Tesla Inc. has kept several hundred thousand would-be buyers waiting to see a car they started paying $1,000 deposits for 20 months ago. The chance to finally get up close to a Model 3 sedan can be had now for another $15.
The automaker led by Elon Musk has a locked-up red Model 3 sedan on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show that opens to the public Friday. While the doors will stay sealed shut, even up-close looks at the exterior have been hard to come by. Tesla has restricted initial deliveries to its own employees, and Musk’s struggles getting mass production up and running has kept the car out of the hands of customers.
Tesla has historically shied away from auto shows, which are costly to participate in and are typically run by associations of dealers who aren’t fans of Tesla’s direct-sales model. But California is the electric automaker’s home turf, and the L.A. show will be a long-awaited opportunity for potential buyers and even some investors to pore over the car that’s critical to Tesla reaching more mainstream consumers for the first time.
“I have a team of people scouring for Model 3s all over Los Angeles, and I’ve personally seen only two,” said Ross Gerber, chief executive officer of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management in Santa Monica, which holds Tesla shares. He’s placed a deposit for a Model 3 and said he plans to visit the show for a better look.
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