Hey Santa -- Tesla as Art - The Ultimate Signature Gift

[tezco]

Tesla recently sent Signature owners a nice gym bag for the Holidays (T-guys, thank you very much). This got me thinking about a post I read months ago, written by a very excited owner who found Elon's signature on the back of the windshield visor, and the many many posts where Sig owners bragged (or cried) about their VIN number and how it did or didn’t corresponded to their reservation number.

How do you make the infamous 28, and the other's whose cars were delayed and produced out of sequence really happy? Well, you know, the S really is more than just a car--it's art. When an artist sells multiple copies of a print, they get numbered. Wouldn't it be nice if Tesla sent the Signature owners a stainless steel plaque that Service could mount somewhere in the frunk (if the owner so desired), that gave an indication of just how special the Signature Series actually is?

Perhaps something like: “This Tesla Model S Represents the 42[SUP]nd[/SUP] of 350 Signature Performance Edition Sedans Made for the US Market in 2012. The Advance Reservations Placed by Signature Owners Helped Make the Model S a Reality.”

The numbering would be made in the order of reservation number and would start at #1 for each series (Performance Edition and Limited Edition) (Standard Edition sounds too bland, so let’s go with something else like “Limited”.)

If Elon and George B found themselves with a little free time on a rainy winter’s day, they (and other interested principals at Tesla) could sign a document (suitable for framing) reiterating the lingo on the plaque, and giving the owner something very special to hang in their office. Now, wouldn’t that be a great payback for the $40,000 that the Signature Reservation holders put down on the table, sight unseen?

 

[AnOutsider]

This was batted around in the early days... But Tesla soon said the Model S wouldn't get a signature plaque like the Roadsters did

 

[tezco]

This was batted around in the early days... But Tesla soon said the Model S wouldn't get a signature plaque like the Roadsters did

Of course, that was when they still thought that production would be linear....

 

[AnOutsider]

Of course, that was when they still thought that production would be linear....

Good point. Well, I'd welcome it wholeheartedly.

 

[tezco]

Good point. Well, I'd welcome it wholeheartedly.

I don't know what they did with plaques for the Roadster since I never could afford one, but Elon and gang might be able to bank on their rock-star status and make some added money for Tesla if they kept the Signature line going for a few years... They would just need to make sure that the added trim level and other perks enticed enough people to sign up each year.

 

[Xfrank]

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

@tezco, not trying to be negative here, but, what's really the big deal with a plaque with an autograph from Elon Musk and others?

Granted, they are talented people doing some arguably great things but, hey, they are 'just folks' building 'just a car' that you've paid (good) money for as a customer.

Sorry I don't really get the celebrity angle to this. I may just be a jaded one though living in the Bay Area and all I'm well past the fanboy state for sure!

If I were to see this objectively and hope for some great resale value (eventually selling to folks who are into this sort of a thing), the plaque may help on that front but, that's not a given...

 

[roblab]

Y'know, I just can't picture wanting Bob Lutz' signature on any car, or even thinking it would raise the value any.

On the other hand, having met and visited with Joost, I got him to sign the underside of the frunk molding one day when he was working on it. To me, that has value. To anyone else, who cares? If Elon had personally inspected my car, AND knows me, it would have been neat to have him sign it, but he doesn't know me. Not worth so much.

PS, GG: I'll sign your car, if it would help any! I bet there are others here on the forum who would do the same. And I still owe you some Cheesecake!

 

[tezco]

Well, I’m still a fan of the big guys, and what they are doing for the planet.

I agree that the gesture would not be of significant monetary value to Signature owners, but it would be a special way of acknowledging the monetary support the Signature owners made towards the endeavor, and it would help soothe some ruffled feathers (those that are fixated on their out of sequence VIN numbers, for example).

Plus, it would be just plain far out cool, man, to be driving around in a numbered edition.

- - - Updated - - -

May all your dreams come true

Xfrank--Hope Santa delivers yours soon!

 

[olanmills]

@XFrank

You know, it's healthy to spend at least some time not thinking about your Tesla...

 

[jerry33]

You know, it's healthy to spend at least some time not thinking about your Tesla...

You're kidding, right?

 

[tezco]

@XFrank

You know, it's healthy to spend at least some time not thinking about your Tesla...

If I'm not thinking about it, then I'm probably dreaming....

 

[EchoDelta]

..

I would venture that the image is actually photoshopped, a ruse. As the (always-entertaining) John Petersen from SeekingAlpha could tell you, a Tesla-designed Santa's sleigh would be pulled by 6,800 hamsters, not 9 reindeers.

 

[dailydriver]

A couple of months after I purchased my Audi R8 V10, I received a very nice book called 24 Truths that celebrated the history of the Audi brand and its success in racing (especially the 24 Hours of LeMans). It also included an R8 carbon fiber key ring.

I would think that Tesla could do a very slick book with lots of cool pictures that provides the story of the development of the Model S, prototypes, beta models, NUMMI factory, etc. and showcases all of the unique features and technology of the car. Sending a signed copy (Elon and/or others, or no signatures at all) to all of the Signature owners would be a very nice gesture and something that you could keep even after you part with the car.

P.S.

I also just received another Audi present this month (even though it has been over 2-1/2 years since I purchased the R8). It was catalog of just a few electronics, sports, accessory, etc. items that I could choose from (values ranged from $150 to about $400). The catalog, cover letter, instructions, were all packaged very "Apple-like". Just scanned the QR code for the item – it popped up with my shipping info, etc. and clicked to confirm. Pretty cool.

 

[AnOutsider]

+1 dd. I was actually mentioning to someone recently how Audi has taken care of their R8 purchasers over the years. Paid MSRP (which in some cases was less than other paid) and have had a fantastic ownership experience. If there's any experience for Tesla to model in the industry, I'd start there.

 

[Arnold Panz]

I have an idea -- how about Tesla design a key ring that can be used with the Model S key. That would be a nice thing to send out to everyone (not just Sig owners). The biggest inconvenience for me, by far, of owning the Model S has been the separation of my car key from my other keys. That would be a nice thing for Tesla to do. It's kind of ironic that the key ring that Tesla provides doesn't fit on the Model s key!

 

[dsm363]

I have an idea -- how about Tesla design a key ring that can be used with the Model S key. That would be a nice thing to send out to everyone (not just Sig owners). The biggest inconvenience for me, by far, of owning the Model S has been the separation of my car key from my other keys. That would be a nice thing for Tesla to do. It's kind of ironic that the key ring that Tesla provides doesn't fit on the Model s key!

Yes. This is very annoying but nothing that zip ties can't fix:smile: I know they've been made aware about this from multiple people so would be a very cheap, nice thing for them to do. They really just need to redesign the bottom of the key to make room for a traditional loop.

 

[dsm363]

I have an idea -- how about Tesla design a key ring that can be used with the Model S key. That would be a nice thing to send out to everyone (not just Sig owners). The biggest inconvenience for me, by far, of owning the Model S has been the separation of my car key from my other keys. That would be a nice thing for Tesla to do. It's kind of ironic that the key ring that Tesla provides doesn't fit on the Model s key!

Yes. This is very annoying but nothing that zip ties can't fix:smile: I know they've been made aware about this from multiple people so would be a very cheap, nice thing for them to do. They really just need to redesign the bottom of the key to make room for a traditional loop.

 

[Arnold Panz]

Yes. This is very annoying but nothing that zip ties can't fix:smile: I know they've been made aware about this from multiple people so would be a very cheap, nice thing for them to do. They really just need to redesign the bottom of the key to make room for a traditional loop.

It may be harder to redesign the key than we might expect, and they may already have a few thousand made with the current design. it would be easier for Tesla to simply find (or create) a solution that allows someone to attach something that will hold other keys along with the car key. I'm not mechanically inclined (I'm being polite to myself), so instead of intrepid owners coming up with DIY solutions I'd really rather Tesla provide us with something that solves the problem.

I don't mean to sound too negative -- in the grand scheme of things (i.e., driving the coolest car on the road) it's a minor nit to pick. But it's something I notice once or twice a day at a minimum, and everyone who I've spoken to at Tesla is aware of the problem, so why not solve it for owners? As a bonus for Tesla, it would've been a lot cheaper to buy and ship key rings that worked with our keys than the duffle bags we just got.

 

[dsm363]

You're probably right. All they really need to do is included a keyring that has a strong, small flexible loop running through the attachment point on the key. Long term they should redesign the battery cover/bottom of the key to make the loop portion larger.