1 00:00:02,152 --> 00:00:03,568 ♪ (FLASHY MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 2 00:00:03,652 --> 00:00:04,944 -(DOOR SLAMS) -(HANDCUFFS CLICK) 3 00:00:05,027 --> 00:00:07,902 CANDI MICHAEL: My parents were released on bail, 4 00:00:07,985 --> 00:00:10,402 that's what started the run for freedom. 5 00:00:11,111 --> 00:00:14,319 We rarely lived in one place for more than two months. 6 00:00:15,527 --> 00:00:17,111 CHARLES BARRETT: My sister called me 7 00:00:17,652 --> 00:00:19,319 and said, "Jerry's changing." 8 00:00:19,568 --> 00:00:23,236 JERRY: Dear Vivian, I'm not a man anymore. 9 00:00:23,652 --> 00:00:27,069 But I'd walk through fire for you and the kids. 10 00:00:27,152 --> 00:00:28,402 MICHAEL: We were all fine with it 11 00:00:28,860 --> 00:00:30,693 because she was a great mom. 12 00:00:31,568 --> 00:00:34,777 SPEAKER : Liz Carmichael worked at a cutting edge company. 13 00:00:34,860 --> 00:00:36,568 She could sell anything. 14 00:00:36,902 --> 00:00:38,111 MICHAEL: One day she came home 15 00:00:38,194 --> 00:00:40,152 talking about this three-wheeled car, 16 00:00:40,236 --> 00:00:42,860 the answer to America's gas problem. 17 00:00:44,402 --> 00:00:47,361 LIZ CARMICHAEL: General Motors? I'll kick the shit out of them. 18 00:01:10,527 --> 00:01:12,111 (TAPE RECORDER CLICKS) 19 00:01:12,194 --> 00:01:13,860 G. ELIZABETH CARMICHAEL: Then the next thing I found very impressive 20 00:01:13,944 --> 00:01:15,236 that stuck with me, 21 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,985 and stuck with me to the point that I memorized it at one time, 22 00:01:18,069 --> 00:01:21,069 was the poem "If--" by Kipling. 23 00:01:21,152 --> 00:01:23,027 "If you can keep your head when all about you 24 00:01:23,111 --> 00:01:24,527 are losing theirs and blaming it on you, 25 00:01:24,610 --> 00:01:26,361 if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 26 00:01:26,443 --> 00:01:28,527 but make allowances for their doubting too..." 27 00:01:28,610 --> 00:01:30,985 And it goes on and on. There's about 15 stanzas of it, 28 00:01:31,069 --> 00:01:33,111 and every one has beautiful thoughts 29 00:01:33,194 --> 00:01:36,069 and all about self-determinationism. 30 00:01:36,152 --> 00:01:38,777 Uh, I learned when I was just a tiny little girl 31 00:01:38,860 --> 00:01:40,652 that prayers don't get answered. 32 00:01:40,735 --> 00:01:42,902 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 33 00:01:42,985 --> 00:01:45,693 CARMICHAEL: Self-motivation does. 34 00:01:45,777 --> 00:01:49,527 So sometimes when I feel very drained and very low, 35 00:01:49,610 --> 00:01:52,610 I'll go off by myself and I'll look up at the stars 36 00:01:52,693 --> 00:01:54,985 and I'll just kind of withdraw into myself 37 00:01:55,069 --> 00:01:58,152 and draw from my own personal power, 38 00:01:58,236 --> 00:02:00,819 but not from any belief in the Supreme Being. 39 00:02:01,527 --> 00:02:03,944 (INSECTS CHIRPING) 40 00:02:04,777 --> 00:02:07,819 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 41 00:02:11,361 --> 00:02:12,902 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES) ♪ 42 00:02:14,027 --> 00:02:15,277 ♪ (EERIE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 43 00:02:15,361 --> 00:02:17,443 CANDI MICHAEL: I knew that this was big. 44 00:02:18,735 --> 00:02:20,027 We had stability. 45 00:02:20,111 --> 00:02:22,944 We were staying in one place. 46 00:02:23,027 --> 00:02:25,985 Bills were getting paid on a regular basis. 47 00:02:26,819 --> 00:02:30,111 We lived in a real house. 48 00:02:30,194 --> 00:02:33,568 It was what I thought was normal, 49 00:02:33,652 --> 00:02:36,485 what I thought everybody else thought was normal. 50 00:02:37,985 --> 00:02:39,902 CHARLES RICHARD BARRETT: When the Dale came along, 51 00:02:39,985 --> 00:02:42,819 she quit the little stuff, so to speak. 52 00:02:42,902 --> 00:02:43,985 She really did. 53 00:02:45,027 --> 00:02:47,819 The concept of the Dale car is solid. 54 00:02:48,485 --> 00:02:50,735 She was going to build a car. 55 00:02:50,819 --> 00:02:52,777 -She had a winner. -(TAPE CLICKS) 56 00:02:52,860 --> 00:02:58,944 CARMICHAEL: (OVER RECORDER) 57 00:02:59,027 --> 00:03:01,069 -(TAPE CLICKS) -LESLIE KENDALL: All through automotive history, 58 00:03:01,152 --> 00:03:05,194 women have played a supporting role 59 00:03:05,277 --> 00:03:08,527 in the automobile development, automobile marketing. 60 00:03:08,610 --> 00:03:11,944 They never really rose to the level of executive 61 00:03:12,027 --> 00:03:14,819 or designer or engineer. 62 00:03:14,902 --> 00:03:17,777 Liz, however, was hoping to change all that. 63 00:03:17,860 --> 00:03:21,693 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 64 00:03:23,693 --> 00:03:24,777 (TAPE CLICKS) 65 00:03:24,860 --> 00:03:27,860 One thing that Liz had going for her was her timing. 66 00:03:27,944 --> 00:03:29,527 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 67 00:03:29,610 --> 00:03:32,361 KENDALL: Not only was the gas crisis in full swing, 68 00:03:32,443 --> 00:03:34,944 but the Space Race had been won by America 69 00:03:35,027 --> 00:03:36,277 a half a decade earlier. 70 00:03:36,361 --> 00:03:37,610 (CROWD CHEERING) 71 00:03:37,693 --> 00:03:39,485 KENDALL: And there were all of these people 72 00:03:39,568 --> 00:03:42,777 who were ready and willing to apply their talents 73 00:03:42,860 --> 00:03:45,693 to something terrestrial like an automobile. 74 00:03:45,777 --> 00:03:49,652 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 75 00:03:58,985 --> 00:04:00,693 GERRY MCGUINNESS: My dad, Frank McGuinness, 76 00:04:00,777 --> 00:04:01,944 all of a sudden said, 77 00:04:02,027 --> 00:04:04,111 "I want you to come down and meet Liz Carmichael 78 00:04:04,194 --> 00:04:05,402 and see where I work. 79 00:04:05,485 --> 00:04:07,819 They might need some people to help render some stuff." 80 00:04:07,902 --> 00:04:09,610 And I go, "Really?" 81 00:04:09,693 --> 00:04:12,194 KENDALL: Dale Clifft built a prototype. 82 00:04:12,277 --> 00:04:13,319 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 83 00:04:13,402 --> 00:04:14,693 She seized upon that. 84 00:04:15,277 --> 00:04:16,527 But then she thought, 85 00:04:16,610 --> 00:04:19,361 "Well, for the public to really go for this, 86 00:04:19,443 --> 00:04:20,819 it has to have a full body. 87 00:04:20,902 --> 00:04:22,777 It has to have proper wheels too. 88 00:04:22,860 --> 00:04:24,735 Just look more like a car." 89 00:04:24,819 --> 00:04:26,652 MCGUINNESS: And here, I'm a 19-year-old kid, 90 00:04:26,735 --> 00:04:29,860 and I was the assistant to the chief designer. 91 00:04:29,944 --> 00:04:31,152 He would come in, I said, 92 00:04:31,236 --> 00:04:32,819 "Well, what do you want me to do?" 93 00:04:32,902 --> 00:04:34,610 And he goes, "Just start drawing. 94 00:04:34,693 --> 00:04:36,152 Anything you want. 95 00:04:36,236 --> 00:04:38,610 Just be original. Just do it." 96 00:04:41,777 --> 00:04:43,693 ♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 97 00:04:43,777 --> 00:04:45,194 (TAPE CLICKS) 98 00:04:45,277 --> 00:04:47,902 CARMICHAEL: 99 00:05:03,443 --> 00:05:04,735 (TAPE CLICKS) 100 00:05:04,819 --> 00:05:07,443 NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man, 101 00:05:08,610 --> 00:05:11,819 one giant leap for mankind. 102 00:05:11,902 --> 00:05:14,111 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 103 00:05:14,194 --> 00:05:16,652 ♪ ("CHANGE" BY SUNSET LOVE PLAYING) ♪ 104 00:05:16,735 --> 00:05:17,944 KENDALL: Having known about cars 105 00:05:18,027 --> 00:05:20,194 and having loved cars and been interested in cars 106 00:05:20,277 --> 00:05:21,819 ever since I knew what they were... 107 00:05:22,944 --> 00:05:27,319 I would have my father take me to the LA Auto Show. 108 00:05:27,402 --> 00:05:29,902 By the early '70s, cars were the longest, 109 00:05:29,985 --> 00:05:32,236 the lowest, the widest they were ever gonna get. 110 00:05:32,319 --> 00:05:34,402 -(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS) -They were also the heaviest, 111 00:05:34,485 --> 00:05:36,568 and they were also the least fuel efficient. 112 00:05:36,652 --> 00:05:38,568 (GUZZLING) 113 00:05:38,652 --> 00:05:41,652 Nobody was really coming up with anything different, 114 00:05:41,735 --> 00:05:42,819 except for one. 115 00:05:42,902 --> 00:05:45,236 -♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ -(CAMERAS CLICKING) 116 00:05:45,319 --> 00:05:48,777 And here's this three-wheeler that's gonna use less gas, 117 00:05:48,860 --> 00:05:50,693 -which is what America needs. -(MAN 1 LAUGHS) 118 00:05:50,777 --> 00:05:52,568 -MAN 2: Oh! -MAN 3: Whoa, nice! 119 00:05:52,652 --> 00:05:55,236 My God, look how yellow it is, for crying out loud. 120 00:05:55,319 --> 00:05:56,902 ANNOUNCER: And this is the Dale. 121 00:05:56,985 --> 00:05:58,777 It gets 70 miles to the gallon. 122 00:05:58,860 --> 00:06:01,402 It is a three-wheel vehicle and very stable. 123 00:06:01,485 --> 00:06:02,944 KENDALL: This three-wheel configuration 124 00:06:03,027 --> 00:06:06,735 was something that was extremely unusual for an automobile, 125 00:06:06,819 --> 00:06:09,568 and here it is at the LA Auto Show. 126 00:06:09,652 --> 00:06:11,819 I just remember looking at that car and thinking, 127 00:06:11,902 --> 00:06:15,277 "This is really, really something." 128 00:06:15,361 --> 00:06:17,860 It flew in the face of tradition. 129 00:06:19,485 --> 00:06:21,860 CANDI: I couldn't believe that it was real. 130 00:06:22,860 --> 00:06:24,693 At the time, it looked like a spaceship. 131 00:06:25,319 --> 00:06:26,693 The rotunda was encased 132 00:06:26,777 --> 00:06:28,902 and we weren't supposed to be in there, 133 00:06:28,985 --> 00:06:30,402 but we all wanted to get in it 134 00:06:30,485 --> 00:06:33,944 and we were constantly trying to open the doors. 135 00:06:34,027 --> 00:06:37,277 And my sister actually broke a door handle off. 136 00:06:37,361 --> 00:06:40,902 Of course, we rolled it under the car... 137 00:06:40,985 --> 00:06:43,277 (LAUGHS) ...and then got out of the rotunda. 138 00:06:43,402 --> 00:06:44,610 ♪ (GUITAR MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 139 00:06:44,693 --> 00:06:47,568 CANDI: We stopped calling Vivian "Mother" at that time, 140 00:06:48,236 --> 00:06:50,485 and she was "Aunt Vivian." 141 00:06:50,568 --> 00:06:55,319 And we didn't see much of Liz anymore 142 00:06:55,402 --> 00:06:57,735 because it was always past our bedtime 143 00:06:57,819 --> 00:06:59,111 -when she was getting home. -(TAPE CLICKS) 144 00:06:59,194 --> 00:07:01,027 CARMICHAEL: I've always worked 16 hours a day 145 00:07:01,111 --> 00:07:02,860 since I was a little girl. 146 00:07:02,944 --> 00:07:05,027 As a result, my family has been forced 147 00:07:05,111 --> 00:07:08,568 to build their life around mine, rather than mine around theirs. 148 00:07:09,568 --> 00:07:11,069 (PHONE BUZZES) 149 00:07:11,152 --> 00:07:13,902 -CARMICHAEL: Yes? -RECEPTIONIST: Young lady named Wendi on the phone. 150 00:07:13,985 --> 00:07:15,277 -CARMICHAEL: Okay. -(TAPE CLICKS) 151 00:07:15,361 --> 00:07:17,152 We called the office, between us, 152 00:07:17,236 --> 00:07:18,610 at least 20 times a day. 153 00:07:18,693 --> 00:07:20,652 Just 'cause we wanted Mommy home. 154 00:07:20,735 --> 00:07:22,319 CARMICHAEL: I get home at one o'clock, 155 00:07:22,402 --> 00:07:25,985 but it's quality time, not just quantity time. 156 00:07:26,069 --> 00:07:29,777 But she still made time for the Sunday picnics. 157 00:07:31,319 --> 00:07:32,860 It was always the same. 158 00:07:32,944 --> 00:07:36,610 She'd start cooking late on a Saturday night. 159 00:07:36,693 --> 00:07:39,236 The potato salad and coleslaw 160 00:07:39,319 --> 00:07:41,860 and bean salad, which was delicious, 161 00:07:41,944 --> 00:07:44,610 devilled eggs, and a homemade bread. 162 00:07:44,693 --> 00:07:46,527 All night long, you'd smell the yeast, 163 00:07:46,610 --> 00:07:49,069 and first thing in the morning, she'd put it in the oven 164 00:07:49,152 --> 00:07:51,652 so it'd be ready to take to the park. 165 00:07:53,443 --> 00:07:56,944 And we'd play our idea of baseball. 166 00:07:57,027 --> 00:07:59,361 -(INDISTINCT CHATTER) -CANDI: Even Vivian played. 167 00:07:59,443 --> 00:08:00,361 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 168 00:08:00,443 --> 00:08:02,443 She'd smack that ball and run. 169 00:08:03,610 --> 00:08:06,402 ♪ (ROCK MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 170 00:08:06,485 --> 00:08:10,319 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 171 00:08:27,443 --> 00:08:29,443 My name is John Griffiths, 172 00:08:30,236 --> 00:08:33,069 and, uh, I was hired by Liz 173 00:08:33,152 --> 00:08:35,610 to build the first running prototype 174 00:08:35,693 --> 00:08:39,236 Dale three-wheel automobile. 175 00:08:39,319 --> 00:08:43,777 Because up until that time, they had nothing but show cars. 176 00:08:44,944 --> 00:08:48,152 Show vehicles don't have to operate or do anything. 177 00:08:48,236 --> 00:08:51,944 They get pushed up onto a dais and rotate, 178 00:08:52,027 --> 00:08:55,944 and the salesman just talks up as big as they can 179 00:08:56,027 --> 00:08:59,527 to promote an interest in the vehicle. 180 00:08:59,610 --> 00:09:01,819 She was happy to have me onboard, 181 00:09:01,902 --> 00:09:06,610 and I looked forward to making her dream come true. 182 00:09:06,693 --> 00:09:10,985 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 183 00:09:16,027 --> 00:09:16,985 (TAPE CLICKS) 184 00:09:17,069 --> 00:09:19,277 She said, "We're gonna make a prototype, 185 00:09:19,361 --> 00:09:21,194 and we're gonna have it test-driven, 186 00:09:21,277 --> 00:09:24,402 and we're gonna show the world that we're contenders." 187 00:09:24,485 --> 00:09:25,693 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 188 00:09:25,777 --> 00:09:27,777 GREG LEAS: She said, "Build yourself a machine shop. 189 00:09:27,860 --> 00:09:29,610 Money is no object." 190 00:09:29,693 --> 00:09:32,152 You know, it was the Mercedes of everything. 191 00:09:32,236 --> 00:09:35,944 I had worked with four-wheel automobiles, 192 00:09:36,027 --> 00:09:39,485 and this was a three-wheel with a motorcycle engine, 193 00:09:39,568 --> 00:09:41,319 so it was all brand-new. 194 00:09:41,402 --> 00:09:42,985 LEAS: Some of us were doing things 195 00:09:43,069 --> 00:09:45,610 that we'd never done before, but... 196 00:09:45,693 --> 00:09:47,485 we were gonna figure that out. 197 00:09:47,568 --> 00:09:51,402 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 198 00:09:54,568 --> 00:09:55,902 (TAPE CLICKS) 199 00:09:56,568 --> 00:09:58,319 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 200 00:09:58,402 --> 00:09:59,819 A PR guy who calls me, 201 00:09:59,902 --> 00:10:02,985 he says, "I got-- I got a mother of five who has invented a car." 202 00:10:03,069 --> 00:10:04,652 And I said, "Yeah, well, is she famous?" 203 00:10:04,735 --> 00:10:06,152 "No. But she's going to be." 204 00:10:06,236 --> 00:10:07,361 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 205 00:10:07,443 --> 00:10:12,652 America in the early '70s, it was on a run. 206 00:10:12,735 --> 00:10:16,152 Anybody could be anything they wanted to be. 207 00:10:16,236 --> 00:10:19,944 I was the paparazzi. I was very, very good at my job. 208 00:10:22,652 --> 00:10:25,610 I was fascinated with those people who were making it. 209 00:10:25,693 --> 00:10:28,443 Elizabeth Carmichael was clearly 210 00:10:28,527 --> 00:10:31,111 one of these people who was making it. 211 00:10:32,652 --> 00:10:33,735 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 212 00:10:33,819 --> 00:10:35,568 COLIN DANGAARD: When I was interviewing her, 213 00:10:35,652 --> 00:10:38,361 I became more and more enthralled 214 00:10:38,443 --> 00:10:40,111 with what she was telling me. 215 00:10:46,819 --> 00:10:50,194 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: The two most important things about me 216 00:10:50,277 --> 00:10:52,194 is that I have endless energy 217 00:10:52,277 --> 00:10:55,902 and I am totally, one hundred percent, honest. 218 00:10:55,985 --> 00:10:58,610 I'm smart, I'm clever, 219 00:10:58,693 --> 00:11:00,443 I'm a good businesswoman. 220 00:11:01,485 --> 00:11:03,277 Three years ago, I foresaw the demand 221 00:11:03,361 --> 00:11:06,236 -for low-fuel-consumption cars. -(TAPE CLICKS) 222 00:11:06,319 --> 00:11:09,069 Elizabeth Carmichael was an original thinker. 223 00:11:09,152 --> 00:11:10,735 She was way ahead of her time. 224 00:11:10,819 --> 00:11:13,402 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: I'm ready to throw down the gauntlet 225 00:11:13,485 --> 00:11:15,944 against the big three of Detroit. 226 00:11:16,027 --> 00:11:18,236 Detroit failed to respond to the need 227 00:11:18,319 --> 00:11:22,443 for a more efficient, low-cost method of transportation. 228 00:11:22,527 --> 00:11:24,485 Well, I'm going to build the public 229 00:11:24,568 --> 00:11:26,069 exactly what they're looking for. 230 00:11:26,152 --> 00:11:30,777 And I'm going to knock the hell out of Detroit doing it. 231 00:11:30,860 --> 00:11:34,361 I'll run the auto industry like a queen. 232 00:11:36,152 --> 00:11:39,319 My morale, it's like a tent revival. 233 00:11:39,402 --> 00:11:43,277 -The atmosphere here is like a religious fervor. -(TAPE CLICKS) 234 00:11:43,361 --> 00:11:45,194 I can't say "spiritual," but... 235 00:11:45,277 --> 00:11:48,194 there was an energy in that place. 236 00:11:49,027 --> 00:11:51,402 We're almost like a big family. 237 00:11:51,485 --> 00:11:52,568 DANGAARD: They are working, 238 00:11:52,652 --> 00:11:54,902 giving me every ounce of what they have 239 00:11:54,985 --> 00:11:58,693 to make this happen, to make the Dale happen. 240 00:11:58,777 --> 00:12:02,735 And it was hard to doubt that she wasn't going to do it. 241 00:12:02,819 --> 00:12:04,319 She was determined. 242 00:12:04,860 --> 00:12:06,443 ♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪ 243 00:12:06,527 --> 00:12:08,443 DANGAARD: The story of Elizabeth Carmichael 244 00:12:08,527 --> 00:12:10,319 went out to all my newspapers. 245 00:12:10,402 --> 00:12:14,777 And that was 160 publications, uh, in 30 countries. 246 00:12:14,860 --> 00:12:16,902 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: I've got the best PR man 247 00:12:16,985 --> 00:12:19,319 that I think ever set two feet on the ground. 248 00:12:19,402 --> 00:12:20,819 He's one hell of a man, 249 00:12:20,902 --> 00:12:23,652 as evidenced by the fact that we've made the front page 250 00:12:23,735 --> 00:12:26,111 of 60 major metropolitan dailies. 251 00:12:26,194 --> 00:12:28,111 I've been on every TV network. 252 00:12:28,194 --> 00:12:29,985 ...what everybody's been looking for, 253 00:12:30,069 --> 00:12:34,027 a small, inexpensive car that gets up to 70 miles a gallon. 254 00:12:34,111 --> 00:12:35,485 ...built out of plastic... 255 00:12:35,568 --> 00:12:37,069 REPORTER: ...she says is stronger than steel. 256 00:12:37,152 --> 00:12:40,319 The capability has been there for 15 years, but... 257 00:12:40,402 --> 00:12:42,568 CARMICHAEL: All the efforts of one man. 258 00:12:42,652 --> 00:12:43,944 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 259 00:12:44,027 --> 00:12:45,735 CANDI: Everything grew so fast. 260 00:12:45,819 --> 00:12:49,402 Next thing you know, they're selling posters of her. 261 00:12:50,652 --> 00:12:52,277 It was just the weirdest thing. 262 00:12:52,361 --> 00:12:55,069 You're selling posters of my mom? 263 00:12:55,152 --> 00:12:57,944 And she's standing there like-- like Superman, 264 00:12:58,027 --> 00:13:01,319 straddling the Los Angeles freeway. 265 00:13:01,402 --> 00:13:03,777 MARK LISCHERON: She's now gotten so much attention 266 00:13:03,860 --> 00:13:07,152 that she has her publicity people 267 00:13:07,236 --> 00:13:09,652 contact The Price is Right. 268 00:13:09,735 --> 00:13:12,568 BOB BARKER: I need a bid, Johnny. Have you got it? 269 00:13:12,652 --> 00:13:15,527 -I'll bid 10,500 dollars. -BARKER: Ten thousand... 270 00:13:15,610 --> 00:13:17,568 Nobody, none of the three contestants, 271 00:13:17,652 --> 00:13:21,527 even got close to the actual price, which was... 272 00:13:21,610 --> 00:13:22,985 -(BUZZER RINGS) -(AUDIENCE GROANS) 273 00:13:23,069 --> 00:13:24,527 LISCHERON: ...2,000 dollars. 274 00:13:24,610 --> 00:13:26,735 MCGUINNESS: We were convinced that this thing was gonna take off. 275 00:13:26,819 --> 00:13:28,985 We're in the beginning of Microsoft, you know, 276 00:13:29,069 --> 00:13:30,527 we're at the bottom floor. 277 00:13:30,610 --> 00:13:32,069 This thing is gonna go. 278 00:13:32,152 --> 00:13:34,361 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: We'll build 88,000 cars the first year, 279 00:13:34,443 --> 00:13:37,402 open the second facility in mid-1976, 280 00:13:37,485 --> 00:13:40,902 and then the third facility in '77 on the east coast. 281 00:13:40,985 --> 00:13:43,568 My full intention and expectation 282 00:13:43,652 --> 00:13:47,777 is to become the biggest automobile manufacturer in the world 283 00:13:47,860 --> 00:13:49,069 in five years. 284 00:13:49,152 --> 00:13:51,402 And it won't stop with automobiles. 285 00:13:51,485 --> 00:13:52,735 Henry Ford said, 286 00:13:52,819 --> 00:13:54,985 "You catch things on the rising tide, 287 00:13:55,069 --> 00:13:56,902 -you're doomed to success." -(TAPE CLICKS) 288 00:13:56,985 --> 00:13:58,902 She was just brilliant. 289 00:13:58,985 --> 00:14:00,777 I mean, the way she came across 290 00:14:00,860 --> 00:14:02,777 and the way she can convince you of stuff 291 00:14:02,860 --> 00:14:06,236 that, you know, were not verified about that car. 292 00:14:06,319 --> 00:14:09,527 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 293 00:14:11,111 --> 00:14:13,236 The formula's secret. 294 00:14:13,319 --> 00:14:15,194 The body was made from a material 295 00:14:15,277 --> 00:14:16,944 developed to protect the nose cones 296 00:14:17,027 --> 00:14:20,236 on American space vehicles during reentry. 297 00:14:20,319 --> 00:14:23,693 It's nine times stronger than steel, ounce for ounce. 298 00:14:23,777 --> 00:14:25,277 (METAL CLANKING) 299 00:14:25,361 --> 00:14:26,777 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 300 00:14:26,860 --> 00:14:29,527 CARMICHAEL: We've already done the preliminary testing on this. 301 00:14:29,610 --> 00:14:30,735 (TAPE CLICKS) 302 00:14:30,819 --> 00:14:33,735 One day, she came home telling us about this scientist 303 00:14:33,819 --> 00:14:37,069 who made this unbreakable plastic. 304 00:14:37,152 --> 00:14:40,693 And she brought home this tumbler, a glass... 305 00:14:40,777 --> 00:14:42,277 that wasn't glass. 306 00:14:42,361 --> 00:14:45,194 The next day, she goes to the hardware store 307 00:14:45,277 --> 00:14:47,777 and buys this sledgehammer, 308 00:14:47,860 --> 00:14:49,527 and she said, "Go ahead, break it." 309 00:14:51,194 --> 00:14:52,236 Before you know it, 310 00:14:52,319 --> 00:14:54,069 this is a whole neighborhood thing. 311 00:14:54,152 --> 00:14:55,319 (INDISTINCT CHEERING) 312 00:14:55,402 --> 00:14:57,902 CANDI: Kids from the surrounding houses were all over. 313 00:14:57,985 --> 00:14:59,693 And everybody is taking their turns 314 00:14:59,777 --> 00:15:02,111 with the sledgehammer, trying to break this glass. 315 00:15:02,194 --> 00:15:06,735 She was really excited about this special kind of plastic. 316 00:15:06,819 --> 00:15:09,652 She was making claims that the plastic 317 00:15:09,735 --> 00:15:12,027 was strong enough to take a bullet. 318 00:15:12,111 --> 00:15:15,111 So, uh, one of the guys, he goes and gets, um... 319 00:15:15,194 --> 00:15:17,194 I think a .357 Magnum, 320 00:15:17,277 --> 00:15:19,777 and we went down to the very bottom 321 00:15:19,860 --> 00:15:21,152 of the Wells Fargo, 322 00:15:21,236 --> 00:15:23,860 and he brought that plastic cup and put it in the corner, 323 00:15:23,944 --> 00:15:28,777 and with Liz, aimed at it, maybe 20 yards away. Boom. 324 00:15:28,860 --> 00:15:30,361 (GUNSHOT) 325 00:15:30,735 --> 00:15:31,735 (SHATTERS) 326 00:15:31,819 --> 00:15:33,652 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 327 00:15:33,735 --> 00:15:35,194 She acted like she was convinced 328 00:15:35,277 --> 00:15:37,652 that that bullet would bounce off that plastic. 329 00:15:37,735 --> 00:15:39,652 She had probably said it so many times, 330 00:15:39,735 --> 00:15:41,194 she actually believed it. 331 00:15:41,277 --> 00:15:43,194 And when you spoke with her, 332 00:15:43,277 --> 00:15:46,069 she was very, very, very convincing. 333 00:15:46,152 --> 00:15:49,693 CARMICHAEL: My automobile will be the safest in the world. 334 00:15:49,777 --> 00:15:51,485 I've driven one of the prototypes 335 00:15:51,568 --> 00:15:53,319 into a solid concrete wall 336 00:15:53,402 --> 00:15:57,443 at 30, 40, and 50 miles an hour, 337 00:15:57,527 --> 00:16:00,194 and there was only superficial damage to the front. 338 00:16:00,277 --> 00:16:01,402 All that happened to me 339 00:16:01,485 --> 00:16:03,610 was that my face got scratched a little 340 00:16:03,693 --> 00:16:05,361 and I got a little bloody nose. 341 00:16:05,443 --> 00:16:07,860 Liz would just say anything at any given time, 342 00:16:07,944 --> 00:16:10,402 and then worry about backing it up later. 343 00:16:10,485 --> 00:16:12,236 CARMICHAEL: I drove into the ocean. 344 00:16:12,319 --> 00:16:13,568 I got caught up in testing 345 00:16:13,652 --> 00:16:16,194 and ran the son of a bitch into the ocean. 346 00:16:16,277 --> 00:16:18,944 KENDALL: What Liz didn't realize she was doing 347 00:16:19,027 --> 00:16:20,985 was risking the reputation 348 00:16:21,069 --> 00:16:23,069 of everybody that was working for her. 349 00:16:23,152 --> 00:16:25,194 All these people were in her corner 350 00:16:25,277 --> 00:16:27,027 really pulling for this thing, 351 00:16:27,111 --> 00:16:30,402 believing in it as much as she said she did. 352 00:16:30,485 --> 00:16:32,069 MCGUINNESS: You're promoting something 353 00:16:32,152 --> 00:16:34,319 that should've been built first to the T, 354 00:16:34,402 --> 00:16:37,069 so you could actually go up and say, "This is it." 355 00:16:37,152 --> 00:16:38,194 ♪ (MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY) ♪ 356 00:16:38,277 --> 00:16:40,069 JOHN GRIFFITHS: The sales and the promotion 357 00:16:40,152 --> 00:16:42,319 and the making of money in the main office 358 00:16:42,402 --> 00:16:46,485 is totally separate from anything going on in that shop. 359 00:16:46,568 --> 00:16:48,777 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 360 00:16:48,860 --> 00:16:52,111 GRIFFITHS: As the weeks went on, I realized that we didn't have 361 00:16:52,194 --> 00:16:55,527 the right equipment or anything to make a car. 362 00:16:59,777 --> 00:17:01,277 There was no master plan. 363 00:17:01,361 --> 00:17:04,361 There was no schedule to complete anything. 364 00:17:05,443 --> 00:17:09,693 That's what encouraged me to make my proposal. 365 00:17:09,777 --> 00:17:13,027 I wanna become Prototype Project Director. 366 00:17:14,236 --> 00:17:15,819 So I wrote a formal letter 367 00:17:15,902 --> 00:17:18,902 and told her specifically what I wanted to do, 368 00:17:18,985 --> 00:17:21,361 what I saw needed to be done. 369 00:17:22,819 --> 00:17:24,152 And she said to me, 370 00:17:24,236 --> 00:17:26,944 "We've already got a manager in the shop. 371 00:17:27,027 --> 00:17:30,236 -It's Frank McGuiness." -(TELEPHONE RINGING) 372 00:17:30,319 --> 00:17:32,111 We were those dirty little buggers 373 00:17:32,194 --> 00:17:36,027 that were building this thing in the back room 374 00:17:36,111 --> 00:17:38,236 while she was making the big money 375 00:17:38,819 --> 00:17:39,944 on a dream. 376 00:17:40,027 --> 00:17:42,236 ANCHOR: Meanwhile, mechanics continue to work 377 00:17:42,319 --> 00:17:43,527 on the miracle machine, 378 00:17:43,610 --> 00:17:46,277 correcting what they call "minor bugs." 379 00:17:46,361 --> 00:17:47,777 The miracle is in the mileage, 380 00:17:47,860 --> 00:17:50,443 a promise of 70 per precious gallon. 381 00:17:50,527 --> 00:17:52,319 But if you think the manufacturers 382 00:17:52,402 --> 00:17:54,985 designed this car to meet the energy crisis, 383 00:17:55,069 --> 00:17:56,319 think again. 384 00:17:56,402 --> 00:17:59,069 (CHUCKLES) If in the process I save the world, that's okay, 385 00:17:59,152 --> 00:18:01,443 but my main concern is for myself. 386 00:18:01,527 --> 00:18:03,985 -REPORTER: And you wanna be a billionaire? -CARMICHAEL: That's right. 387 00:18:04,069 --> 00:18:07,277 I know how to build a car. I know how to build a company. 388 00:18:07,361 --> 00:18:10,693 I know how to put together the financial empire. 389 00:18:10,777 --> 00:18:13,860 But the one thing that might stop me is the government. 390 00:18:13,944 --> 00:18:16,819 They've got it rigged so that if you don't already have millions, 391 00:18:16,902 --> 00:18:17,985 you may as well forget it 392 00:18:18,069 --> 00:18:20,693 on attempting to compete with millionaires, 393 00:18:20,777 --> 00:18:22,944 unless you're willing to do it illegally. 394 00:18:23,027 --> 00:18:26,443 Liz said to me, "You know, I wanna make a lot of money. 395 00:18:26,527 --> 00:18:28,610 I'll be legal, but just." 396 00:18:28,693 --> 00:18:31,236 Well, what does that mean? 397 00:18:31,319 --> 00:18:33,361 She would take money from anybody 398 00:18:33,443 --> 00:18:37,194 if they bought into her dream. 399 00:18:37,277 --> 00:18:39,236 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: I get letters from people who say, 400 00:18:39,319 --> 00:18:41,693 "I'll come and work for you and do anything you want 401 00:18:41,777 --> 00:18:43,819 because I think you're our last hope." 402 00:18:43,902 --> 00:18:45,485 They're walking in off the street. 403 00:18:45,568 --> 00:18:47,693 Heard about the Dale, came out here, 404 00:18:47,777 --> 00:18:49,860 and they wanna see this thing happen. 405 00:18:49,944 --> 00:18:51,693 What do you do? 406 00:18:51,777 --> 00:18:55,027 It was really, really hard for her to say no 407 00:18:55,111 --> 00:18:56,610 to people like that, 408 00:18:56,693 --> 00:18:58,777 people that believed in her. 409 00:18:58,860 --> 00:19:01,819 Just giving her the power and the feeling she wanted, 410 00:19:01,902 --> 00:19:03,735 she couldn't turn them down. 411 00:19:04,735 --> 00:19:06,652 Send them out to the shop. 412 00:19:06,735 --> 00:19:09,777 You only need three or four or five people 413 00:19:09,860 --> 00:19:11,111 to build a car. 414 00:19:11,194 --> 00:19:15,069 You don't need a shop filled with people walking around, 415 00:19:15,152 --> 00:19:16,527 having no direction, 416 00:19:16,610 --> 00:19:18,402 not being told what to do. 417 00:19:18,485 --> 00:19:20,485 It's embarrassing, actually. 418 00:19:22,027 --> 00:19:23,277 "Why are you here?" 419 00:19:23,361 --> 00:19:27,236 They're there because they've invested their life savings. 420 00:19:27,319 --> 00:19:30,527 She told me she brought in around 30 grand a day. 421 00:19:31,361 --> 00:19:33,985 So just a ton of money coming in. 422 00:19:34,069 --> 00:19:36,319 CARMICHAEL: I don't give one hoot in hell about ecology 423 00:19:36,402 --> 00:19:38,402 or the public welfare or the public good. 424 00:19:38,485 --> 00:19:40,027 I'm in business for only one reason, 425 00:19:40,111 --> 00:19:42,485 to make Liz Carmichael the most important person 426 00:19:42,568 --> 00:19:43,860 in the automotive industry. 427 00:19:43,944 --> 00:19:45,443 And there are thousands of people 428 00:19:45,527 --> 00:19:47,902 riding to cheer me on, and they're not wealthy people, 429 00:19:47,985 --> 00:19:50,902 they're poor people who see in me the embodiment 430 00:19:50,985 --> 00:19:53,860 of the very thing that they went to school 20 years ago 431 00:19:53,944 --> 00:19:55,819 or 30 years ago or 50 years ago, 432 00:19:55,902 --> 00:19:58,527 and learned that that's what America's all about, 433 00:19:58,610 --> 00:20:00,194 -free enterprise. -(TAPE CLICKS) 434 00:20:00,277 --> 00:20:02,277 For Liz... 435 00:20:02,361 --> 00:20:05,819 entrepreneurship isn't just a fresh start. 436 00:20:05,902 --> 00:20:07,069 ♪ (HOUSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 437 00:20:07,152 --> 00:20:09,361 It is the only way forward. 438 00:20:10,361 --> 00:20:11,860 Imagine what it would be like 439 00:20:11,944 --> 00:20:14,985 if there was no other avenue to success. 440 00:20:15,069 --> 00:20:20,152 Being a woman attempting to revolutionize, 441 00:20:20,236 --> 00:20:23,693 uh, a business industry in the '70s, 442 00:20:24,777 --> 00:20:25,985 that at that time, 443 00:20:26,069 --> 00:20:28,693 if you didn't take that strong position, 444 00:20:28,777 --> 00:20:30,527 no one was gonna give you credit. 445 00:20:30,610 --> 00:20:32,944 "You don't think I'm qualified? Well, you're wrong. 446 00:20:33,027 --> 00:20:34,819 Turns out, I'm the only person 447 00:20:34,902 --> 00:20:37,319 in the entire world that's qualified." 448 00:20:37,443 --> 00:20:40,277 It's ridiculous. It's over-the-top. 449 00:20:40,361 --> 00:20:42,319 But is there really any other way 450 00:20:42,402 --> 00:20:45,735 that a woman at the time could have been successful? 451 00:20:47,568 --> 00:20:51,777 It is her one chance 452 00:20:52,443 --> 00:20:55,443 to set all the past aside 453 00:20:55,527 --> 00:20:59,319 and do something truly meaningful. 454 00:20:59,402 --> 00:21:02,443 And no one, no one else in the world, 455 00:21:02,527 --> 00:21:04,485 is gonna give her this chance. 456 00:21:04,568 --> 00:21:06,944 She just has to create it for herself. 457 00:21:09,319 --> 00:21:12,443 -♪ (NEWS THEME PLAYING) ♪ -ANCHOR: And more violence among striking teamsters 458 00:21:12,527 --> 00:21:14,485 in Northern California... 459 00:21:14,568 --> 00:21:16,527 ROGER SCOTT: KABC was pretty normal. 460 00:21:16,610 --> 00:21:19,902 I mean, "normal," it's not like the Bank of America. 461 00:21:19,985 --> 00:21:21,152 It's a newsroom. 462 00:21:21,236 --> 00:21:23,152 There's a lot of tension, there's a lot of deadlines, 463 00:21:23,236 --> 00:21:25,819 people raising their voices at each other. 464 00:21:25,902 --> 00:21:28,610 But that's just the way newsrooms are. 465 00:21:28,693 --> 00:21:31,194 DENNIS SMITH: It was a very exciting time 466 00:21:31,277 --> 00:21:33,777 to be a news documentary cameraman 467 00:21:33,860 --> 00:21:35,527 in the '70s in Los Angeles. 468 00:21:35,610 --> 00:21:38,319 REPORTER: There's a waterline mark over there... 469 00:21:38,402 --> 00:21:41,027 SMITH: Fires, floods, riots... 470 00:21:41,111 --> 00:21:44,027 we did everything that you can imagine. 471 00:21:44,111 --> 00:21:47,361 SCOTT: Dick Carlson was just a regular field reporter. 472 00:21:47,443 --> 00:21:49,319 He delivered stories. 473 00:21:49,402 --> 00:21:52,361 I've worked with him at KGO in San Francisco, 474 00:21:52,443 --> 00:21:55,527 where he was working as the overnight reporter. 475 00:21:55,610 --> 00:21:58,277 And they'd run around shooting police busts, 476 00:21:58,361 --> 00:22:01,860 and they'd come in at six in the morning with film. 477 00:22:01,944 --> 00:22:03,069 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 478 00:22:03,152 --> 00:22:04,652 You'd set up the camera, 479 00:22:04,735 --> 00:22:06,485 put the person to be interviewed 480 00:22:06,568 --> 00:22:07,985 four or five feet in front of the camera, 481 00:22:08,069 --> 00:22:09,402 and then run around with the microphone 482 00:22:09,485 --> 00:22:11,361 and do an interview in less than three minutes 483 00:22:11,443 --> 00:22:12,944 because the film was gonna run out. 484 00:22:13,027 --> 00:22:14,319 What charge is being placed upon-- 485 00:22:14,402 --> 00:22:16,527 They're, uh, being, uh, arrested for 370 of the Penal Code. 486 00:22:16,610 --> 00:22:18,610 -Is that public nuisance? -That is a public nuisance. 487 00:22:18,693 --> 00:22:20,277 -Are you a pimp? -I am no pimp. 488 00:22:20,361 --> 00:22:22,527 I'm a rock-and-roll-style guitar player. 489 00:22:22,610 --> 00:22:26,568 I'm not here to criticize who is right or who is wrong 490 00:22:26,652 --> 00:22:29,443 in calling names, beating people over the head, 491 00:22:29,527 --> 00:22:31,527 or any other reason of harassment. 492 00:22:31,610 --> 00:22:33,236 Have you ever thought it seems sort of ludicrous 493 00:22:33,319 --> 00:22:34,610 to give all the money you make, 494 00:22:34,693 --> 00:22:36,944 work 50, 60 hours a week, to turn it over to a man? 495 00:22:37,027 --> 00:22:38,443 PROSTITUTE 1: No. 496 00:22:38,527 --> 00:22:41,111 PROSTITUTE 2: But when I get starving for two and three days, 497 00:22:41,194 --> 00:22:43,027 and somebody comes along, 498 00:22:43,860 --> 00:22:45,194 I'm gonna take a meal off him 499 00:22:45,277 --> 00:22:47,069 if it's the only means available. 500 00:22:47,152 --> 00:22:48,319 (INDISTINCT CLAMOR) 501 00:22:48,402 --> 00:22:51,693 SCOTT: And about the same time that I came to KABC, 502 00:22:51,777 --> 00:22:54,527 Dick Carlson also came to KABC. 503 00:22:54,610 --> 00:22:57,402 The news director put him together with Pete Noyes 504 00:22:57,485 --> 00:22:59,277 to do investigative work. 505 00:22:59,361 --> 00:23:02,693 Some people at ABC were skeptical about Carlson, 506 00:23:02,777 --> 00:23:04,485 and they said, "Keep an eye on him. 507 00:23:04,568 --> 00:23:07,152 Don't let him go overboard." 508 00:23:07,236 --> 00:23:08,652 ♪ (MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY) ♪ 509 00:23:09,443 --> 00:23:10,777 ♪ (QUIET MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 510 00:23:10,860 --> 00:23:13,069 DICK CARLSON: Pete and I were sitting in the house trailer 511 00:23:13,152 --> 00:23:14,819 next to the newsroom building. 512 00:23:16,194 --> 00:23:17,443 The television was on, 513 00:23:17,527 --> 00:23:22,568 and a reporter who worked for us was talking about a new vehicle 514 00:23:23,194 --> 00:23:25,194 called the Dale car. 515 00:23:25,277 --> 00:23:28,902 They were touting this car and Mrs. Carmichael. 516 00:23:28,985 --> 00:23:32,111 This is in the beginning of interest in the media in feminism 517 00:23:32,194 --> 00:23:35,152 with Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan 518 00:23:35,236 --> 00:23:37,902 and the whole sisterhood at work. 519 00:23:37,985 --> 00:23:40,027 Well, the media loved all that. 520 00:23:40,111 --> 00:23:42,568 They put her on the front of magazines 521 00:23:42,652 --> 00:23:44,735 and got her television coverage. 522 00:23:44,819 --> 00:23:46,610 So Noyes and I looked at it and said... 523 00:23:46,693 --> 00:23:49,027 (CHUCKLING) "That's, uh-- That sounds like BS to me." 524 00:23:49,111 --> 00:23:51,902 And it did. It was too perfect. It was a media hype. 525 00:23:52,402 --> 00:23:53,361 So we thought, 526 00:23:53,443 --> 00:23:55,735 "Well, let's take a look at this more seriously." 527 00:23:57,361 --> 00:24:00,111 PETE NOYES: I called up the Dale headquarters. 528 00:24:00,194 --> 00:24:02,402 "We'd like to do a story about the Dale car, 529 00:24:02,485 --> 00:24:04,944 and we'd like to interview G. Elizabeth Carmichael 530 00:24:05,027 --> 00:24:07,069 about her life and times." 531 00:24:07,152 --> 00:24:08,277 So we went over there 532 00:24:08,361 --> 00:24:10,027 and we were waiting for the interview, 533 00:24:10,111 --> 00:24:13,027 and I noticed an intelligence officer 534 00:24:13,111 --> 00:24:15,735 from the DA's office sitting in the room. 535 00:24:15,819 --> 00:24:17,111 His name was Frank Ronick. 536 00:24:17,194 --> 00:24:19,069 So I said, "What the hell are you doing here, Frank?" 537 00:24:19,152 --> 00:24:22,527 And he said, "Well, there's some people working here 538 00:24:22,610 --> 00:24:24,652 that may be able to give me some information 539 00:24:24,735 --> 00:24:26,402 if I squeeze them a little bit, you know?" 540 00:24:26,485 --> 00:24:28,693 I said, "Oh, yeah, well, you wanna tell me more?" 541 00:24:28,777 --> 00:24:30,527 He says, "No, I can't tell you any more about it, 542 00:24:30,610 --> 00:24:32,277 but you gotta keep your eye on this place." 543 00:24:32,985 --> 00:24:35,027 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 544 00:24:35,111 --> 00:24:37,735 She's got some strange people there 545 00:24:37,819 --> 00:24:40,236 working in the company. 546 00:24:40,319 --> 00:24:43,443 Normally, if there was an engineering department, 547 00:24:43,527 --> 00:24:44,693 it'd be just engineers. 548 00:24:44,777 --> 00:24:47,735 Well, some guy in a suit appears one day. 549 00:24:47,819 --> 00:24:50,027 LEAS: Johnny Flack is a good example. 550 00:24:50,111 --> 00:24:53,152 He was dressed to the nines all the time. 551 00:24:54,361 --> 00:24:55,819 Looked like a hit man. 552 00:24:55,902 --> 00:24:58,277 You know, he looked like somebody who could do that, 553 00:24:58,361 --> 00:25:00,069 or maybe had done it. 554 00:25:00,152 --> 00:25:02,485 MCGUINNESS: I remember when I was in my office. 555 00:25:02,568 --> 00:25:06,236 All of a sudden, these three guys walk in 556 00:25:06,319 --> 00:25:08,652 in these three-piece suits. 557 00:25:08,735 --> 00:25:11,443 And there's no way in the world... 558 00:25:11,527 --> 00:25:13,735 You're not telling me this wasn't the Mafia. 559 00:25:13,819 --> 00:25:15,777 These were shady-looking dudes. 560 00:25:15,860 --> 00:25:18,027 They were always sizing people up. 561 00:25:19,443 --> 00:25:22,069 They didn't scare me, but... 562 00:25:22,152 --> 00:25:24,568 they would intimidate me a little bit. 563 00:25:24,652 --> 00:25:28,860 At Twentieth Century, it was like, "Don't say nothing. 564 00:25:29,652 --> 00:25:32,860 What we do here, we leave here." 565 00:25:32,944 --> 00:25:37,527 And it was always emphasized that security is huge. 566 00:25:38,985 --> 00:25:41,277 Every once in a while, you'd see a car going by real slow, 567 00:25:41,361 --> 00:25:42,610 and then they'd shut the bay door 568 00:25:42,693 --> 00:25:45,985 because they were afraid of spies from the big three. 569 00:25:47,152 --> 00:25:49,152 CANDI: I do know she was getting nervous 570 00:25:49,236 --> 00:25:51,069 and there was a bunch of money involved, 571 00:25:51,152 --> 00:25:53,236 and that's why she hired bodyguards. 572 00:25:54,568 --> 00:25:58,027 Bill Miller and Jack Oliver. 573 00:25:58,111 --> 00:26:01,402 To everyone else not involved in the car company, 574 00:26:01,485 --> 00:26:03,652 it was thought that they were her drivers, 575 00:26:03,735 --> 00:26:06,610 but to us, she always called them her bodyguards. 576 00:26:06,693 --> 00:26:10,402 Even though it was dangerous, it was very exciting. 577 00:26:11,652 --> 00:26:13,527 Plus, it was a lot of money. 578 00:26:13,610 --> 00:26:15,652 You know, it wasn't just your regular wages. 579 00:26:15,735 --> 00:26:17,361 It was, like, double. 580 00:26:18,069 --> 00:26:19,610 GRIFFITHS: Every Friday, 581 00:26:19,693 --> 00:26:23,610 everyone would drive over to the headquarters in Encino. 582 00:26:24,902 --> 00:26:26,610 LEAS: Liz would set up a table, 583 00:26:26,693 --> 00:26:31,568 and she had stacks of cash lined up, 584 00:26:31,652 --> 00:26:34,236 and they were all pre-counted. 585 00:26:34,319 --> 00:26:36,568 They go, "Greg," and then come up there 586 00:26:36,652 --> 00:26:38,402 and they'd hand you the stack of cash. 587 00:26:38,485 --> 00:26:40,819 (CHUCKLING) It was just crazy. 588 00:26:40,902 --> 00:26:42,361 Usually, you get a check 589 00:26:42,443 --> 00:26:44,944 and you go to your own bank and do whatever. 590 00:26:45,027 --> 00:26:47,152 In this instance, on Friday, 591 00:26:47,236 --> 00:26:51,902 I looked down, and there was a briefcase full of cash 592 00:26:51,985 --> 00:26:55,902 and next to it, a .357 Magnum Revolver. 593 00:26:57,610 --> 00:26:59,027 It would be like going to a bank 594 00:26:59,111 --> 00:27:02,194 and the teller's got a machine gun or something 595 00:27:02,277 --> 00:27:05,527 sitting right there. (LAUGHS) 596 00:27:05,610 --> 00:27:08,527 It just makes you think about things. 597 00:27:08,610 --> 00:27:11,860 "What's going on here? What could go on here?" 598 00:27:11,944 --> 00:27:13,693 ♪ (PLAYFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 599 00:27:13,777 --> 00:27:16,111 So, it was a big showroom. 600 00:27:17,610 --> 00:27:19,027 Here was the Dale car. 601 00:27:19,111 --> 00:27:22,069 Very attractive-looking, yellow, shiny vehicle. 602 00:27:23,069 --> 00:27:24,194 So we asked Mrs. Carmichael 603 00:27:24,277 --> 00:27:25,610 if they could remove the glass dome 604 00:27:25,693 --> 00:27:27,443 so we could take a look at the car. 605 00:27:27,527 --> 00:27:30,527 "Oh," she said, "Absolutely not, not possible." 606 00:27:30,610 --> 00:27:32,777 The receptionist's name was Vivian, 607 00:27:32,860 --> 00:27:34,443 and Vivian told us 608 00:27:34,527 --> 00:27:36,944 that she was Mrs. Carmichael's sister-in-law. 609 00:27:37,027 --> 00:27:40,402 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: My dearest friend laying over there on the couch, 610 00:27:40,485 --> 00:27:43,610 who's also my private secretary and my sister-in-law, 611 00:27:43,693 --> 00:27:46,194 is a Pisces, and she perfectly embodies 612 00:27:46,277 --> 00:27:48,902 -what a Pisces is supposed to be. -(TAPE CLICKS) 613 00:27:48,985 --> 00:27:50,319 CARLSON: So she ushered us in, 614 00:27:50,402 --> 00:27:53,277 and Mrs. Carmichael was behind the desk. 615 00:27:53,361 --> 00:27:54,902 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 616 00:27:54,985 --> 00:27:57,693 I did a preliminary interview, talked about her past. 617 00:27:58,236 --> 00:27:59,236 (TAPE CLICKS) 618 00:27:59,319 --> 00:28:01,443 CARMICHAEL: 619 00:28:29,027 --> 00:28:30,652 (TAPE CLICKS) 620 00:28:30,735 --> 00:28:33,236 CARLSON: We did the interview. It was very impressive. 621 00:28:33,319 --> 00:28:37,652 She's a widow, she's a graduate automotive engineer, 622 00:28:37,735 --> 00:28:40,985 she lives with her five children and her sister-in-law, 623 00:28:41,069 --> 00:28:44,610 and the first cars are gonna roll off the assembly line 624 00:28:44,693 --> 00:28:45,777 sometime soon. 625 00:28:45,860 --> 00:28:47,069 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 626 00:28:47,152 --> 00:28:49,693 CARLSON: Mrs. Carmichael then arranged for us 627 00:28:49,777 --> 00:28:52,069 to go out to the research, uh, facility, 628 00:28:52,152 --> 00:28:54,194 the "R&D laboratory," she called it. 629 00:28:56,485 --> 00:28:58,027 So, Noyes and I felt 630 00:28:58,111 --> 00:29:00,902 that we were not really equipped in any technical way 631 00:29:00,985 --> 00:29:04,568 to judge the development of an automobile. 632 00:29:04,652 --> 00:29:06,777 We hired a guy for a hundred dollars 633 00:29:06,860 --> 00:29:08,735 who was a retired automotive engineer, 634 00:29:08,819 --> 00:29:10,194 and he joined us 635 00:29:10,277 --> 00:29:12,443 as a sort of shadow member of the crew. 636 00:29:12,527 --> 00:29:15,194 We pulled him off as a lighting man, ultimately. 637 00:29:16,402 --> 00:29:18,277 Mrs. Carmichael took us through 638 00:29:18,361 --> 00:29:21,236 along with the PR guy, Sam Schlisman. 639 00:29:21,319 --> 00:29:26,111 Mrs. Carmichael gave her normal lucid and colorful explanation 640 00:29:26,194 --> 00:29:28,152 of the things that they were doing. 641 00:29:28,236 --> 00:29:31,069 And then we went to another parking lot of a supermarket 642 00:29:31,152 --> 00:29:33,152 to talk to the automotive engineer. 643 00:29:33,236 --> 00:29:35,485 The people who are manufacturing the car 644 00:29:35,568 --> 00:29:39,485 told us that they're making all the parts for that automobile, 645 00:29:39,568 --> 00:29:40,902 the engine and so forth, 646 00:29:40,985 --> 00:29:43,944 right there in that research and development building. 647 00:29:44,027 --> 00:29:46,819 How do you feel about that? You took a look at it. 648 00:29:46,902 --> 00:29:53,277 It would appear that, um, the components we saw there, 649 00:29:53,361 --> 00:29:57,111 uh, might not have been made in that particular building. 650 00:29:58,527 --> 00:29:59,944 CARLSON: A source close to the company 651 00:30:00,027 --> 00:30:01,860 said the engine was, in fact, made by FMC 652 00:30:01,944 --> 00:30:03,527 and the transmission was from a Toyota, 653 00:30:03,610 --> 00:30:06,027 both of which charges were denied by Mrs. Carmichael, 654 00:30:06,111 --> 00:30:07,693 who did refuse to say who'd made them 655 00:30:07,777 --> 00:30:09,944 on the grounds that the secret might be stolen 656 00:30:10,027 --> 00:30:12,111 by Detroit automobile manufacturers. 657 00:30:13,236 --> 00:30:14,693 Salesmen like Jay Garner 658 00:30:14,777 --> 00:30:16,402 have been selling options on the car. 659 00:30:16,485 --> 00:30:18,944 That is, you put money down, up to 1900 dollars, 660 00:30:19,027 --> 00:30:21,527 and you'll get one of the first ones off the assembly line 661 00:30:21,610 --> 00:30:23,152 if and when it's built. 662 00:30:23,236 --> 00:30:25,735 Do you get a lot of people who are willing to write out a check 663 00:30:25,819 --> 00:30:28,152 for 1900, 1500, 1000, whatever it is? 664 00:30:28,236 --> 00:30:29,319 Yes. 665 00:30:29,402 --> 00:30:31,652 They're very enthused about the automobile. 666 00:30:31,735 --> 00:30:35,402 They wanna put money down to be sure to have an automobile 667 00:30:35,485 --> 00:30:36,610 uh, when they come out 668 00:30:36,693 --> 00:30:38,485 because we're limited to the number of automobiles 669 00:30:38,568 --> 00:30:39,902 we're gonna be in production with. 670 00:30:39,985 --> 00:30:41,985 CARLSON: Now, these people, the money is refundable on demand 671 00:30:42,069 --> 00:30:44,194 -at any time, is that correct? -JAY GARNER: That is correct. 672 00:30:44,277 --> 00:30:46,236 CARLSON: Is that written into the contract or something? 673 00:30:46,319 --> 00:30:47,819 Yes. We will put it in there. 674 00:30:47,902 --> 00:30:50,069 -CARLSON: Is it standardly in there? -No. 675 00:30:50,152 --> 00:30:52,361 -CARLSON: Oh, it's not in the contract? -No. 676 00:30:52,443 --> 00:30:54,027 ♪ (JAUNTY MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 677 00:30:54,111 --> 00:30:56,652 NARRATOR: Securities law. 678 00:30:58,527 --> 00:31:01,693 MARK MACCARLEY: People are flocking to the Twentieth Century Motor Car Company 679 00:31:01,777 --> 00:31:02,860 to make deposits. 680 00:31:02,944 --> 00:31:05,777 If you decide you wanna buy a brand-new car 681 00:31:05,860 --> 00:31:07,361 and it's still a concept car, 682 00:31:07,443 --> 00:31:09,402 the manufacturer is required 683 00:31:09,485 --> 00:31:12,443 to put that money away in a safe account. 684 00:31:12,527 --> 00:31:16,527 These deposits were not put in any sort of escrow account, 685 00:31:16,610 --> 00:31:19,568 held until the vehicles were actually produced. 686 00:31:21,111 --> 00:31:22,111 What happened was 687 00:31:22,194 --> 00:31:24,402 the deposits were used to finance 688 00:31:24,485 --> 00:31:26,485 the activities of the business... 689 00:31:28,194 --> 00:31:30,069 salaries and distributions. 690 00:31:30,152 --> 00:31:33,902 That runs immediately afoul of our securities laws, 691 00:31:33,985 --> 00:31:35,944 both federal and state. 692 00:31:36,027 --> 00:31:37,902 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 693 00:31:41,610 --> 00:31:42,777 -♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪ -(TAPE CLICKS) 694 00:31:42,860 --> 00:31:44,443 CARLSON: What guarantee is there to him 695 00:31:44,527 --> 00:31:46,027 that he's either gonna get the car 696 00:31:46,111 --> 00:31:48,236 or get his money back if he does not get the car? 697 00:31:48,319 --> 00:31:50,860 Well, there's no guarantee, any more than there's a guarantee 698 00:31:50,944 --> 00:31:52,652 that the sun will come up tomorrow morning. 699 00:31:52,735 --> 00:31:54,777 As I've said before, caveat emptor. 700 00:31:54,860 --> 00:31:56,652 Let the buyer beware. Chuck. 701 00:31:56,735 --> 00:31:59,069 SMITH: The fact that we were doing this story 702 00:31:59,152 --> 00:32:00,527 helped their sales. 703 00:32:00,610 --> 00:32:03,735 In fact, I think their sales went up 200 percent 704 00:32:03,819 --> 00:32:06,443 immediately after the news coverage we did. 705 00:32:06,527 --> 00:32:07,985 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 706 00:32:08,069 --> 00:32:09,319 SMITH: There were more people down there 707 00:32:09,402 --> 00:32:14,236 buying options on those cars, and she was making money. 708 00:32:14,319 --> 00:32:16,693 We went over and we talked to the people 709 00:32:16,777 --> 00:32:19,443 at the State Corporations Commission. 710 00:32:19,527 --> 00:32:22,568 But they didn't do anything to enforce it. 711 00:32:22,652 --> 00:32:23,777 If I wanted to commit a fraud, 712 00:32:23,860 --> 00:32:25,236 I certainly would want their help, 713 00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:27,819 because they don't know how to investigate anything. 714 00:32:27,902 --> 00:32:30,194 The evidence was clearly there before them, 715 00:32:30,277 --> 00:32:31,902 and they ignored it. 716 00:32:31,985 --> 00:32:36,111 -(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY) -SMITH: I think the best service we did as a news team 717 00:32:36,194 --> 00:32:40,236 was we brought it to the attention of the public, 718 00:32:40,319 --> 00:32:43,485 so the government had to do something 719 00:32:43,568 --> 00:32:46,777 'cause we were shoving it right in their faces. 720 00:32:46,860 --> 00:32:49,319 On Monday, the state of California issued an order 721 00:32:49,402 --> 00:32:51,485 demanding that the company stop selling options 722 00:32:51,568 --> 00:32:52,777 on the automobile. 723 00:32:52,860 --> 00:32:55,860 They said it was in violation of state securities law. 724 00:32:55,944 --> 00:32:59,361 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: Try anything new, try something different, 725 00:32:59,443 --> 00:33:00,693 try to challenge the leaders, 726 00:33:00,777 --> 00:33:03,361 and hey, you gotta be swatted like a fly. 727 00:33:03,443 --> 00:33:06,027 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 728 00:33:06,111 --> 00:33:09,236 CARMICHAEL: Acid in the plastic vats, plans stolen, 729 00:33:09,319 --> 00:33:11,402 locks busted, fires started, 730 00:33:11,485 --> 00:33:15,402 false reports turned in to various regulatory bodies. 731 00:33:15,485 --> 00:33:19,568 Never a day goes by where we aren't harassed by somebody. 732 00:33:19,652 --> 00:33:22,485 -Been going on for months. -(TAPE CLICKS) 733 00:33:22,568 --> 00:33:24,485 CARLSON: And Liz Carmichael says she is convinced 734 00:33:24,568 --> 00:33:26,777 the state has been harassing the company. 735 00:33:26,860 --> 00:33:30,361 I don't really know in what fashion 736 00:33:30,443 --> 00:33:32,236 she has indicated harassment. 737 00:33:32,319 --> 00:33:35,485 I, um, I do know that we have issued subpoenas. 738 00:33:35,568 --> 00:33:38,819 We have issued, uh, orders, desist and refrain orders, 739 00:33:38,902 --> 00:33:43,568 and if she has considered these to be the form of harassment, 740 00:33:43,652 --> 00:33:45,402 then I guess that would be true. 741 00:33:45,485 --> 00:33:47,402 SMITH: After the Department of Corporations 742 00:33:47,485 --> 00:33:51,277 had ordered Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation 743 00:33:51,361 --> 00:33:55,485 to cease and desist selling options on the car, 744 00:33:55,568 --> 00:34:00,402 I was assigned with Dick to go over to their offices 745 00:34:00,485 --> 00:34:02,568 and see what was going on. 746 00:34:02,652 --> 00:34:04,944 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 747 00:34:05,027 --> 00:34:07,111 SMITH: Now, Dick was obviously 748 00:34:07,194 --> 00:34:09,485 really well known in the offices, 749 00:34:09,568 --> 00:34:11,819 and he couldn't walk in. 750 00:34:11,902 --> 00:34:15,443 Dick asked me if I'd go poke my nose inside. 751 00:34:15,527 --> 00:34:18,985 So I walked in and just acted like I was interested. 752 00:34:20,027 --> 00:34:21,236 I looked over, 753 00:34:21,319 --> 00:34:24,236 and there was somebody filling out paperwork at a desk 754 00:34:24,319 --> 00:34:26,693 and writing out a check. 755 00:34:26,777 --> 00:34:30,693 And realized that he was buying an option on the car. 756 00:34:30,777 --> 00:34:32,693 I went back out to the car, jumped in, 757 00:34:32,777 --> 00:34:37,111 and told Dick that they're still selling cars. 758 00:34:37,194 --> 00:34:39,111 And he looked at me and thought for a second, 759 00:34:39,194 --> 00:34:41,944 and he said, "Do you have your checkbook with you?" 760 00:34:42,027 --> 00:34:44,527 I said, "Well, I'm not sure there's that much money in the account." 761 00:34:44,610 --> 00:34:46,485 And he goes, "Don't worry. 762 00:34:46,568 --> 00:34:48,402 The check will never leave this building." 763 00:34:51,485 --> 00:34:53,777 So I walked in, walked around the car again, 764 00:34:53,860 --> 00:34:56,027 looked interested. Somebody came over to me. 765 00:34:56,111 --> 00:34:57,944 I told them I wanted to buy an option, 766 00:34:58,027 --> 00:34:59,819 and they said, "Absolutely." 767 00:34:59,902 --> 00:35:03,652 I fill out the paperwork, I wrote them a check, 768 00:35:03,735 --> 00:35:08,236 walked back out to the car, and held up my option to Dick, 769 00:35:08,319 --> 00:35:11,860 and he goes, "Grab your camera." 770 00:35:11,944 --> 00:35:13,777 -Get outta here. -What I wanna ask you is, uh, 771 00:35:13,860 --> 00:35:15,777 you sold an option to my cameraman here. 772 00:35:15,860 --> 00:35:18,443 I understand there's a state cease and desist order 773 00:35:18,527 --> 00:35:20,194 telling you you can't do that. 774 00:35:20,277 --> 00:35:21,902 Hey, Jay, come on down. 775 00:35:21,985 --> 00:35:23,860 Having trouble finding somebody to talk to. 776 00:35:23,944 --> 00:35:25,236 No sé nada. 777 00:35:25,319 --> 00:35:26,652 -CARLSON: Pardon? -No sé nada. 778 00:35:26,735 --> 00:35:28,985 -CARLSON: No sé nada? -No, no comprendo. 779 00:35:29,568 --> 00:35:30,568 Españoles? 780 00:35:30,652 --> 00:35:32,652 -CARLSON: You're fibbing to me. -Españoles? 781 00:35:32,735 --> 00:35:35,236 CARLSON: No, I don't, and I don't think you speak it very well either. 782 00:35:35,319 --> 00:35:37,527 -Can you tell me who's in charge? -I have-- I have nothing to say. 783 00:35:37,610 --> 00:35:41,944 Well, what I'd like to find out is my-- my cameraman just bought a Dale option for 500 dollars. 784 00:35:42,027 --> 00:35:44,236 LEAS: You'd come home at night after working, 785 00:35:44,319 --> 00:35:47,319 and you see this stuff on the Dale on the news. 786 00:35:47,402 --> 00:35:49,652 CARLSON: Hey, Jay, come on out. We'd like to talk to you. 787 00:35:49,735 --> 00:35:50,985 My cameraman wants a refund. 788 00:35:51,069 --> 00:35:52,652 LEAS: Why are you doing this? 789 00:35:52,735 --> 00:35:54,027 Why are you destroying something 790 00:35:54,111 --> 00:35:55,902 that could actually help this country? 791 00:35:55,985 --> 00:35:59,902 There was nothing, in our minds, more important and more exciting 792 00:35:59,985 --> 00:36:02,402 and more needed by the country at that time. 793 00:36:02,485 --> 00:36:04,152 There was an energy crisis. 794 00:36:04,236 --> 00:36:06,902 CARLSON: Well, finally, after about 20 minutes, a salesman did come out. 795 00:36:06,985 --> 00:36:08,735 Since our interview last time, how are you? 796 00:36:08,819 --> 00:36:10,277 -I'm okay. -CARLSON: Can you explain to me 797 00:36:10,361 --> 00:36:12,319 why you're selling options on the Dale? 798 00:36:12,402 --> 00:36:13,985 What do you mean, "selling options"? 799 00:36:14,069 --> 00:36:16,402 We are. We're taking deposits on cars. 800 00:36:16,485 --> 00:36:18,194 CARLSON: Ah, so you didn't-- you don't know anything about 801 00:36:18,277 --> 00:36:19,902 a, uh, an order from the state of California 802 00:36:19,985 --> 00:36:21,485 -forbidding you to do that? -No, I do not. 803 00:36:21,568 --> 00:36:23,236 CARLSON: You don't? They never said anything to you about it? 804 00:36:23,319 --> 00:36:25,152 -No, they have not. -CARLSON: Have you continued to take, 805 00:36:25,236 --> 00:36:26,860 uh, orders on the car and sell options 806 00:36:26,944 --> 00:36:29,111 -since the last time I talked to you? -Most-- Yes, I do. 807 00:36:29,194 --> 00:36:30,944 CARLSON: I see. You don't think you're breaking the law? 808 00:36:31,027 --> 00:36:33,236 -No, or I wouldn't be doing it. -CARLSON: Would you be surprised if I told you 809 00:36:33,319 --> 00:36:35,985 that there's an order saying that this Twentieth Century Motor Car Company 810 00:36:36,069 --> 00:36:37,277 cannot sell options on Dales? 811 00:36:37,361 --> 00:36:39,069 There's a lot of things you could tell me, 812 00:36:39,152 --> 00:36:40,735 but I don't believe anything that you say. 813 00:36:40,819 --> 00:36:43,111 CARLSON: Well, after a short discussion in that vein, 814 00:36:43,194 --> 00:36:45,402 Jay handed back Smith's check for 500 dollars. 815 00:36:45,485 --> 00:36:47,111 I left, and I was locked outside. 816 00:36:47,194 --> 00:36:48,527 "We're closing for the day," they said. 817 00:36:48,610 --> 00:36:50,610 Somebody called the police, who were first asked to arrest us 818 00:36:50,693 --> 00:36:53,361 and then to confiscate the film that we'd shot this afternoon. 819 00:36:53,443 --> 00:36:55,819 They declined, fortunately for us, to do either one, 820 00:36:55,902 --> 00:36:57,735 and, uh, that all took place about two hours ago. 821 00:36:57,819 --> 00:36:59,819 I just couldn't get over that. I just-- 822 00:37:00,361 --> 00:37:01,361 It was beyond me, 823 00:37:01,443 --> 00:37:03,361 in the name of journalism or anything else, 824 00:37:03,443 --> 00:37:05,402 why anybody would do that. 825 00:37:05,485 --> 00:37:08,735 To set out to deliberately destroy 826 00:37:09,402 --> 00:37:10,777 something that noble. 827 00:37:10,860 --> 00:37:12,402 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 828 00:37:12,485 --> 00:37:15,402 SMITH: We were out to get to the truth 829 00:37:15,485 --> 00:37:19,693 so the people who were investing a couple thousand dollars 830 00:37:19,777 --> 00:37:23,277 to put deposits down on these cars 831 00:37:23,361 --> 00:37:25,527 wouldn't be taken advantage of. 832 00:37:25,610 --> 00:37:27,319 CARLSON: The Twentieth Century Motor Car Company 833 00:37:27,402 --> 00:37:29,693 really got to dislike me. 834 00:37:31,319 --> 00:37:34,152 One day, I was on the set at ABC 835 00:37:34,236 --> 00:37:36,568 and a grip, whom I knew, came up to me 836 00:37:36,652 --> 00:37:38,735 and asked me to-- if he could talk to me alone. 837 00:37:38,819 --> 00:37:41,652 "Sure." So I went behind some curtains with him, 838 00:37:41,735 --> 00:37:43,860 and he basically offered me a bribe 839 00:37:43,944 --> 00:37:45,819 that came through Mrs. Carmichael. 840 00:37:45,902 --> 00:37:48,860 He didn't say it came through Mrs. Carmichael, but it did. 841 00:37:48,944 --> 00:37:52,111 Uh, he said he knew some people who knew some people. (LAUGHS) 842 00:37:52,194 --> 00:37:54,944 And if I would take, I've forgotten, 2,000 dollars 843 00:37:55,027 --> 00:37:57,610 and stop doing this, that would be the end of that. 844 00:37:57,693 --> 00:38:00,860 And he was offering the money. Somebody had gotten to him. 845 00:38:00,944 --> 00:38:03,652 Mrs. Elizabeth Carmichael is the prime mover 846 00:38:03,735 --> 00:38:05,069 behind the automobile. 847 00:38:05,152 --> 00:38:07,361 She says that she is a mechanical engineer. 848 00:38:07,443 --> 00:38:10,485 She says she has a master's degree in business as well. 849 00:38:10,568 --> 00:38:14,069 I called the university that she said she attended, 850 00:38:15,819 --> 00:38:18,777 and I checked to see if there were any graduates 851 00:38:18,860 --> 00:38:22,902 with her name from the engineering school, 852 00:38:22,985 --> 00:38:25,361 and they had never heard of anybody 853 00:38:25,443 --> 00:38:27,610 named Elizabeth Carmichael. 854 00:38:29,111 --> 00:38:32,485 And I called her, and I asked her on the telephone, 855 00:38:32,568 --> 00:38:35,111 "What was the year you graduated?" 856 00:38:35,194 --> 00:38:37,485 She said, "Well, women don't tell our ages." 857 00:38:37,568 --> 00:38:40,027 "Look, I just checked with the university. 858 00:38:40,111 --> 00:38:42,194 They say they have no record of you attending." 859 00:38:42,277 --> 00:38:44,027 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 860 00:38:44,111 --> 00:38:46,194 CARLSON: "Why am I answering all these questions? I-- 861 00:38:46,277 --> 00:38:47,443 I'm telling you who I am, 862 00:38:47,527 --> 00:38:49,069 and it's clear that I'm telling the truth, 863 00:38:49,152 --> 00:38:50,944 and I know a lot about engineering, 864 00:38:51,027 --> 00:38:53,361 -and so stop bugging me." -(PHONE SLAMS) 865 00:38:53,443 --> 00:38:56,194 CARLSON: Now, a woman heading an automobile-making company is news, 866 00:38:56,277 --> 00:38:57,777 and by her account, 867 00:38:57,860 --> 00:39:00,236 Carmichael is a graduate in mechanical engineering from Ohio State 868 00:39:00,319 --> 00:39:02,568 and has a master's in business from the University of Miami, 869 00:39:02,652 --> 00:39:04,652 yet neither school has a record of those degrees, 870 00:39:04,735 --> 00:39:06,652 and when I asked Carmichael for details about that, 871 00:39:06,735 --> 00:39:08,819 she refused to discuss it any further. 872 00:39:34,527 --> 00:39:38,652 Let the stations, the owners, the oil companies 873 00:39:38,735 --> 00:39:40,402 choke on their gas. 874 00:39:40,485 --> 00:39:42,277 -(CAR HORN HONKS) -I'm worried. 875 00:39:42,361 --> 00:39:43,860 It's not a happy situation, to say the least. 876 00:39:43,944 --> 00:39:46,443 -I'm tired. -My tank is, uh, almost empty. 877 00:39:46,527 --> 00:39:49,485 So they waited three hours, and there was no gas. 878 00:39:49,568 --> 00:39:50,985 I can't take it anymore. 879 00:39:51,069 --> 00:39:52,277 (BANGING ECHOES) 880 00:39:52,361 --> 00:39:54,069 REPORTER: How much have you got left in there? 881 00:39:54,152 --> 00:39:56,485 None. It's empty. 882 00:39:56,568 --> 00:39:57,735 I just couldn't imagine 883 00:39:57,819 --> 00:39:59,735 something like this would happen in America. 884 00:39:59,819 --> 00:40:02,361 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 885 00:40:02,443 --> 00:40:05,652 CARMICHAEL: People have begun to believe 886 00:40:05,735 --> 00:40:09,819 that the land of opportunity does not really exist. 887 00:40:09,902 --> 00:40:12,111 And when they see somebody like me, 888 00:40:12,194 --> 00:40:15,527 who spouts off that I am a nobody who's going to become-- 889 00:40:15,610 --> 00:40:18,319 become the biggest in the world by my own effort, 890 00:40:18,402 --> 00:40:19,819 they clamor to me 891 00:40:19,902 --> 00:40:22,111 because I am the one thing that's lacking in this country today, 892 00:40:22,194 --> 00:40:24,527 and that's a hero. People need a hero. 893 00:40:24,610 --> 00:40:27,111 And we haven't had a hero since Teddy Roosevelt. 894 00:40:27,860 --> 00:40:29,069 (TAPE RECORDER CLICKS) 895 00:40:29,860 --> 00:40:31,902 BARRETT: She called me and... 896 00:40:31,985 --> 00:40:34,693 said, "Now, I've got a deal going out here." 897 00:40:34,777 --> 00:40:36,819 She said, "I really need your help. 898 00:40:36,902 --> 00:40:39,985 We're gonna produce this car. 899 00:40:40,069 --> 00:40:42,735 Trust me, you are going to make some money 900 00:40:42,819 --> 00:40:44,693 and everybody's gonna get rich. 901 00:40:46,443 --> 00:40:49,069 We just need a break to get it going, 902 00:40:49,152 --> 00:40:52,361 and once we're up and running, it's gonna be a hit." 903 00:40:52,443 --> 00:40:53,860 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 904 00:40:53,944 --> 00:40:57,819 But she needed help. She needed support from family, 905 00:40:57,902 --> 00:40:59,111 some people that she could trust, 906 00:40:59,194 --> 00:41:01,693 because when you're in a pool of sharks, 907 00:41:01,777 --> 00:41:03,111 you're gonna get bit. 908 00:41:03,194 --> 00:41:05,027 She said, "Every time I turn around, 909 00:41:05,111 --> 00:41:07,485 they're coming through the door with another complaint. 910 00:41:07,568 --> 00:41:09,277 We gotta cut some corners 911 00:41:09,361 --> 00:41:12,693 because we gotta get the money coming in. 912 00:41:12,777 --> 00:41:15,236 If you don't have the money, the car is gone." 913 00:41:15,319 --> 00:41:18,319 She kept stressing how they had to get it in production 914 00:41:18,402 --> 00:41:20,527 before the government shut them down. 915 00:41:20,610 --> 00:41:21,860 She kept saying that. 916 00:41:21,944 --> 00:41:23,693 She said, "Once you're in production 917 00:41:23,777 --> 00:41:26,777 and the car is out there, they can't stop you." 918 00:41:27,527 --> 00:41:28,819 I said, um... 919 00:41:29,819 --> 00:41:31,693 "Man, I'll tell you what, I normally-- 920 00:41:31,777 --> 00:41:33,443 I would do anything you want me." 921 00:41:33,527 --> 00:41:36,443 But I said, "I've got a really good job here." 922 00:41:36,527 --> 00:41:39,402 I said, "I've-- I'm respected." (CHUCKLES) 923 00:41:39,485 --> 00:41:41,402 "I've got three children to feed now." 924 00:41:41,485 --> 00:41:42,819 I said, "I'm sorry... 925 00:41:44,485 --> 00:41:46,361 I can't. I can't." 926 00:41:49,027 --> 00:41:51,443 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC FADES) ♪ 927 00:41:53,527 --> 00:41:55,652 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 928 00:41:57,819 --> 00:41:59,902 MCGUINNESS: I remember the first time I'm saying, 929 00:41:59,985 --> 00:42:02,319 "Something is wrong." 930 00:42:02,402 --> 00:42:05,236 People weren't getting their damn paychecks, 931 00:42:05,319 --> 00:42:07,111 and I was, like, shocked. 932 00:42:07,194 --> 00:42:09,693 There was some kind of money issues going on, 933 00:42:09,777 --> 00:42:12,610 and without money, you're a done deal. 934 00:42:12,693 --> 00:42:14,194 You cut off the blood, 935 00:42:14,860 --> 00:42:16,568 that animal dies. 936 00:42:17,860 --> 00:42:19,777 And I remember my dad said, 937 00:42:19,860 --> 00:42:22,152 "No one works without getting paid. 938 00:42:22,236 --> 00:42:24,111 That's all there is to it." 939 00:42:24,194 --> 00:42:25,485 Even though they believed in that car, 940 00:42:25,568 --> 00:42:27,527 you still need money to pay your bills. 941 00:42:28,985 --> 00:42:31,152 We all went down to Liz's office. 942 00:42:31,236 --> 00:42:33,443 -Everyone shows up. -(INDISTINCT CLAMORING) 943 00:42:33,527 --> 00:42:36,111 And some of them were angry, you know, shouting at Liz. 944 00:42:36,194 --> 00:42:38,902 I mean, it was like a mob ready to blow up on her. 945 00:42:38,985 --> 00:42:40,944 (INDISTINCT CLAMORING) 946 00:42:41,027 --> 00:42:42,485 MCGUINNESS: What do you do? 947 00:42:43,361 --> 00:42:45,443 Probably took her by surprise. 948 00:42:45,527 --> 00:42:47,652 All of a sudden, you have 30, 40 people in your office 949 00:42:47,735 --> 00:42:51,111 kind of screaming at you and waving checks that are no good. 950 00:42:51,194 --> 00:42:52,777 (CLAMORING) 951 00:42:52,860 --> 00:42:55,485 MCGUINNESS: She looked very, like, "What am I gonna do? 952 00:42:55,568 --> 00:42:57,860 I can't let this fall apart right now." 953 00:42:58,902 --> 00:43:00,319 I actually felt a little bit sad 954 00:43:00,402 --> 00:43:03,819 'cause we still felt so much involvement in the company, 955 00:43:03,902 --> 00:43:07,319 and I actually, out of all the people there, I just said, 956 00:43:07,402 --> 00:43:10,902 "Well, I feel if we could get over this hump, 957 00:43:10,985 --> 00:43:12,027 we'd be okay. 958 00:43:12,111 --> 00:43:14,069 I know businesses go through things like that, 959 00:43:14,152 --> 00:43:15,985 but we've gotta get the investments." 960 00:43:16,069 --> 00:43:18,069 You know, I'm a kid saying all of this, 961 00:43:18,152 --> 00:43:19,735 and everyone's shutting up. 962 00:43:19,819 --> 00:43:21,568 And she looked back and she goes, 963 00:43:21,652 --> 00:43:23,735 "Well, that's what I just wanted to tell you all, 964 00:43:23,819 --> 00:43:25,069 that I just got the phone call. 965 00:43:25,152 --> 00:43:27,194 The investors are coming in from Japan. 966 00:43:27,277 --> 00:43:30,319 We're getting the money we need. Everything will be fine. 967 00:43:30,402 --> 00:43:32,527 I need you all to go back to work. 968 00:43:32,610 --> 00:43:34,902 You'll get your back pay. We're all gonna make it. 969 00:43:34,985 --> 00:43:37,236 We're all in this team together. We're family. 970 00:43:37,319 --> 00:43:39,027 Don't let me down when I need you. 971 00:43:39,111 --> 00:43:41,152 This is not the time to leave me." 972 00:43:41,236 --> 00:43:42,527 ♪ (INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 973 00:43:42,610 --> 00:43:44,860 MCGUINNESS: And there were people in there that were like, 974 00:43:44,944 --> 00:43:46,860 "Don't worry, Liz, we're there for you." 975 00:43:46,944 --> 00:43:50,944 She could bring that emotion up faster than you could imagine. 976 00:43:53,069 --> 00:43:56,361 GRIFFITHS: Enter the Japanese investor, 977 00:43:56,443 --> 00:44:00,819 which was going to give Liz credibility 978 00:44:00,902 --> 00:44:02,860 about the Dale project. 979 00:44:02,944 --> 00:44:06,402 So Liz said, "It's gonna maybe give us a lot of money. 980 00:44:06,485 --> 00:44:08,777 We're gonna have to put on a test drive." 981 00:44:09,985 --> 00:44:11,568 December 31. 982 00:44:14,652 --> 00:44:18,194 We knew we had a big old fish on the hook. 983 00:44:18,277 --> 00:44:20,902 They were gonna invest 30 million dollars, 984 00:44:20,985 --> 00:44:23,568 so if that test drive is successful, 985 00:44:23,652 --> 00:44:26,236 that's the beginning of the major competition 986 00:44:26,319 --> 00:44:28,069 for the big three. 987 00:44:28,152 --> 00:44:29,944 MCGUINNESS: So it was like, "Throw it together! 988 00:44:30,027 --> 00:44:32,568 Get the engine going! Put the parts together! 989 00:44:32,652 --> 00:44:34,902 We need it now." 990 00:44:34,985 --> 00:44:37,860 GRIFFITHS: Orders came from headquarters. 991 00:44:37,944 --> 00:44:39,819 "Get that car running. 992 00:44:39,902 --> 00:44:41,443 I don't care if it's unfinished." 993 00:44:41,527 --> 00:44:44,985 Just had to put two seats in it one way or another 994 00:44:45,069 --> 00:44:48,902 that would, quote, "start, physically start and run." 995 00:44:48,985 --> 00:44:50,402 Eyewitness News wanted to know 996 00:44:50,485 --> 00:44:53,443 just what those men who actually worked on the idea, 997 00:44:53,527 --> 00:44:55,236 the design, the mechanics of the Dale 998 00:44:55,319 --> 00:44:56,485 really thought about it. 999 00:44:56,568 --> 00:44:58,985 Late last week, I located a high-level technician. 1000 00:44:59,069 --> 00:45:01,111 He asked only that he not be identified, 1001 00:45:01,194 --> 00:45:02,819 hence the shadows on the sidewalk. 1002 00:45:02,902 --> 00:45:05,402 TECHNICIAN: I feel the car's got a lot of potential, 1003 00:45:05,485 --> 00:45:09,319 and with proper management, I think we can really produce 1004 00:45:09,402 --> 00:45:12,527 a good, sensible, economical automobile. 1005 00:45:12,610 --> 00:45:14,735 CARLSON: Mrs. Carmichael said she expects this car 1006 00:45:14,819 --> 00:45:16,527 to be in mass production by June. 1007 00:45:16,610 --> 00:45:17,902 Do you think that's realistic? 1008 00:45:17,985 --> 00:45:20,610 TECHNICIAN: I don't feel it's realistic. No. 1009 00:45:20,693 --> 00:45:23,111 They've generated a momentum, and they-- 1010 00:45:23,194 --> 00:45:25,152 they don't know how to control it now. 1011 00:45:25,236 --> 00:45:27,735 I'd say the lunchtime talk was, 1012 00:45:27,819 --> 00:45:29,777 "Well, yeah, she's probably gonna-- 1013 00:45:29,860 --> 00:45:31,568 she's probably gonna hit the hills 1014 00:45:31,652 --> 00:45:32,944 when the money comes in. 1015 00:45:33,027 --> 00:45:34,944 That sounds like what she's waiting for, 1016 00:45:35,027 --> 00:45:36,693 it's the Japanese investment. 1017 00:45:36,777 --> 00:45:39,902 Once she gets a few million, she's gonna disappear." 1018 00:45:42,402 --> 00:45:44,236 And then, at the same time, you're thinking, 1019 00:45:44,319 --> 00:45:47,652 "No, we have to move forward on this. 1020 00:45:47,735 --> 00:45:48,985 I don't know if it's real or not, 1021 00:45:49,069 --> 00:45:51,152 but we have to move forward." 1022 00:45:51,236 --> 00:45:53,777 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1023 00:45:55,236 --> 00:45:58,402 GRIFFITHS: Everything culminated with that one test drive. 1024 00:46:00,568 --> 00:46:04,027 It took place very near the facility. 1025 00:46:06,777 --> 00:46:08,652 I mean, I-- I did seize the moment 1026 00:46:08,735 --> 00:46:12,236 because people are, "Well, who's gonna drive it? Who's gonna..." 1027 00:46:12,319 --> 00:46:14,277 "Well, I'm gonna drive the car." 1028 00:46:15,985 --> 00:46:18,443 The excitement was getting into the car 1029 00:46:18,527 --> 00:46:20,735 before anyone else got into it. 1030 00:46:22,610 --> 00:46:26,652 And I grabbed Hans specifically for the test purposes, 1031 00:46:26,735 --> 00:46:29,777 and we talked briefly, and I said, "You know... 1032 00:46:30,944 --> 00:46:33,152 you know why I want you to help me here, 1033 00:46:33,236 --> 00:46:34,361 because we're gonna-- 1034 00:46:34,443 --> 00:46:37,819 we're gonna see whether this thing is even roadworthy 1035 00:46:37,902 --> 00:46:39,443 in any way or form." 1036 00:46:40,944 --> 00:46:44,402 Liz followed fairly closely behind us. 1037 00:46:46,152 --> 00:46:49,277 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1038 00:46:50,527 --> 00:46:53,152 MCGUINNESS: We got there, and all of a sudden, 1039 00:46:53,236 --> 00:46:56,361 these Bentleys, big black limo kind of cars 1040 00:46:56,443 --> 00:46:57,985 all one after another, 1041 00:46:58,069 --> 00:47:00,443 I mean, it must've been a half a dozen or more, 1042 00:47:00,527 --> 00:47:01,777 all pulling up. 1043 00:47:01,860 --> 00:47:03,236 It was like, "Oh, my God, 1044 00:47:03,319 --> 00:47:04,902 big money just is rolling up here 1045 00:47:04,985 --> 00:47:06,319 to see this thing." 1046 00:47:06,402 --> 00:47:09,027 Well, I'm thinking it's gonna be perfect. 1047 00:47:09,111 --> 00:47:12,069 And I mean, you go straight, you have no problem. 1048 00:47:12,152 --> 00:47:13,652 (ENGINE STARTS) 1049 00:47:19,610 --> 00:47:21,819 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 1050 00:47:23,652 --> 00:47:26,527 LEAS: I was amazed that we had that doggone thing operational. 1051 00:47:26,610 --> 00:47:29,777 And it reached 45, 50 miles an hour, you know. 1052 00:47:30,319 --> 00:47:31,819 That's cool. 1053 00:47:31,902 --> 00:47:34,652 And it sounded good, sounded like a BMW. 1054 00:47:36,819 --> 00:47:40,485 And it looked good. It was a three-wheeled car. 1055 00:47:41,443 --> 00:47:43,277 How many times do you see one of those 1056 00:47:43,402 --> 00:47:45,069 going 40 miles an hour? 1057 00:47:46,027 --> 00:47:46,985 I loved it. 1058 00:47:47,069 --> 00:47:49,443 (ENGINE REVS) 1059 00:47:49,527 --> 00:47:53,069 GRIFFITHS: The whole idea of getting someone who's heavy, 1060 00:47:53,152 --> 00:47:56,111 I'm gonna be able to test the turn, 1061 00:47:56,194 --> 00:47:57,985 whether I go right or left, 1062 00:47:58,069 --> 00:48:01,111 that the turnover aspect of a three-wheeler 1063 00:48:01,194 --> 00:48:02,236 comes into play. 1064 00:48:02,319 --> 00:48:04,944 And if the weight is on one side, 1065 00:48:05,027 --> 00:48:07,277 then you're gonna have an issue 1066 00:48:07,361 --> 00:48:10,111 if you wanna turn in the opposite direction. 1067 00:48:10,194 --> 00:48:12,027 The car will wanna roll. 1068 00:48:12,777 --> 00:48:14,610 I told him what I was gonna do. 1069 00:48:14,693 --> 00:48:17,111 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1070 00:48:17,194 --> 00:48:18,902 GRIFFITHS: So he's grabbing onto the roof, 1071 00:48:18,985 --> 00:48:22,735 and I said, "Be ready here, I'm gonna do it right now." 1072 00:48:25,277 --> 00:48:26,819 MCGUINNESS: And he's driving around fine, 1073 00:48:26,902 --> 00:48:31,027 and then he hits the brake and turns the wheel. 1074 00:48:31,735 --> 00:48:33,693 (TIRES SCREECHING) 1075 00:48:33,777 --> 00:48:36,527 (METAL SCRAPING) 1076 00:48:40,443 --> 00:48:43,652 And I almost went out the door, if I remember correctly, 1077 00:48:43,735 --> 00:48:46,111 hanging onto the steering wheel. 1078 00:48:46,194 --> 00:48:48,443 Hans had his shoulder 1079 00:48:48,527 --> 00:48:50,735 scraping along the side there. 1080 00:48:51,902 --> 00:48:54,485 Came back down, boom, boom, boom. 1081 00:48:54,568 --> 00:48:55,610 (CLANKING) 1082 00:48:55,693 --> 00:48:57,735 GRIFFITHS: We both laughed pretty hard 1083 00:48:57,819 --> 00:49:00,568 out of the nervousness of this experience. 1084 00:49:01,902 --> 00:49:06,111 So it made the car look very dangerous, you know. 1085 00:49:06,194 --> 00:49:09,860 And, of course, this was quite disturbing to Liz 1086 00:49:09,944 --> 00:49:11,527 'cause she was counting on this 1087 00:49:11,610 --> 00:49:14,361 as the clincher to get some money, 1088 00:49:14,443 --> 00:49:17,652 give a reality to the whole project. 1089 00:49:17,735 --> 00:49:22,527 I thought the test driver was there to disprove it. 1090 00:49:22,610 --> 00:49:26,194 In the shop, they blamed me for sabotaging the company, 1091 00:49:26,277 --> 00:49:28,194 usual stuff. 1092 00:49:28,277 --> 00:49:30,527 MCGUINNESS: The guy that drove that car, 1093 00:49:30,610 --> 00:49:33,693 he tried purposely to try and flip it. 1094 00:49:33,777 --> 00:49:36,111 This is just a prototype, you know? 1095 00:49:36,194 --> 00:49:38,693 Should've just let it run around like a normal car 1096 00:49:38,777 --> 00:49:40,527 instead of going as fast as you could, 1097 00:49:40,610 --> 00:49:43,527 hitting the brake and turning the wheels. 1098 00:49:43,610 --> 00:49:45,902 He said something along the lines... 1099 00:49:46,652 --> 00:49:48,527 (SIGHS) 1100 00:49:48,610 --> 00:49:52,777 "I had to do that to prove what kind of car this really was," 1101 00:49:52,860 --> 00:49:56,027 and I was like, "You just shot us all in the heart, you know that." 1102 00:49:56,111 --> 00:49:57,568 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1103 00:49:57,652 --> 00:49:59,819 PRODUCER: 1104 00:49:59,902 --> 00:50:03,277 No, I vin-- I vindicated the poor design. 1105 00:50:06,693 --> 00:50:09,735 Liz Carmichael focused on the excitement 1106 00:50:09,819 --> 00:50:12,610 of making a lot of money and raising money 1107 00:50:12,693 --> 00:50:15,027 and hoop-dee-doing about technology 1108 00:50:15,111 --> 00:50:16,735 and getting people, you know, 1109 00:50:16,819 --> 00:50:18,944 "Oh, who is this person? What is this? 1110 00:50:19,027 --> 00:50:21,860 Oh, it's three wheels and not four? Oh, wow. 1111 00:50:21,944 --> 00:50:25,027 Made in such and such a fashion." 1112 00:50:25,111 --> 00:50:28,069 "Oh yeah, I'm gonna put GM out of business." 1113 00:50:28,152 --> 00:50:29,735 Blah, blah, blah, you know? 1114 00:50:29,819 --> 00:50:31,443 (IMITATES GUN FIRING) 1115 00:50:31,527 --> 00:50:34,819 That was-- that was the style. 1116 00:50:35,443 --> 00:50:37,194 See, it's just ridiculous. 1117 00:50:38,652 --> 00:50:41,111 I wanted this thing to be road tested 1118 00:50:41,194 --> 00:50:43,194 and be engineered and everything, 1119 00:50:43,277 --> 00:50:44,485 and it never was. 1120 00:50:47,236 --> 00:50:49,152 We are so used to just being 1121 00:50:49,236 --> 00:50:52,361 a dog in the chain of events, you know. 1122 00:50:52,443 --> 00:50:53,944 (TIRES SCREECHING) 1123 00:50:54,027 --> 00:50:57,610 LEAS: It wasn't that hard to get it up on two wheels, 1124 00:50:57,693 --> 00:50:59,402 because of our rear suspension. 1125 00:50:59,485 --> 00:51:01,652 There's two in the front, one in the back, 1126 00:51:01,735 --> 00:51:03,944 and it's on a right-angle drive train, 1127 00:51:04,027 --> 00:51:05,777 there's a wheel and an axle. 1128 00:51:05,860 --> 00:51:10,027 And that's suspended this way, on a lever, so to speak. 1129 00:51:10,111 --> 00:51:12,319 Well, that lever has side play, 1130 00:51:13,902 --> 00:51:15,819 so that when you turn the car right, 1131 00:51:15,902 --> 00:51:18,652 that-- that whole thing kind of tilts. 1132 00:51:18,735 --> 00:51:22,944 So one of the wheels is trying to turn the car over. 1133 00:51:23,027 --> 00:51:24,693 We're going, "Oh, there you go." 1134 00:51:24,777 --> 00:51:27,069 All we needed to do was tighten that up. 1135 00:51:27,819 --> 00:51:29,443 But we didn't think of it. 1136 00:51:30,819 --> 00:51:32,610 Took a while to get over that. 1137 00:51:34,402 --> 00:51:36,485 MCGUINNESS: That was it. That was it. That was it. 1138 00:51:36,568 --> 00:51:39,152 There's no way in the world that these guys-- 1139 00:51:39,236 --> 00:51:41,985 They saw that, and they were not about to invest. 1140 00:51:42,069 --> 00:51:43,777 (ENGINE STARTING) 1141 00:51:47,069 --> 00:51:50,069 CARLSON: I put a surveillance on the R&D lab. 1142 00:51:51,652 --> 00:51:53,652 They had a bunch of Japanese investors out there, 1143 00:51:53,735 --> 00:51:55,277 as I remember. 1144 00:51:55,361 --> 00:51:57,527 (ENGINES RUMBLING) 1145 00:51:57,610 --> 00:52:00,236 CARLSON: I watched this white-coated lab tech leave, 1146 00:52:00,319 --> 00:52:03,777 get in the car, and he drove to some other spot 1147 00:52:03,860 --> 00:52:06,443 in the San Fernando Valley. 1148 00:52:06,527 --> 00:52:08,069 -He went into a bar. -(INDISTINCT CHATTER) 1149 00:52:08,152 --> 00:52:11,194 So I followed him into the bar and I sat down next to him, 1150 00:52:11,277 --> 00:52:14,152 and I attempted to turn him into an informant for us, 1151 00:52:14,236 --> 00:52:16,860 and actually with some success, I have to say. 1152 00:52:16,944 --> 00:52:19,111 Introduced myself. I said, "Can you tell me 1153 00:52:19,194 --> 00:52:20,860 exactly what it is you're hired to do?" 1154 00:52:20,944 --> 00:52:24,527 He said, "Yes, we're all hired on a-- on a daily basis 1155 00:52:24,610 --> 00:52:27,361 to wear these lab coats and talk automotive language 1156 00:52:27,443 --> 00:52:29,027 and sound like we know what we're talking about. 1157 00:52:29,111 --> 00:52:30,735 But they do it-- They did it for your benefit, 1158 00:52:30,819 --> 00:52:32,860 they did it for some other TV people's benefit." 1159 00:52:32,944 --> 00:52:33,985 He told me all that. 1160 00:52:34,069 --> 00:52:35,860 So ultimately, he was good enough 1161 00:52:35,944 --> 00:52:38,735 to grab an item that Mrs. Carmichael had used. 1162 00:52:38,819 --> 00:52:41,236 It was a glass, actually. And he gave it to me, 1163 00:52:41,319 --> 00:52:44,361 and I gave it to a sergeant at the LAPD. 1164 00:52:44,443 --> 00:52:46,652 He had the prints taken off it. 1165 00:52:47,568 --> 00:52:51,152 NOYES: (ECHOING) Who the hell was she? 1166 00:52:51,236 --> 00:52:55,319 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1167 00:52:56,443 --> 00:52:58,152 MCGUINNESS: After the test drive, 1168 00:52:58,236 --> 00:53:00,361 Liz was irate. 1169 00:53:00,443 --> 00:53:05,361 She said, "I just witnessed an abortion on three wheels." 1170 00:53:06,568 --> 00:53:09,485 But she acted like new investors were coming on, 1171 00:53:09,568 --> 00:53:12,152 or something else, which, you know... 1172 00:53:13,152 --> 00:53:14,652 she knew nobody was coming in with money. 1173 00:53:14,735 --> 00:53:17,111 She had to say something, you know, make up something 1174 00:53:17,194 --> 00:53:19,277 to keep the waters clean and level, 1175 00:53:19,361 --> 00:53:21,652 or else bad things were gonna happen. 1176 00:53:21,735 --> 00:53:25,402 And, uh... pretty soon, bad things did happen. 1177 00:53:25,485 --> 00:53:28,152 She had to, uh, you know, run for the hills. 1178 00:53:28,236 --> 00:53:31,027 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1179 00:53:32,985 --> 00:53:37,443 CANDI: We were in the car driving from Los Angeles to Dallas 1180 00:53:37,527 --> 00:53:40,111 because the headquarters was being moved to Dallas 1181 00:53:40,194 --> 00:53:44,069 by invitation of the governor of Texas. 1182 00:53:44,152 --> 00:53:45,777 California was coming up 1183 00:53:45,860 --> 00:53:48,027 with all these new regulations and stuff, 1184 00:53:48,111 --> 00:53:50,527 so Texas said, "Hey, come build it here. 1185 00:53:50,610 --> 00:53:53,485 We'll waive these regulations, and, you know, 1186 00:53:53,568 --> 00:53:54,985 do your car company here." 1187 00:53:55,069 --> 00:53:57,277 The only stumbling blocks that would prevent us 1188 00:53:57,361 --> 00:53:59,277 from manufacturing, uh, 1189 00:53:59,402 --> 00:54:02,777 short of, uh, let's say, a ship being sunk at sea 1190 00:54:02,860 --> 00:54:04,402 that had some of our components on it, 1191 00:54:04,485 --> 00:54:05,985 might delay us a few weeks, 1192 00:54:06,069 --> 00:54:08,069 or the possibility in California 1193 00:54:08,152 --> 00:54:11,152 that we might not be licensed to manufacture an automobile. 1194 00:54:11,236 --> 00:54:12,735 In the event that that should happen, 1195 00:54:12,819 --> 00:54:14,777 we'll simply manufacture it someplace else. 1196 00:54:14,860 --> 00:54:16,277 We're prepared to go anyplace, 1197 00:54:16,361 --> 00:54:17,819 but we are going to build the car, 1198 00:54:17,902 --> 00:54:19,527 and we're gonna build it in '75. 1199 00:54:22,361 --> 00:54:24,568 CANDI: This was the time for the big move. 1200 00:54:26,111 --> 00:54:27,777 We were taking two cars. 1201 00:54:29,652 --> 00:54:34,860 Vivian and I and Michael were in one car. 1202 00:54:34,944 --> 00:54:38,236 Aunt Patti and the other kids were in the other car. 1203 00:54:41,735 --> 00:54:44,361 Liz was still at the headquarters office 1204 00:54:44,443 --> 00:54:45,735 in Los Angeles. 1205 00:54:45,819 --> 00:54:49,443 And we were driving down the Pearblossom Highway 1206 00:54:50,985 --> 00:54:52,610 when it came on the radio. 1207 00:54:53,944 --> 00:54:55,568 (RADIO STATIC) 1208 00:54:55,652 --> 00:54:56,819 ANCHOR: Late this afternoon... 1209 00:54:56,902 --> 00:54:58,443 -(STATIC) -...was shot to death 1210 00:54:58,527 --> 00:55:01,027 in the showroom of the Twentieth Century Motor Car Company. 1211 00:55:01,111 --> 00:55:03,027 They were shot on the showroom floor... 1212 00:55:03,111 --> 00:55:04,610 (TIRES SCREECHING) 1213 00:55:04,693 --> 00:55:07,319 CANDI: There had been a murder at the Twentieth Century office. 1214 00:55:07,402 --> 00:55:09,652 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1215 00:55:09,735 --> 00:55:11,527 I remember pulling over 1216 00:55:11,610 --> 00:55:15,985 and her and Patti frantically talking. 1217 00:55:20,485 --> 00:55:22,610 Vivian was scared to death. 1218 00:55:26,735 --> 00:55:28,944 Vivian thought that Liz had been killed. 1219 00:55:29,985 --> 00:55:33,485 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1220 00:56:39,027 --> 00:56:41,236 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 1221 00:56:45,860 --> 00:56:46,652 ♪ (FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 1222 00:56:47,152 --> 00:56:48,860 -REPORTER: Where's the money? -What money? 1223 00:56:52,361 --> 00:56:55,860 MAN: We asked them to run the name Jerry Dean Michael. 1224 00:56:56,069 --> 00:56:57,069 It was a house of cards. 1225 00:56:58,069 --> 00:57:03,944 MAN 2: Liz being transgender was the single most motivating issue 1226 00:57:04,027 --> 00:57:05,402 in why they went after her. 1227 00:57:05,902 --> 00:57:09,443 How do you combat the media's narrative 1228 00:57:09,652 --> 00:57:11,361 that you are not a woman? 1229 00:57:11,735 --> 00:57:13,402 ♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪