The Long-Awaited Tesla Roadster Will Hit the Petersen Museum Tomorrow

• Tesla first unveiled the upcoming Tesla Roadster in late 2017, at an event introducing the Tesla Semi.

• The prototype will be on display at the Petersen Museum until June 2, sitting next to an original Tesla Roadster.

• Elon promises production will begin next year.

While Elon Musk, self-proclaimed “Technoking of Tesla,” has been “optimistic” in his product rollout announcements, the Petersen Automotive Museum has always been spot-on. So when the Petersen says you can come down to the museum and see a real, live production Tesla Roadster starting Wednesday, you can be pretty sure it’ll actually be there.

A pre-production prototype of the mighty Tesla two-seater will be parked on the second floor in the museum’s “Building An Electric Future” exhibit. It’ll be next to the museum’s 2006 original Tesla Roadster, which carries serial number 7. There are other electric cars in the display, too, including the Volkswagen I.D. R that set the all-time speed record of 7:57 at Pikes Peak in 2018.

The Tesla roadster will be there from May 19 to June 2. Advanced online reservations are required and the first three days are already sold out.

How did the museum score such a car?

“We’ve always benefited from a close relationship with Tesla,” said Petersen COO Michael Bodell, noting that they also showcased the Tesla Cybertruck last year. “We also have the Model S concept on display alongside our original roadster.”

Tesla’s design center is located just a couple freeways down from the museum, twelve-and-a-half miles away in Hawthorne, Calif.