Elon Musk Becomes Twitter’s Largest Shareholder…

[KLB]

It would have been better if he'd have announced the cybertruck as, we think we can make it do this and that, and we'll try to deliver that. Another problem, I don't think Musk really gets "truck" culture. I don't want a cybertruck. I want something I can use to haul stuff and pull stuff on long trips without range anxiety. If Musk would have delivered what he promised, it still wouldn't do that. Plus, if I want the thing to have a color, I have to have it vinyl wrapped.

I see a LOT of trucks that are not used as trucks, they are just daily drivers with a bed. This thing will appeal to some of those people. Maybe someday they will build a work truck.

 

[KLB]

One other thing Musk builds what he thinks is cool, and nothing trumps that. So he thinks an angular, wedge shaped truck looks cool, and subjectively it does. I don’t mind a cool looking Truck but that’s the game all other Truck makers understand and Musk doesn’t. Make it look cool but not at the expense of practically.

I really think you overestimate how many people use their trucks as trucks.

 

[jamil]

I really think you overestimate how many people use their trucks as trucks.

I know they’re used as daily drivers more often than not. Especially owners who live in urban and suburban areas. Diring winter months I rarely have a reason to use it as a truck. Less to haul. Never need to pull the trailer. But I have another vehicle that’s the daily driver. If the truck is it, I’d be using that as a daily driver. I don’t think that detracts from the point.

 

[KLB]

I know they’re used as daily drivers more often than not. Especially owners who live in urban and suburban areas. Diring winter months I rarely have a reason to use it as a truck. Less to haul. Never need to pull the trailer. But I have another vehicle that’s the daily driver. If the truck is it, I’d be using that as a daily driver. I don’t think that detracts from the point.

How so? If a lot of people do not use their trucks as trucks, how did he miss?

We have a truck. It is used exclusively as a truck. It hauls and tows stuff, including a 30' horse trailer. We are probably in the minority though.

That truck will move the stuff most people use a pickup truck for, and it will go where most people usually take their pickup. He missed so badly that 1.9 million people are waiting in line to get one.

 

[jamil]

How so? If a lot of people do not use their trucks as trucks, how did he miss?

We have a truck. It is used exclusively as a truck. It hauls and tows stuff, including a 30' horse trailer. We are probably in the minority though.

That truck will move the stuff most people use a pickup truck for, and it will go where most people usually take their pickup. He missed so badly that 1.9 million people are waiting in line to get one.

It definitely has the cool factor, but, like the 2019 Chevy redesign. You either liked that grill or you hated it. I don’t think too many people are on the fence about the cybertruck shape and sizing. I suspect it will attract more people who’ve never owned a truck.

 

[bwframe]

 

[smokingman]

"Where Meritocracy Goes To Die" - DEI Is 'Racist, Bigoted, Collective Punishment' | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

An article that follows his and a few other conversations about DIE.
Push back harder, we can end this BS.

 

[Alamo]

I think Musk gets the broader “truck culture” as it exists. He also likes radical disruptive designs.

Until after WWII pickup trucks really were just utility vehicles bought by farmers, ranchers, and tradesmen. They were not profit centers for their dealerships — dealers made $$ on cars.

The modern truck market was created in the 1950s when Red McCombs in Houston started out as a car salesman and found he could move more pick up trucks if he added fancier aftermarket parts to them first. (Red McCombs is the guy who sold 30 Edsels in one month despite it bombing everywhere else.)

Red moved to San Antonio and started his own dealership. He continued to sell pick up trucks with upgraded parts, as well as selling a hell of a lot of cars, and he eventually became a big enough dealer that he was president of the auto dealers Association. He got with a young Ford executive and convinced him they could sell a lot more pick up trucks and make a lot more money if the manufacturer would start offering some of the options that Red was adding as aftermarket parts. The young Ford executive was Lee Iacocca.

The pick up truck market exploded after that, and Texas became, and has been ever since, the biggest part of it. When the CAFE requirements came out but exempted utility vehicles (but not station wagons) from the calculations it just threw gasoline on the pickup/SUV market. Pick up trucks and SUVs have been redesigned more and more to incorporate “car” car features are like really nice interiors and more comfy suspensions and the like.

So pick up trucks and SUVs have become the family vehicle for lots of people, particularly in Texas, but all across the US as well. And it’s become an upscale family vehicle as well. Of course, there are a lot of people who use pick up trucks for the original purpose, hauling, whatever, construction work, etc. But there’s a lot more people who are using it as the family auto, and Musk is aiming directly at this market. Of course he’s aiming at the well-heeled portion of the market first, but as time goes on his trucks, and their follow-ons (can’t wait to see his SUV) will become both cheaper and stronger (i.e. more range, more payload).

 

[Ingomike]

I think Musk gets the broader “truck culture” as it exists. He also likes radical disruptive designs.

Until after WWII pickup trucks really were just utility vehicles bought by farmers, ranchers, and tradesmen. They were not profit centers for their dealerships — dealers made $$ on cars.

The modern truck market was created in the 1950s when Red McCombs in Houston started out as a car salesman and found he could move more pick up trucks if he added fancier aftermarket parts to them first. (Red McCombs is the guy who sold 30 Edsels in one month despite it bombing everywhere else.)

Red moved to San Antonio and started his own dealership. He continued to sell pick up trucks with upgraded parts, as well as selling a hell of a lot of cars, and he eventually became a big enough dealer that he was president of the auto dealers Association. He got with a young Ford executive and convinced him they could sell a lot more pick up trucks and make a lot more money if the manufacturer would start offering some of the options that Red was adding as aftermarket parts. The young Ford executive was Lee Iacocca.

The pick up truck market exploded after that, and Texas became, and has been ever since, the biggest part of it. When the CAFE requirements came out but exempted utility vehicles (but not station wagons) from the calculations it just threw gasoline on the pickup/SUV market. Pick up trucks and SUVs have been redesigned more and more to incorporate “car” car features are like really nice interiors and more comfy suspensions and the like.

So pick up trucks and SUVs have become the family vehicle for lots of people, particularly in Texas, but all across the US as well. And it’s become an upscale family vehicle as well. Of course, there are a lot of people who use pick up trucks for the original purpose, hauling, whatever, construction work, etc. But there’s a lot more people who are using it as the family auto, and Musk is aiming directly at this market. Of course he’s aiming at the well-heeled portion of the market first, but as time goes on his trucks, and their follow-ons (can’t wait to see his SUV) will become both cheaper and stronger (i.e. more range, more payload).

Fun story. Also, people forget that the trunks on old cars from the 60’s and 70’s could haul more than many trucks today. Tow capacity was probably better too…

 

[jwamplerusa]

people forget that the trunks on old cars from the 60’s and 70’s could haul more than many trucks

Three body trunks.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

 

[bwframe]

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Fun story. Also, people forget that the trunks on old cars from the 60’s and 70’s could haul more than many trucks today. Tow capacity was probably better too…

Trunks were big, but not sure that big. I had a 71 olds 98 and it could hold a lot. But not as much as the 6.5 ft bed on my truck.

Three body trunks.

3? The car I mentioned above would fit 3 with plenty of elbow room. Probably 5 if you tried.

 

[printcraft]

Number of visits to those sites declining from the previous year/s. year-over-year.

 

[jamil]

Trunks were big, but not sure that big. I had a 71 olds 98 and it could hold a lot. But not as much as the 6.5 ft bed on my truck.

3? The car I mentioned above would fit 3 with plenty of elbow room. Probably 5 if you tried.

I had a 75 Plymouth fury that I think if I stacked them, could fit 7 of average build and maybe a cat or two. I’m thinking that olds 98 could fit 8 if you stuffed them in and sat on the lid until it closed.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I had a 75 Plymouth fury that I think if I stacked them, could fit 7 of average build and maybe a cat or two. I’m thinking that olds 98 could fit 8 if you stuffed them in and sat on the lid until it closed.

Possibly, but you'd have to take out the spare. You could fit 8 people in the car though. 4 in front and 4 in back.

 

[jamil]

They built them wide back then.

 

[Alamo]

Since this seems to be the de facto Everything Elon thread:




The back story (go read the whole tweet):



Delaware is of course Biden family home turf.

 

[Alamo]

A little more …

 

[bwframe]