Latest Auto Reviews Blog: Oprah's chin support buys 100th Tesla Roadster

Oprah's chin support buys 100th Tesla Roadster

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green

The night that Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech in Chicago's Grant Park, the cameras caught Oprah Winfrey pondering the historical significance of the moment while leaning on some guy's shoulder like she owned it. The man turned out to be Sam Perry, who later appeared on Oprah's TV show after the fact got out that she had no idea who he was at the time. The image above was the picture perfect Kodak moment of racism being fixed in this country that everyone wanted to believe.

Turns out, it's also a great way to sell battery-powered sports cars! Sam Perry is reportedly a wealthy Silicon Valley consultant, which further explains his presence in the VIP section that next night to Oprah. Sam has bought the 100th Tesla Roadster to be sold, and the House that Musk built (along with Eberhard) isn't going to let the occasion go unnoticed.

In fact, Tesla is currently making its case for a small slice of $25 billion in government loans that have already been approved to help the Detroit 3 retool for greener vehicles. It only wants a grand total of $650 million, which would go towards developing its next all-electric model, producing more batteries, expanding its drivetrain business and, according to Debbie Schlussel, drop the price of the Roadster from $109,000 to just $57,000. She also argues that Tesla is using Mr. Perry's connection to Oprah and her connection to the President Elect to get the money. That would be the long shot of long shots, but in the meantime, kudos to Tesla for making it to 100 units sold.