand at the event, though — the auction was for a build slot. And there are no details yet on the winning bidder or delivery plans for the truck or its production timeline, which has been delayed several times since the model’s reveal back in November 2019.

When the auction was announced last week, the event’s description only said that all attendees could bid on a “low-VIN” 2024 Cybertruck, Tesla's first electric pickup.The sale was reported on social media from the charity event, which was hosted by Jay Leno. Tickets cost $1,700 for a table seat. The auction was also accepting outside bids.

Although the bid price fetched several times the expected cost of a new Cybertuck, the VIN 001 GMC Hummer EV sold at auction in March 2021 for a whopping $2.5 million, while its brother GMC Hummer EV SUV with VIN 001 fetched $500,000 in January.

The Petersen in Los Angeles has historically had a special relationship with Tesla, most recently hosting what the museum called the “most comprehensive gathering of Tesla products to date,” including the 2005 Roadster “Aerodynamic Buck,” the 2012 Model X prototype, as well as the Cybertruck.

It's estimated that 2 million reservation holders are waiting for the zero-emissions pickup to go into full-scale production. A recent report here noted problems with panel gaps and paint smears on the model, but they were attributed to truck's status as a prototype.