Musk also claimed that “there have not been new car [brands] that have been successful for 100 years, apart from Tesla.”
Some automotive brands that were founded in the last 100 years:
Chrysler (1924) Volvo (1927) BMW (1928) Datsun/Nissan (1931/1933) Fiat (1932) Toyota (1936) Volkswagen (1937) Jeep (1943) Land Rover (1948) Honda (1963)
It was a concept car that he doubled down on and promised to deliver it as designed.
As soon as they unveiled it, anyone with a brain could tell you it was never going to make it to market like that.