A Little More Real Today

[DAVID BROWER]

I kept my (Aptera-based) opinions to myself rather than "soil the path". I sent my money in for the T-shirt, the sticker, and to "tell" the management at Elio that I am a buyer if they are a builder. At $100 I at least have an expensive T-shirt to wear at car shows and cruise-ins that will generate some conversation and maybe make some new friends.

I HAD MY DOUBTS ABOUT THE APTERA WHEN THEY STARTED PUBLISHING THE 300 mpg FIGURES .
IT CLEARLY HAD SOME INCREDIBLE EFFICIENCY , THE NUMBERS THEY THREW OUT INCLUDED THE
GAS IN THE TANK BUT NOT THE ENERGY IN THE BATTERIES . I VIEWED THIS AS SMOKE & MIRRORS .

THEY ALSO HAD A LOT OF REWORKING TO DO TO DEVELOP A PRODUCTION MODEL .
I KNEW THAT JAY LENO GOT TO DRIVE ONE BUT NOT THAT HE GOT TO KEEP IT !
ANY IDEA HOW MANY WERE ACTUALLY BUILT ?

I DID GET INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH AN APTERA GUY AT A BURGER KING ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING MY FREEWAY .
THE APTERA GUY HAD PUT SOME MONEY DOWN AND WAS TELLING ME HOW MUCH BETTER IT WILL
BE THAN MY 25 YEAR OLD GAS SIPPER .

IN THE END ALL I COULD TELL HIM THAT AT LEAST FOR NOW , MY CAR IS REAL & YOURS IS NOT .
TURNED OUT TO BE TRUER THAN I EXPECTED

IN REALITY , THE FREEWAY WAS TERRIBLE IN EVERY WAY . IT WAS POORLY DESIGNED , POORLY BUILT
AND POORLY ENGINEERED . IT WAS EVEN EXPENSIVE ! $3,500 IN 1981 COULD BUY YOU A NEW COROLLA .
THEY HAD TECUMSEH ENGINES IN THEM FOR CRYING OUT LOUD !

THE COMPANY WAS POORLY RUN TOO BUT THEY STILL MANAGED TO SELL 700 OF THEM BEFORE IT WAS OVER .
WHAT IT DID HAVE GOING FOR IT WAS THE CONCEPT OF A HIGH MILEAGE , CENTER SEAT , 3 WHEELED "AUTOCYCLE" .

I HAVE LONG THOUGHT THAT THE CONCEPT WAS GREAT & WITH GOOD DESIGN , PROPER ENGINEERING ,
MODERN TECHNOLOGY , LIVABLE CREATURE COMFORTS AND BUILT ON A LARGE SCALE , THAT CONCEPT
COULD REVOLUTIONIZE TRANSPORTATION .

THE ELIO IS AS CLOSE AS WE HAVE COME AND THEY ARE DOING ALL THE THINGS RIGHT THAT
HMV HAD DONE WRONG WITH THE FREEWAY .

 

[Thundertub]

I had a chance three years ago to spend the day at the Bruce Weiner Micro Car Museum in northern Georgia a couple months before it was all auctioned off. I took hundreds of photos, particularly the Messerschmitts. What a sad thing when it was all sold off and everything went in all directions. Some really spectacular and fun cars. Although the Elio may not be classified as a micro car it certainly fits in with what I saw at the museum. Bruce did NOT have an Aptera in the collection since only a very small handful of prototypes were made - sort of where we and ELIO are today in the process. Jay Leno got his Aptera the same way he gets most of his factory prototype cars in his collection - he paid huge money for it to whomever got it in the receivership.
When you are Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld, you pretty much have the right connections and the financial resources to get whatever you want in the automotive world.

As I stated in my post above, I signed the ELIO Commitment letter over the weekend, and today I got my confirmation e-mail from ELIO (which I printed out - may frame it next to my Aptera letter and my 100 Shares stock certificate from Vector).

This, my friends, is now that same critical tipping point time for Elio, financially. Commit now, or forever hold your peace.

 

[AriLea]

I had a chance three years ago to spend the day at the Bruce Weiner Micro Car Museum in northern Georgia a couple months before it was all auctioned off. I took hundreds of photos, particularly the Messerschmitts. What a sad thing when it was all sold off and everything went in all directions. Some really spectacular and fun cars. Although the Elio may not be classified as a micro car it certainly fits in with what I saw at the museum. Bruce did NOT have an Aptera in the collection since only a very small handful of prototypes were made - sort of where we and ELIO are today in the process. Jay Leno got his Aptera the same way he gets most of his factory prototype cars in his collection - he paid huge money for it to whomever got it in the receivership.
When you are Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld, you pretty much have the right connections and the financial resources to get whatever you want in the automotive world.

As I stated in my post above, I signed the ELIO Commitment letter over the weekend, and today I got my confirmation e-mail from ELIO (which I printed out - may frame it next to my Aptera letter and my 100 Shares stock certificate from Vector).

This, my friends, is now that same critical tipping point time for Elio, financially. Commit now, or forever hold your peace.

OH, I'm hugely envious. I wanted to see that and do the same, but they sold out first. I'm not sure such a collection will occur again in my lifetime. Ouch.

 

[DAVID BROWER]

I had a chance three years ago to spend the day at the Bruce Weiner Micro Car Museum in northern Georgia a couple months before it was all auctioned off. I took hundreds of photos, particularly the Messerschmitts. What a sad thing when it was all sold off and everything went in all directions. Some really spectacular and fun cars.

I TOOK MANY TRIPS TO MADISON AND BROUGHT CARS BACK WITH ME THREE TIMES !

MY WHITE '63 KR-200 CAME FROM BRUCE's COLLECTION AND THE GOLIATH TRUCK ON MY AVATAR DID AS WELL .
I WAS AT THE AUCTION . IT WAS A FANTASTIC ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT BUT I DIDN'T BUY ANYTHING THERE
MY DEALS WITH BRUCE WERE ALL PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS .

BRUCE ALWAYS PUT ON A GOOD SHOW & STILL HAS SEVERAL MESSERSCHMITTS THAT HE PLAYS WITH .
HE NOW HAS AN ENORMOUS COLLECTION OF PINBALL MACHINES THERE , EACH ONE MARKED "FREE PLAY" .

 

[Thundertub]

Is that display in the same building? Is it open to the public?

 

[DAVID BROWER]

Is that display in the same building? Is it open to the public?

IT IS BRUCE'S PRIVATE MAN CAVE NOW .
HE HAS PEOPLE OVER BUT IT ISN'T REALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC .

THE CANDY DISPLAYS ARE UNREAL . IT GOES ON & ON & ON .

 

[Coss]

Is that display in the same building? Is it open to the public?

IT IS BRUCE'S PRIVATE MAN CAVE NOW .
HE HAS PEOPLE OVER BUT IT ISN'T REALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC .

THE CANDY DISPLAYS ARE UNREAL . IT GOES ON & ON & ON .

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I'd love to have a Man Cave like that; not so much everything that's in it (although it would be very cool) I'm talking about the space.
To have a toy room like that to play in; oh be still my beating heart <swoon>

 

[AriLea]

Is that display in the same building? Is it open to the public?

IT IS BRUCE'S PRIVATE MAN CAVE NOW . ..
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That's it? Man cave? Ahmm,,, Man Cavern! Man Auditorium!
(you mean he re-purposed the buildings?)

 

[Thundertub]

The pictures don't do it justice. I think you could have a tennis match in there, along with a basketball game, and they wouldn't rub elbows.

 

[DAVID BROWER]

The pictures don't do it justice. I think you could have a tennis match in there,
along with a basketball game, and they wouldn't rub elbows.

IT WAS SMALLER WHEN HE BUILT THE PLACE ORIGINALLY .
HE EXPANDED THE PLACE TWICE AS THE MICROCAR COLLECTION GREW .

HE HAS AN INTERESTING CHOICE OF CARS IN THERE NOW .
MANY ARE VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF COMMON SPORTS CARS FROM THE 70's

OPEL GT , TRIUMPH SPITFIRE , PORSCHE 914 , FIAT SPIDER . THE LIST GOES ON .
SEVERAL ROWS OF VOLKSWAGENS ARE THERE .

HE ALSO HAS SOME REALLY ODDBALL COLLECTIONS .
HOW ABOUT A WALL OF TYPEWRITERS OR POLAROID CAMERAS ? PRETTY AMAZING .

ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT BRUCE IS HE's LIKE A BIG KID WITH A SEEMINGLY UNLIMITED BUDGET FOR TOYS .