# He Left a Dream Job at Mazda to Build a Car Company From NOTHING • Derek Jenkins | MotoMan Podcast 007

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/motomantv-podcast-7468588/he-left-a-dream-job-at-mazda-to-build-a-car-company-from-nothing-derek-jenkins-motoman-podcast-007
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/motomantv-podcast-7468588/he-left-a-dream-job-at-mazda-to-build-a-car-company-from-nothing-derek-jenkins-motoman-podcast-007.md
Podcast: [MotoManTV Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/motomantv-podcast-7468588)
Published: 2025-10-15T16:14:16+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/motomantv-podcast/episodes/He-Left-a-Dream-Job-at-Mazda-to-Build-a-Car-Company-From-NOTHING--Derek-Jenkins--MotoMan-Podcast-007-e39ipq5
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/108caa860/podcast/play/109716741/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-9-15%2F409323066-44100-2-4131456bb5dee.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/motomantv-podcast-7468588/episodes/he-left-a-dream-job-at-mazda-to-build-a-car-company-from-nothing-derek-jenkins-motoman-podcast-007
Duration seconds: 6428

## Resource

MotoMan sits down with Lucid Motors' Senior VP of Brand and Design, Derek Jenkins, for an unfiltered discussion. We talk about the launch of the Lucid Air, the Gravity SUV, the company's funding journey, and Derek's career through VW, Audi and Mazda. Plus, a deeply personal conversation about his car collection and surviving the Malibu Fires.Chapters:0:00 He Walked Away From His Dream Job for an EV Startup2:31 The Secret Pitch That Lured Derek Jenkins from Mazda to Lucid5:31 The Ex-Tesla Team That Convinced Him Lucid Could Win6:49 Sedan vs SUV: Lucid's First High-Stakes Debate9:29 Why Lucid Had to Be a Luxury Car Company10:46 Catching a Falling Knife: Why Lucid Gambled on the Sedan12:11 The Surprising German Super Sedan Lucid Targeted14:50 Naming a Car Company is Scarier Than Designing a Car19:15 From Sketching Cars to Building a Brand's DNA22:42 Bob Lutz: The One EV I'd Buy is a Lucid Air24:04 Why Lucid Took Money From Saudi Arabia (Not China)28:16 Lucid's Secret Plan to Be More Than a Car Company30:16 Can a Luxury Brand Also Power Uber & Your House?34:52 The Lucid Gravity SUV Was Always Part of the Master Plan36:41 From Millions to Billions: The Shocking Cost to Launch a Car39:02 Is the Gravity SUV Already Outselling the Air Sedan?40:53 The Real Reason Lucid Built its Factory in Arizona46:52 From Surf Kid to Legendary Car Designer51:22 How Valet Parking Led to a 28-Year Marriage52:48 The Story Behind the Groundbreaking Audi A2 Design56:47 Derek Jenkins' Hidden Role in the VW New Beetle1:00:05 Devastating Loss: His Self-Built Malibu Home & Car Collection1:02:25 The One Car That Miraculously Survived the Fire1:15:47 Using Lucid Tech to Restore His Classic Lotus Esprit1:18:02 Why He Really Left Volkswagen for Mazda1:20:14 Inside the Design Bake-Off for the ND Ma…

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