> [Tesla] first built the Roadster—the opposite of a mass market car—to generate revenue to get to the Model S. The Model S then generated the revenue to start

> [Tesla] first built the Roadster—the opposite of a mass market car—to generate revenue to get to the Model S. The Model S then generated the revenue to start the Model 3. Except the Roadster didn't generate enough revenue, Tesla was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Elon Musk swooped in to save the day (and have himself labelled a co-founder as part of the deal). The Model X was supposed to be a quick reskin of the Model S chassis as an SUV to provide a stopgap model while the Model 3 was developed, but that turned out to be more complicated than expected and Musk's demands for those striking but complicated gull-wing doors caused development and production problems that delayed it for years. I'm readying the popcorn for the delays and production issues of the Model 3.