Glass could have taken over BMW and Mercedes
This week Rivian went public and became worth more than Ford and GM in one fell swoop. You don't know Rivian? Then you are no exception. Although the company has been around for 11 years, it has only been producing cars for two months and has not yet made any money. The model range is fairly straightforward, with two electric SUVs in pickup and off-road versions. Prices start from USD 65,000. And this company, which builds cars in a former Mitsubishi factory, is now worth more than the two major US manufacturers with a broad product range, 100 years of experience and millions of customers. This naturally makes you wonder.
What if Glas had been able to land a similar stock market coup at the beginning of the 1960s? The balance of power in the German car industry could have turned quickly. Father and son Glas would have been in a position (with a lot of additional capital) to take over not only BMW, but also Mercedes-Benz. The Glas V8 Coupé would then presumably have been given preference over the later E9 and would then perhaps also have been equipped with the BMW straight-six. And and and.
Or ATS? The small sports car manufacturer from Italy with the V8 super sports car? With a lot of (stock market) money, perhaps it would have become the next Bugatti and would be bigger than Ferrari today?
We could go on and on, but 50 or 60 years ago it was much more difficult to find investors and money than it is today, it seems. Whether the Rivian, Lucid or Tesla shareholders will one day be able to do the math is, of course, written in the stars. However, based on the stock market valuations, these three manufacturers should have a dominant position in car manufacturing in 5, 10 or 20 years' time. Let's see ...
