Someone Just Paid Six Figures For A Car GM Tried To Erase From History

The EV1 from General Motors is widely regarded as the original mass-market, purpose-built electric vehicle, although it was never manufactured in significant numbers. In fact, only a touch over 1,100 were ever produced across two generations, and very few of them exist nowadays.

Given the car’s importance in the history of EVs, as well as its rarity, it perhaps comes as no surprise that when one hit the market this week, it attracted a lot of attention.

However, no one could have expected that it would sell for a staggering $104,000. To put it into perspective, that’s more than a brand-new Tesla Cybertruck.

Read: Study Says The Same Problems Faced By The EV1 Remain Today

GM never actually sold the EV1 and only leased it to customers. When it controversially decided to kill the project, it took back customer cars and crushed them. It’s understood that roughly 40 were kept by the company. While some remain in private hands, most were donated to universities and museums.

The example in question is a 1997 version that was listed for sale through Peak Auto Auctions in Atlanta after being towed. Very few details were provided about it but it’s clearly been sitting outside for a long time, and both the windshield and front side window are smashed.

Is It Worth Saving?

An investigation by The Autopian revealed the car had been marked as abandoned by the Clark Atlanta University Public Safety agency, which may explain why it ended up here.

It’s thought to be VIN V212 and was originally delivered in Arizona. At one point, it held the unofficial altitude record for an EV1, reaching 10,500 feet, GM Authority reports.

Given that the car has probably been sitting outside for a long time, potentially years, there’s a good chance it will need some serious TLC to be brought back to life. Sourcing replacement parts could be a tall order, but clearly, the winning bidder thinks the car is worth a lot of money.

Images: Peak Auto Auctions