Carbon Motors Closes Up Shop

Bummer as that was a freakin cool car. I suspect another Torpedo by the big auto boys not wanting someone who could actually bring something really good to the table.

They never really had a chance

I knew that one wasn't going anywhere..just smoke and mirrors, nothing really there.

It seemed incredulous that the company supposedly had so many pre-orders for the vehicles.

It seemed incredulous that the company supposedly had so many pre-orders for the vehicles.

They probably made up the numbers...the whole operation seemed fake.

They probably counted anyone who said "Hey, that's kinda cool!" as a potential sale.

I wonder how long before someone buys up the intellectual rights to the whole project and actually has the cash to then bring it to market? Course with the amount of money they supposedly spent on this one prototype, I would have thought they could have built 50 of them.

Trying to make and sell the perfect Police car is not a bad idea... but trying to go into automobile manufacturing from scratch in this millennium was a leap too far.

The integrated siren lights. The hose washable rear compartment. The suicide doors and plastic body (dent resistant). The integrated dispatch, radio and recording systems. All were great ideas police departments are willing to pay for. But, really, do you really need to build a platform and an automobile from the ground up to have these? Not really.

Carbon should have bought contracted GM or some other existing manufacturer to build a run of custom vehicles on their existing factories and platform. Say an Alpha or a Zeta, with plastic fenders and door panels, with a roof that accomodates built-in (flush) siren lights, get L-3 or Motorola to cough up an integrated dispatch data computer, radio and DVR system. Then sell it. Own no factory, engineer no new platforms. Heck, do it as a equity partnership with an automaker to create a dorminant police car product that will replace the Caprice, Charger and Tauruses -- all of which left much to be desired and are easy targets.

In fact, they already had substantial letters of intent from enough customers to get it started. Trying to buy your own factory and make the cars yourself is simply a poor way to get started!

All these failing automotive start-ups remind me of the Tucker story. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it

All these failing automotive start-ups remind me of the Tucker story. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it

Too True as to my comment about they should have been able to build 50 of them for the millions that went into this project.

This brings up the question--what was the last successful independent automaker that was launched? (not the launch of new brand/division of an existing mfgr or a result of a merger). It's a tough, expensive business to try and survive in..I can think of a few that tried and failed in my lifetime (Bricklin, DeLorean, Fisker, etc)

This brings up the question--what was the last successful independent automaker that was launched? (not the launch of new brand/division of an existing mfgr or a result of a merger). It's a tough, expensive business to try and survive in..I can think of a few that tried and failed in my lifetime (Bricklin, DeLorean, Fisker, etc)

I think you would have to go with the Communist Cherry Corporation that just clones everything brought to china from Europe or the US and puts a cherry badge on it.

This brings up the question--what was the last successful independent automaker that was launched? (not the launch of new brand/division of an existing mfgr or a result of a merger). It's a tough, expensive business to try and survive in..I can think of a few that tried and failed in my lifetime (Bricklin, DeLorean, Fisker, etc)

I think you would have to go with the Communist Cherry Corporation that just clones everything brought to china from Europe or the US and puts a cherry badge on it.

That's actually 'Chery' w/ one 'r'. I wasn't thinking of China, though, they've had dozens of companies started there in recent decades, like the US was around 1910. Nothing of significance outside of China yet.

I was thinking of US companies...can't think of anything... if Tesla makes it, it will be quite an achievement.

This brings up the question--what was the last successful independent automaker that was launched? (not the launch of new brand/division of an existing mfgr or a result of a merger). It's a tough, expensive business to try and survive in..I can think of a few that tried and failed in my lifetime (Bricklin, DeLorean, Fisker, etc)

I think you would have to go with the Communist Cherry Corporation that just clones everything brought to china from Europe or the US and puts a cherry badge on it.

That's actually 'Chery' w/ one 'r'. I wasn't thinking of China, though, they've had dozens of companies started there in recent decades, like the US was around 1910. Nothing of significance outside of China yet.

I was thinking of US companies...can't think of anything... if Tesla makes it, it will be quite an achievement.

Agree with you on Tesla, it will be a big achievement if they make it. I wonder how long before someone consumes them?

This brings up the question--what was the last successful independent automaker that was launched? (not the launch of new brand/division of an existing mfgr or a result of a merger). It's a tough, expensive business to try and survive in..I can think of a few that tried and failed in my lifetime (Bricklin, DeLorean, Fisker, etc)

Tesla?

This brings up the question--what was the last successful independent automaker that was launched? (not the launch of new brand/division of an existing mfgr or a result of a merger). It's a tough, expensive business to try and survive in..I can think of a few that tried and failed in my lifetime (Bricklin, DeLorean, Fisker, etc)

Tesla?

Yeah, that's the current one...trying to think of the last successful one..probably have to go back over 100 years to Hudson with later merged w/ Nash to form AMC. Or Packard, which had nearly a 60 year run...

I do not see any future companies getting into the auto business unless it is with a hover car or some other flying futuristic auto that would force the established ones to finally move forward to a different product model.