It was 2006. Electric vehicles were impractical and expensive. However, a small team of engineers had a unique vision for an electric car that could fully showcase the possibilities of electrification. This summer, the then-fledgling startup Tesla Motors unveiled its tour de force to the world — the Roadster.

It impressed right from the beginning.

This is a high-end sportscar. It is faster than the Ferrari. Faster than a Lamborghini “It’s almost like getting shot from a slingshot,” James Whittaker (original Roadster owner) said about his first ride.

Carl Medlock, former Tesla Territory Manager and owner of the Seattle-based EV repair shop, said that “zero to sixty in just 3.7 seconds,” reflecting back on early times. It’s fun starting the second you turn the key.

They didn’t know that the specialty sports car they were building would alter the course of automotive history.

Tesla is now one of the largest companies worldwide. Owners claim the Tesla pioneering vehicle and its loyal following were lost as the focus shifted to the Model S and other models that made the company so valuable.

Bill Bolosky, an original Roadster owner, explains that Tesla “sort of slowly lost memory of these vehicles”.

Medlock stated that Tesla did not keep their promises regarding the quality service. “The Roadster owners had to be abandoned.”

The video will show you the Tesla Roadster. It paved the road for electric cars and the people who keep it going.