Tesla pulled the plug on a special delivery event for its Model S and Model X ‘Signature Edition’ cars just three days before the scheduled date.
The invitation-only event was set for May 12 at Tesla’s Fairmont factory. Buyers who purchased the final edition Signature cars were supposed to collect their vehicles at this exclusive gathering.
Tesla produced just 250 Model S Signature Edition units – with the Model X version even more exclusive at 100 units.
The company sent a brief two-sentence email to attendees: “The Signature Edition Delivery Event scheduled for May 12, 2026, has been postponed. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Buyers Left Without Cars or Explanations
Tesla offered no reason for canceling what it called an “invite-only celebration of the first of the last deliveries of Model S and Model X Signature Edition – ever.”
Customers paid $159,420 for either vehicle – and they won’t be getting their cars anytime soon.
The company didn’t provide a rescheduled date for the Tesla Signature Event.
Attendees responded angrily on social media. Some wrote “Spent thousands on this trip… @Tesla” and demanded Tesla “compensate owners or hold the event on the originally planned date.”
Tesla’s History of Last-Minute Changes
This marks another instance of Tesla canceling scheduled events without much notice.
The first Model S Plaid delivery was delayed by more than a week in 2021. Musk said the 1,000bhp vehicle needed “one more week of tweak.”
Tesla also pushed the Robotaxi unveil from August to October 2024 to build more prototypes.
The Signaturegate situation highlights Tesla’s approach to customer relations. Buyers of the $159,420 Signature cars also agreed to a no-resale clause with a $50,000 penalty.
Tesla’s pattern extends beyond delivery events. Musk has been promising a new Tesla Roadster since 2017, with the latest quoted arrival date of April 2026.
He wrote on X in March: “New Roadster unveil hopefully next month. It will be a banger next-level.”
The production date has shifted multiple times from 2020 to present – yet Tesla continues collecting deposits ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 for Founders’ Series cars.
Deposit holders have grown increasingly frustrated with delays and report difficulties getting refunds after nearly a decade of waiting.
The Signature event cancellation adds another controversy to Tesla’s recent history. What happens next with these exclusive deliveries remains unclear – much like the company’s broader timeline commitments.
