The Greatest Car Company That Never Was

In 2009 I gave a speech in my Professional Communications class that would forever change my life. We had to come up with a presentation that sold a product or company to a group of investors, which was really just our professor and classmates. My presentation was on a car concept that I had been working on in my spare time which utilized an interchangeable body. The idea was that the consumer bought one chassis and then every ten years brought it in to be brought up to spec and have the current year’s body put on, all for only 30% the cost of a new model. It was a very successful presentation and I will never forget how impressed the professor was, which wasn't an easy thing to do. The idea I presented had come from my admiration of Jeep CJs. What made Jeeps so cool to me was that you could buy one and put an endless number of parts on it. I swear that no two Jeeps look the same and I think that is part of their appeal. You buy a blank canvas box and can do as much or as little to it as you want. You can make them look newer or older just by changing the wheels and fenders and I thought why couldn't cars be that way and why couldn't the dealer make an outdated model modern again for a small fee? Just before graduation I had a job lined up in Chicago at big advertising agency, but by the time the degree was in my hand their main client had financial troubles and my job went down with their revenue. So I started a car company.

I had enough money saved up so after much preparation I started the company. It was called the Atlantic Roadcar Company. Atlantic because it was one thing the US and Europe had in common, which mirrored our goal to build a European styled coupe in the US. “Roadcar”, which was to become a new type of car (ex. Crossover, SUV) and was a term I gave to a car that was lightweight, race focused, but entirely street legal and comfortable. So I drafted a business plan, presented to investors, and even bugged family & friends for money, advice, or contacts with both. We had clay models, renderings, chassis designs, and even a crazy concept for a cheap single seat vehicle for long-range commuters. Our goal was simple; create cars that were fun to drive. Cars like the old Porsche 911 which weren't terribly fast, but where well balanced and deeply connected to the road. Our main obsession was with the weight. I wanted the chassis to be simple, light, and durable so we could utilize the interchanging bodies. Diesel, turbo, and rear engine were the power-train and horizontal mounted suspension the support. We even had a marketing plan with very innovative ways to build and manage the brand, some which are now just being used by the big car companies. I spent thousands of dollars setting up the company, getting our name out, establishing a brand, and designing a car. As time went on and money grew tight I lost the support of some friends and family and got a lot of skeptical looks and comments. At times it felt no one around me thought I was doing the right thing, but I believed in the company and the mission so I continued forward. It is only now that I realize that the people who were so negative misunderstood me because they never took a chance like I had. It was my strong passion that scared them, and it might have been because they personally had never felt so passionate about something in their own life.

I tell you this for two reasons. First, when I criticize a car company or car I don’t do it just to write about it, I do it because I've thought about it for hours and hours and come at it with a passion for the entire automotive world and the experiences that go with. Second, this is the last week before the company will close and I feel it deserves a send off. I've kept it going for three years now and will bury it at the end of this month due to another business venture. It will be sad letting go and I’m sure my critics will be filled with “I told you so” looks and pride. The thing is, I would it do again if I had the chance. It opened my eyes to a business’s point of view on the responsibility involved with building a car. It also taught me a whole lot more about business than a book could of. By putting your idea out for the world to see makes you vulnerable at first, but in the end it also makes you as tough as a coffin nail. Seneca the Younger said it best, “It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.” I just wish my company could have built the car that took me there.