Good day for Factory Five

Andy Neuman wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

Andy Neuman wrote: The government has cut out any ability to start up as a car manufacturers in the US.

Some one forgot to tell Tesla that then.

Yes, if you have a vision and can find the investors anything is possible. Tesla was impressive raising millions in private funding before the first car was launched.

So what? He did it, other can too. Nothing is to stop them. The government hasn't killed start ups, it's jsut helped out a small niche which is great for us.

I swear if you gave some people on this site $1million they'd complain it wasn't $2million.

ronholm wrote: Land of the Free.... Home of the brave... HA!

I have no idea what this is supposed to mean in relation to this thread?

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

Andy Neuman wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

Andy Neuman wrote: The government has cut out any ability to start up as a car manufacturers in the US.

Some one forgot to tell Tesla that then.

Yes, if you have a vision and can find the investors anything is possible. Tesla was impressive raising millions in private funding before the first car was launched.

So what? He did it, other can too. Nothing is to stop them. The government hasn't killed start ups, it's jsut helped out a small niche which is great for us. I swear if you gave some people on this site $1million they'd complain it wasn't $2million.

Back in the 50's and 60's, when there were no regulations, as well as lots of skilled labor- there were not many people making full production cars.

Now that we have rules, we have some.

Most US companies died in the depression. Others got eaten up by bigger companies.

Most companies died (and struggle) due to economic realities. It's hurt them more than anyone else that the cost of making car has gone down a lot in the last 25 years.

Keith Tanner wrote: You'll never make an exo car look like a Seven, assuming you're thinking of cars like the Exocet and the Atom. The cockpit is far too wide. But you could make it look like a Pacer

So make it look like a Miata. Those are 25 years old now.

For unibody type stuff, it's still cheaper to just buy the actual car until you get into '69 Camaro price ranges. I understand that they are extremely rare now, and we are culturally fortunate that Car Craft made it their mission to have every single one ever made in their magazine (They have poked fun at themselves quite a bit for this over the years)

Now, if one were to offer a fiberglass '89 Miata body that fit over a tube frame... it would just be a less cool-looking Cobra.

Knurled wrote: Now, if one were to offer a fiberglass '89 Miata body that fit over a tube frame... it would just be a less cool-looking Cobra.

Car designs fall under a 99 year patent, gonna be hard to get the right to reproduce that body.

I do know a guy who's making a full carbon bodied E30 M3 in europe at the moment. That would be sweet.

Keith Tanner wrote: Agreed. Koenigssegg could build a 1000 hp Cobra or 917-30 replica and sell it, but not their current cars. Which is odd.

Koenigsegg sold the CCX in America, and has started construction on their first Agera (RS) chassis that is being sold fully and completely road legal for US consumption. They're even doing a 'build log' on it. So yes, they've done it before...And they're doing it again.

Also, they're never going to pass some mythological 'be all and end all' legislation that allows start-up automotive companies to skirt all the laws. With such a strong major automotive manufacturing industry in this country, and lobby protecting them, it's just not going to happen in one fell swoop. And it would be unrealistic and irrational to think otherwise. But if nothing else, enthusiasts should think of this piece of legislation as a step in the right direction. Now there is a foot in the door, so to speak.