The Teslas were found in shipping containers. (Gruber Motor Company)
The three cars – two red and one orange – were found in a storage facility at the docks in the city of Quingdao and listed for auction through Phoenix-based Tesla specialist Gruber Motor Company.
At the time, all that was known was that they were ordered by a single customer who never took delivery, but more of the story has now been revealed.
A now-bankrupt Chinese startup automaker is believed to have ordered them. (Gruber Motor Company)
China was home to many dozens of startup automakers at the time vying for a piece of the quickly emerging market, many of which have either gone out business or merged with other companies.
The cars are being transferred to new containers and prepared to ship to either a winning buyer or Dubai, where government regulations make it easier to show them to prospective buyers.
The Roadster was built from 2008 to 2012. (Ryan Anson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The original deadline for bids was May 26, but that has now been extended to June 2. The batteries in the cars are no longer functional – having been "bricked" from not being used – and will need to be replaced.
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Tesla began offering an upgrade pack in 2016 that is better than the original.
Gary Gastelu is Fox News Digital's automotive editor.