Tesla just can’t stop poking at the Detroit 3 in their backyard. Here’s their latest provocation.
The California-based automaker may not have the unit sales to be considered a “large” automaker, but their mindshare is second to none – so much so that the company is now worth more than Ford Motor Company while selling far fewer units.
At Christmastime, they set up a gallery store in Somerset Mall, and now through June 11 they have a pop-up “gallery” outside the Midtown Shinola store in Detroit.
Michigan laws designed to protect the dealer monopoly (and the jobs and lobbying dollars that go with it) prohibit Tesla from having a dealership in the state, but nothing says you couldn’t buy one in a neighboring state and bring it here.
It’s not hard to see why Tesla is making a splash – they’re employing the same tactics an upstart Henry Ford did when he challenged the automotive establishment more than 100 years ago – fighting in courts and through whatever means to break a monopoly. Then, it was a license to build the cars with the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers. Today, it’s government-protected dealerships.
If you’re interested, you’ll be able to check out the Model S or X with Tesla product specialists – and they’re even touting the towing capacity of the Model X SUV with their experience showroom in an Airstream trailer. The hours, according to Tesla, are from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. through June 11.
