> From what I understand (and I may be completely wrong), those "astonishing and good" parts, about the design of the vehicle itself, were already mostly in pla

> From what I understand (and I may be completely wrong), those "astonishing and good" parts, about the design of the vehicle itself, were already mostly in place before Musk managed to place himself as Tesla's CEO (which is an interesting story in itself). You are completely wrong. Musk joined as the first major outside investor in February 2004, six months after the company's founding. The Roadster, Tesla's first automobile, did not come out until 2008.