# Inside Tesla Before the World Caught On | MotoMan Podcast #015

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/motomantv-podcast-7468588/inside-tesla-before-the-world-caught-on-motoman-podcast-015
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/motomantv-podcast-7468588/inside-tesla-before-the-world-caught-on-motoman-podcast-015.md
Podcast: [MotoManTV Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/motomantv-podcast-7468588)
Published: 2026-04-21T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/motomantv-podcast/episodes/Inside-Tesla-Before-the-World-Caught-On--MotoMan-Podcast-015-e3i731r
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/108caa860/podcast/play/118770171/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-3-21%2F422503923-44100-2-be67bde49c1b.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/motomantv-podcast-7468588/episodes/inside-tesla-before-the-world-caught-on-motoman-podcast-015
Duration seconds: 9377

## Resource

For over 30 years, Simon Sproule has been inside the rooms where the biggest decisions in the car industry get made. From working alongside Elon Musk at Tesla… To witnessing the rise and fall of Carlos Ghosn… This is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how the modern car industry actually works. We go deep into Tesla’s early momentum, what made it different, and why the rest of the industry is still trying to catch up. Along the way, we unpack Ford’s luxury ambitions, Nissan’s comeback, Aston Martin’s brand power, and the decisions that separate the brands that survive from the ones that don’t. This isn’t a highlight reel—it’s a 2.5-hour deep dive into the wins, the mistakes, and the moments that changed everything. CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 – Intro to Simon Sproule and the Career Behind the Scenes 00:01:19 – Car magazines, dealerships, and the road into Ford 00:04:55 – From internal comms to launching an icon 00:06:28 – Detroit, Jaguar, and the Premier Automotive Group years 00:10:04 – Lincoln, Luxury SUVs, and What Ford Was Chasing 00:13:41 – Why Luxury Brands Need Patience, Budget, and Great Designers 00:18:18 – Why Ford’s Luxury Dream Started to Crack 00:23:13 – Jaguar, Aston Martin, and James Bond 00:30:19 – Looking Back at PAG, Land Rover, and the Brands That Made It 00:37:37 – The Real Story Behind the Jaguar X-Type 00:50:54 – Going to the Nissan Renault Alliance 00:53:50 – Nissan’s Comeback, the 350Z, and Infiniti’s Big Moment 00:57:38 – Badge engineering, missed chances, and the Europe problem 01:03:39 – Carlos Ghosn, the GT-R, and the Power of Halo Cars 01:10:15 – Simon Sproule on Ghosn’s Rise, Fall, and the Alliance 01:16:37 – The Move to Tesla 01:20:35 – Launching Tesla in China and Why Elon Was Different 01:29:34 – What Simon Sproule Learned from Elon Musk and Tesl…

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## Transcript

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