earlier I referenced "Red Barchetta" by Rush, but I didn't elaborate why I felt it was an appropriate song. So for those who don't know:
In 1973 there was a short story published in Road & Track[1] that fantasized about a dystopian future where the government over-regulated automotive safety to the point that only huge, gas guzzling SUV's were allowed to be made (the author calls them "Modern Safety Vehicles"). Because injuries went down, drivers became reckless (apparently that is the only logical consequence of improved safety) and the accident rates went up.
Inspired by this story, Peart crafted a song in which a motor law prohibits older cars, despite which the protagonist goes for a drive in a red Barchetta. He is nearly run down by the road monster SUVs, but escapee's them across a narrow bridge.
How do I see this relating to Tesla?
First, Tesla's cars -- while not technically barchettas -- are high performance vehicles. The sort of vehicle that inspire drivers the way the driver in the original story and in the song are inspired.
Second, Tesla turns the premise on its head by
exceeding government regulation safety standards to achieve the safest car[2] while still maintaining high efficiency and performance. This appeals strongly to my sense of irony.
Third, various state governments have taken specific action to outlaw Tesla. While they are currently only making sales and service illegal the SEC is currently trying to take Tesla apart through the office of "government oversight" for the "protection" of the people.
Fourth, heck its Rush, do I need any other reason? My daughter would ask for "the owl album" from a young age[3]
Although metallic blue is still my favorite color, the idea of a red M3P with a "RED BARCHETTA" vanity plate is incredibly appealing.
So, is this off topic? For investing? Yeah, okay, ya got me. But the first three are, I believe valid ties between the Rush song and Tesla. If I was doing a Tesla commercial it would simply be a red M3P swinging through a country highway before being assaulted by two SUVs (hmmm... license plates "SEC" and "MBS"?), evading them and escaping per the song. All set to "Red Barchetta" of course.
1) preserved at
A Nice Morning Drive : How-To Library : The MG Experience
2) "safest car" is easy to say, but difficult to demonstrate. However, for this purpose the NHTSA safety testing results are adequate as they measure "lowest probability of occupant injury" which is the same standard referred to in the short story. And the top three spots are all Tesla.
3) though nowadays her favorite is AKB48, bar none. But that is a longer
decidedly off topic story
