1 00:00:00,384 --> 00:00:02,050 My sister, Vivian, and Jerry, 2 00:00:02,134 --> 00:00:04,676 they did a lot of illegal things. 3 00:00:04,759 --> 00:00:06,175 ♪ (FLASHY MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 4 00:00:06,259 --> 00:00:07,551 -(DOOR SLAMS) -(HANDCUFFS CLICK) 5 00:00:07,634 --> 00:00:10,509 CANDI MICHAEL: My parents were released on bail, 6 00:00:10,592 --> 00:00:13,009 that's what started the run for freedom. 7 00:00:13,718 --> 00:00:16,926 We rarely lived in one place for more than two months. 8 00:00:18,134 --> 00:00:19,718 CHARLES BARRETT: My sister called me 9 00:00:20,259 --> 00:00:21,926 and said, "Jerry's changing." 10 00:00:22,175 --> 00:00:25,843 JERRY: Dear Vivian, I'm not a man anymore. 11 00:00:26,259 --> 00:00:29,676 But I'd walk through fire for you and the kids. 12 00:00:29,759 --> 00:00:31,009 MICHAEL: We were all fine with it 13 00:00:31,467 --> 00:00:33,300 because she was a great mom. 14 00:00:34,175 --> 00:00:37,384 SPEAKER : Liz Carmichael worked at a cutting edge company. 15 00:00:37,467 --> 00:00:39,175 She could sell anything. 16 00:00:39,509 --> 00:00:40,718 MICHAEL: One day she came home 17 00:00:40,801 --> 00:00:42,759 talking about this three-wheeled car, 18 00:00:42,843 --> 00:00:45,467 the answer to America's gas problem. 19 00:00:47,009 --> 00:00:49,968 LIZ CARMICHAEL: General Motors? I'll kick the shit out of them. 20 00:01:13,134 --> 00:01:14,718 (TAPE RECORDER CLICKS) 21 00:01:14,801 --> 00:01:16,467 G. ELIZABETH CARMICHAEL: Then the next thing I found very impressive 22 00:01:16,551 --> 00:01:17,843 that stuck with me, 23 00:01:17,926 --> 00:01:20,592 and stuck with me to the point that I memorized it at one time, 24 00:01:20,676 --> 00:01:23,676 was the poem "If--" by Kipling. 25 00:01:23,759 --> 00:01:25,634 "If you can keep your head when all about you 26 00:01:25,718 --> 00:01:27,134 are losing theirs and blaming it on you, 27 00:01:27,217 --> 00:01:28,968 if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 28 00:01:29,050 --> 00:01:31,134 but make allowances for their doubting too..." 29 00:01:31,217 --> 00:01:33,592 And it goes on and on. There's about 15 stanzas of it, 30 00:01:33,676 --> 00:01:35,718 and every one has beautiful thoughts 31 00:01:35,801 --> 00:01:38,676 and all about self-determinationism. 32 00:01:38,759 --> 00:01:41,384 Uh, I learned when I was just a tiny little girl 33 00:01:41,467 --> 00:01:43,259 that prayers don't get answered. 34 00:01:43,342 --> 00:01:45,509 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 35 00:01:45,592 --> 00:01:48,300 CARMICHAEL: Self-motivation does. 36 00:01:48,384 --> 00:01:52,134 So sometimes when I feel very drained and very low, 37 00:01:52,217 --> 00:01:55,217 I'll go off by myself and I'll look up at the stars 38 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:57,592 and I'll just kind of withdraw into myself 39 00:01:57,676 --> 00:02:00,759 and draw from my own personal power, 40 00:02:00,843 --> 00:02:03,426 but not from any belief in the Supreme Being. 41 00:02:04,134 --> 00:02:06,551 (INSECTS CHIRPING) 42 00:02:07,384 --> 00:02:10,426 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 43 00:02:13,968 --> 00:02:15,509 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES) ♪ 44 00:02:16,634 --> 00:02:17,884 ♪ (EERIE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 45 00:02:17,968 --> 00:02:20,050 CANDI MICHAEL: I knew that this was big. 46 00:02:21,342 --> 00:02:22,634 We had stability. 47 00:02:22,718 --> 00:02:25,551 We were staying in one place. 48 00:02:25,634 --> 00:02:28,592 Bills were getting paid on a regular basis. 49 00:02:29,426 --> 00:02:32,718 We lived in a real house. 50 00:02:32,801 --> 00:02:36,175 It was what I thought was normal, 51 00:02:36,259 --> 00:02:39,092 what I thought everybody else thought was normal. 52 00:02:40,592 --> 00:02:42,509 CHARLES RICHARD BARRETT: When the Dale came along, 53 00:02:42,592 --> 00:02:45,426 she quit the little stuff, so to speak. 54 00:02:45,509 --> 00:02:46,592 She really did. 55 00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:50,426 The concept of the Dale car is solid. 56 00:02:51,092 --> 00:02:53,342 She was going to build a car. 57 00:02:53,426 --> 00:02:55,384 -She had a winner. -(TAPE CLICKS) 58 00:02:55,467 --> 00:03:01,551 CARMICHAEL: (OVER RECORDER) 59 00:03:01,634 --> 00:03:03,676 -(TAPE CLICKS) -LESLIE KENDALL: All through automotive history, 60 00:03:03,759 --> 00:03:07,801 women have played a supporting role 61 00:03:07,884 --> 00:03:11,134 in the automobile development, automobile marketing. 62 00:03:11,217 --> 00:03:14,551 They never really rose to the level of executive 63 00:03:14,634 --> 00:03:17,426 or designer or engineer. 64 00:03:17,509 --> 00:03:20,384 Liz, however, was hoping to change all that. 65 00:03:20,467 --> 00:03:24,300 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 66 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:27,384 (TAPE CLICKS) 67 00:03:27,467 --> 00:03:30,467 One thing that Liz had going for her was her timing. 68 00:03:30,551 --> 00:03:32,134 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 69 00:03:32,217 --> 00:03:34,968 KENDALL: Not only was the gas crisis in full swing, 70 00:03:35,050 --> 00:03:37,551 but the Space Race had been won by America 71 00:03:37,634 --> 00:03:38,884 a half a decade earlier. 72 00:03:38,968 --> 00:03:40,217 (CROWD CHEERING) 73 00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:42,092 KENDALL: And there were all of these people 74 00:03:42,175 --> 00:03:45,384 who were ready and willing to apply their talents 75 00:03:45,467 --> 00:03:48,300 to something terrestrial like an automobile. 76 00:03:48,384 --> 00:03:52,259 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 77 00:04:01,592 --> 00:04:03,300 GERRY MCGUINNESS: My dad, Frank McGuinness, 78 00:04:03,384 --> 00:04:04,551 all of a sudden said, 79 00:04:04,634 --> 00:04:06,718 "I want you to come down and meet Liz Carmichael 80 00:04:06,801 --> 00:04:08,009 and see where I work. 81 00:04:08,092 --> 00:04:10,426 They might need some people to help render some stuff." 82 00:04:10,509 --> 00:04:12,217 And I go, "Really?" 83 00:04:12,300 --> 00:04:14,801 KENDALL: Dale Clifft built a prototype. 84 00:04:14,884 --> 00:04:15,926 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 85 00:04:16,009 --> 00:04:17,300 She seized upon that. 86 00:04:17,884 --> 00:04:19,134 But then she thought, 87 00:04:19,217 --> 00:04:21,968 "Well, for the public to really go for this, 88 00:04:22,050 --> 00:04:23,426 it has to have a full body. 89 00:04:23,509 --> 00:04:25,384 It has to have proper wheels too. 90 00:04:25,467 --> 00:04:27,342 Just look more like a car." 91 00:04:27,426 --> 00:04:29,259 MCGUINNESS: And here, I'm a 19-year-old kid, 92 00:04:29,342 --> 00:04:32,467 and I was the assistant to the chief designer. 93 00:04:32,551 --> 00:04:33,759 He would come in, I said, 94 00:04:33,843 --> 00:04:35,426 "Well, what do you want me to do?" 95 00:04:35,509 --> 00:04:37,217 And he goes, "Just start drawing. 96 00:04:37,300 --> 00:04:38,759 Anything you want. 97 00:04:38,843 --> 00:04:41,217 Just be original. Just do it." 98 00:04:44,384 --> 00:04:46,300 ♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 99 00:04:46,384 --> 00:04:47,801 (TAPE CLICKS) 100 00:04:47,884 --> 00:04:50,509 CARMICHAEL: 101 00:05:06,050 --> 00:05:07,342 (TAPE CLICKS) 102 00:05:07,426 --> 00:05:10,050 NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man, 103 00:05:11,217 --> 00:05:14,426 one giant leap for mankind. 104 00:05:14,509 --> 00:05:16,718 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 105 00:05:16,801 --> 00:05:19,259 ♪ ("CHANGE" BY SUNSET LOVE PLAYING) ♪ 106 00:05:19,342 --> 00:05:20,551 KENDALL: Having known about cars 107 00:05:20,634 --> 00:05:22,801 and having loved cars and been interested in cars 108 00:05:22,884 --> 00:05:24,426 ever since I knew what they were... 109 00:05:25,551 --> 00:05:29,926 I would have my father take me to the LA Auto Show. 110 00:05:30,009 --> 00:05:32,509 By the early '70s, cars were the longest, 111 00:05:32,592 --> 00:05:34,843 the lowest, the widest they were ever gonna get. 112 00:05:34,926 --> 00:05:37,009 -(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS) -They were also the heaviest, 113 00:05:37,092 --> 00:05:39,175 and they were also the least fuel efficient. 114 00:05:39,259 --> 00:05:41,175 (GUZZLING) 115 00:05:41,259 --> 00:05:44,259 Nobody was really coming up with anything different, 116 00:05:44,342 --> 00:05:45,426 except for one. 117 00:05:45,509 --> 00:05:47,843 -♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ -(CAMERAS CLICKING) 118 00:05:47,926 --> 00:05:51,384 And here's this three-wheeler that's gonna use less gas, 119 00:05:51,467 --> 00:05:53,300 -which is what America needs. -(MAN 1 LAUGHS) 120 00:05:53,384 --> 00:05:55,175 -MAN 2: Oh! -MAN 3: Whoa, nice! 121 00:05:55,259 --> 00:05:57,843 My God, look how yellow it is, for crying out loud. 122 00:05:57,926 --> 00:05:59,509 ANNOUNCER: And this is the Dale. 123 00:05:59,592 --> 00:06:01,384 It gets 70 miles to the gallon. 124 00:06:01,467 --> 00:06:04,009 It is a three-wheel vehicle and very stable. 125 00:06:04,092 --> 00:06:05,551 KENDALL: This three-wheel configuration 126 00:06:05,634 --> 00:06:09,342 was something that was extremely unusual for an automobile, 127 00:06:09,426 --> 00:06:12,175 and here it is at the LA Auto Show. 128 00:06:12,259 --> 00:06:14,426 I just remember looking at that car and thinking, 129 00:06:14,509 --> 00:06:17,884 "This is really, really something." 130 00:06:17,968 --> 00:06:20,467 It flew in the face of tradition. 131 00:06:22,092 --> 00:06:24,467 CANDI: I couldn't believe that it was real. 132 00:06:25,467 --> 00:06:27,300 At the time, it looked like a spaceship. 133 00:06:27,926 --> 00:06:29,300 The rotunda was encased 134 00:06:29,384 --> 00:06:31,509 and we weren't supposed to be in there, 135 00:06:31,592 --> 00:06:33,009 but we all wanted to get in it 136 00:06:33,092 --> 00:06:36,551 and we were constantly trying to open the doors. 137 00:06:36,634 --> 00:06:39,884 And my sister actually broke a door handle off. 138 00:06:39,968 --> 00:06:43,509 Of course, we rolled it under the car... 139 00:06:43,592 --> 00:06:45,884 (LAUGHS) ...and then got out of the rotunda. 140 00:06:46,009 --> 00:06:47,217 ♪ (GUITAR MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 141 00:06:47,300 --> 00:06:50,175 CANDI: We stopped calling Vivian "Mother" at that time, 142 00:06:50,843 --> 00:06:53,092 and she was "Aunt Vivian." 143 00:06:53,175 --> 00:06:57,926 And we didn't see much of Liz anymore 144 00:06:58,009 --> 00:07:00,342 because it was always past our bedtime 145 00:07:00,426 --> 00:07:01,718 -when she was getting home. -(TAPE CLICKS) 146 00:07:01,801 --> 00:07:03,634 CARMICHAEL: I've always worked 16 hours a day 147 00:07:03,718 --> 00:07:05,467 since I was a little girl. 148 00:07:05,551 --> 00:07:07,634 As a result, my family has been forced 149 00:07:07,718 --> 00:07:11,175 to build their life around mine, rather than mine around theirs. 150 00:07:12,175 --> 00:07:13,676 (PHONE BUZZES) 151 00:07:13,759 --> 00:07:16,509 -CARMICHAEL: Yes? -RECEPTIONIST: Young lady named Wendi on the phone. 152 00:07:16,592 --> 00:07:17,884 -CARMICHAEL: Okay. -(TAPE CLICKS) 153 00:07:17,968 --> 00:07:19,759 We called the office, between us, 154 00:07:19,843 --> 00:07:21,217 at least 20 times a day. 155 00:07:21,300 --> 00:07:23,259 Just 'cause we wanted Mommy home. 156 00:07:23,342 --> 00:07:24,926 CARMICHAEL: I get home at one o'clock, 157 00:07:25,009 --> 00:07:28,592 but it's quality time, not just quantity time. 158 00:07:28,676 --> 00:07:32,384 But she still made time for the Sunday picnics. 159 00:07:33,926 --> 00:07:35,467 It was always the same. 160 00:07:35,551 --> 00:07:39,217 She'd start cooking late on a Saturday night. 161 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:41,843 The potato salad and coleslaw 162 00:07:41,926 --> 00:07:44,467 and bean salad, which was delicious, 163 00:07:44,551 --> 00:07:47,217 devilled eggs, and a homemade bread. 164 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:49,134 All night long, you'd smell the yeast, 165 00:07:49,217 --> 00:07:51,676 and first thing in the morning, she'd put it in the oven 166 00:07:51,759 --> 00:07:54,259 so it'd be ready to take to the park. 167 00:07:56,050 --> 00:07:59,551 And we'd play our idea of baseball. 168 00:07:59,634 --> 00:08:01,968 -(INDISTINCT CHATTER) -CANDI: Even Vivian played. 169 00:08:02,050 --> 00:08:02,968 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 170 00:08:03,050 --> 00:08:05,050 She'd smack that ball and run. 171 00:08:06,217 --> 00:08:09,009 ♪ (ROCK MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 172 00:08:09,092 --> 00:08:12,926 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 173 00:08:30,050 --> 00:08:32,050 My name is John Griffiths, 174 00:08:32,843 --> 00:08:35,676 and, uh, I was hired by Liz 175 00:08:35,759 --> 00:08:38,217 to build the first running prototype 176 00:08:38,300 --> 00:08:41,843 Dale three-wheel automobile. 177 00:08:41,926 --> 00:08:46,384 Because up until that time, they had nothing but show cars. 178 00:08:47,551 --> 00:08:50,759 Show vehicles don't have to operate or do anything. 179 00:08:50,843 --> 00:08:54,551 They get pushed up onto a dais and rotate, 180 00:08:54,634 --> 00:08:58,551 and the salesman just talks up as big as they can 181 00:08:58,634 --> 00:09:02,134 to promote an interest in the vehicle. 182 00:09:02,217 --> 00:09:04,426 She was happy to have me onboard, 183 00:09:04,509 --> 00:09:09,217 and I looked forward to making her dream come true. 184 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:13,592 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 185 00:09:18,634 --> 00:09:19,592 (TAPE CLICKS) 186 00:09:19,676 --> 00:09:21,884 She said, "We're gonna make a prototype, 187 00:09:21,968 --> 00:09:23,801 and we're gonna have it test-driven, 188 00:09:23,884 --> 00:09:27,009 and we're gonna show the world that we're contenders." 189 00:09:27,092 --> 00:09:28,300 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 190 00:09:28,384 --> 00:09:30,384 GREG LEAS: She said, "Build yourself a machine shop. 191 00:09:30,467 --> 00:09:32,217 Money is no object." 192 00:09:32,300 --> 00:09:34,759 You know, it was the Mercedes of everything. 193 00:09:34,843 --> 00:09:38,551 I had worked with four-wheel automobiles, 194 00:09:38,634 --> 00:09:42,092 and this was a three-wheel with a motorcycle engine, 195 00:09:42,175 --> 00:09:43,926 so it was all brand-new. 196 00:09:44,009 --> 00:09:45,592 LEAS: Some of us were doing things 197 00:09:45,676 --> 00:09:48,217 that we'd never done before, but... 198 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:50,092 we were gonna figure that out. 199 00:09:50,175 --> 00:09:54,009 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 200 00:09:57,175 --> 00:09:58,509 (TAPE CLICKS) 201 00:09:59,175 --> 00:10:00,926 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 202 00:10:01,009 --> 00:10:02,426 A PR guy who calls me, 203 00:10:02,509 --> 00:10:05,592 he says, "I got-- I got a mother of five who has invented a car." 204 00:10:05,676 --> 00:10:07,259 And I said, "Yeah, well, is she famous?" 205 00:10:07,342 --> 00:10:08,759 "No. But she's going to be." 206 00:10:08,843 --> 00:10:09,968 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 207 00:10:10,050 --> 00:10:15,259 America in the early '70s, it was on a run. 208 00:10:15,342 --> 00:10:18,759 Anybody could be anything they wanted to be. 209 00:10:18,843 --> 00:10:22,551 I was the paparazzi. I was very, very good at my job. 210 00:10:25,259 --> 00:10:28,217 I was fascinated with those people who were making it. 211 00:10:28,300 --> 00:10:31,050 Elizabeth Carmichael was clearly 212 00:10:31,134 --> 00:10:33,718 one of these people who was making it. 213 00:10:35,259 --> 00:10:36,342 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 214 00:10:36,426 --> 00:10:38,175 COLIN DANGAARD: When I was interviewing her, 215 00:10:38,259 --> 00:10:40,968 I became more and more enthralled 216 00:10:41,050 --> 00:10:42,718 with what she was telling me. 217 00:10:49,426 --> 00:10:52,801 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: The two most important things about me 218 00:10:52,884 --> 00:10:54,801 is that I have endless energy 219 00:10:54,884 --> 00:10:58,509 and I am totally, one hundred percent, honest. 220 00:10:58,592 --> 00:11:01,217 I'm smart, I'm clever, 221 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:03,050 I'm a good businesswoman. 222 00:11:04,092 --> 00:11:05,884 Three years ago, I foresaw the demand 223 00:11:05,968 --> 00:11:08,843 -for low-fuel-consumption cars. -(TAPE CLICKS) 224 00:11:08,926 --> 00:11:11,676 Elizabeth Carmichael was an original thinker. 225 00:11:11,759 --> 00:11:13,342 She was way ahead of her time. 226 00:11:13,426 --> 00:11:16,009 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: I'm ready to throw down the gauntlet 227 00:11:16,092 --> 00:11:18,551 against the big three of Detroit. 228 00:11:18,634 --> 00:11:20,843 Detroit failed to respond to the need 229 00:11:20,926 --> 00:11:25,050 for a more efficient, low-cost method of transportation. 230 00:11:25,134 --> 00:11:27,092 Well, I'm going to build the public 231 00:11:27,175 --> 00:11:28,676 exactly what they're looking for. 232 00:11:28,759 --> 00:11:33,384 And I'm going to knock the hell out of Detroit doing it. 233 00:11:33,467 --> 00:11:36,968 I'll run the auto industry like a queen. 234 00:11:38,759 --> 00:11:41,926 My morale, it's like a tent revival. 235 00:11:42,009 --> 00:11:45,884 -The atmosphere here is like a religious fervor. -(TAPE CLICKS) 236 00:11:45,968 --> 00:11:47,801 I can't say "spiritual," but... 237 00:11:47,884 --> 00:11:50,801 there was an energy in that place. 238 00:11:51,634 --> 00:11:54,009 We're almost like a big family. 239 00:11:54,092 --> 00:11:55,175 DANGAARD: They are working, 240 00:11:55,259 --> 00:11:57,509 giving me every ounce of what they have 241 00:11:57,592 --> 00:12:01,300 to make this happen, to make the Dale happen. 242 00:12:01,384 --> 00:12:05,342 And it was hard to doubt that she wasn't going to do it. 243 00:12:05,426 --> 00:12:06,926 She was determined. 244 00:12:07,467 --> 00:12:09,050 ♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪ 245 00:12:09,134 --> 00:12:11,050 DANGAARD: The story of Elizabeth Carmichael 246 00:12:11,134 --> 00:12:12,926 went out to all my newspapers. 247 00:12:13,009 --> 00:12:17,384 And that was 160 publications, uh, in 30 countries. 248 00:12:17,467 --> 00:12:19,509 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: I've got the best PR man 249 00:12:19,592 --> 00:12:21,926 that I think ever set two feet on the ground. 250 00:12:22,009 --> 00:12:23,426 He's one hell of a man, 251 00:12:23,509 --> 00:12:26,259 as evidenced by the fact that we've made the front page 252 00:12:26,342 --> 00:12:28,718 of 60 major metropolitan dailies. 253 00:12:28,801 --> 00:12:30,718 I've been on every TV network. 254 00:12:30,801 --> 00:12:32,592 ...what everybody's been looking for, 255 00:12:32,676 --> 00:12:36,634 a small, inexpensive car that gets up to 70 miles a gallon. 256 00:12:36,718 --> 00:12:38,092 ...built out of plastic... 257 00:12:38,175 --> 00:12:39,676 REPORTER: ...she says is stronger than steel. 258 00:12:39,759 --> 00:12:42,926 The capability has been there for 15 years, but... 259 00:12:43,009 --> 00:12:45,175 CARMICHAEL: All the efforts of one man. 260 00:12:45,259 --> 00:12:46,551 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 261 00:12:46,634 --> 00:12:48,342 CANDI: Everything grew so fast. 262 00:12:48,426 --> 00:12:52,009 Next thing you know, they're selling posters of her. 263 00:12:53,259 --> 00:12:54,884 It was just the weirdest thing. 264 00:12:54,968 --> 00:12:57,676 You're selling posters of my mom? 265 00:12:57,759 --> 00:13:00,551 And she's standing there like-- like Superman, 266 00:13:00,634 --> 00:13:03,926 straddling the Los Angeles freeway. 267 00:13:04,009 --> 00:13:06,384 MARK LISCHERON: She's now gotten so much attention 268 00:13:06,467 --> 00:13:09,759 that she has her publicity people 269 00:13:09,843 --> 00:13:12,259 contact The Price is Right. 270 00:13:12,342 --> 00:13:15,175 BOB BARKER: I need a bid, Johnny. Have you got it? 271 00:13:15,259 --> 00:13:18,134 -I'll bid 10,500 dollars. -BARKER: Ten thousand... 272 00:13:18,217 --> 00:13:20,175 Nobody, none of the three contestants, 273 00:13:20,259 --> 00:13:24,134 even got close to the actual price, which was... 274 00:13:24,217 --> 00:13:25,592 -(BUZZER RINGS) -(AUDIENCE GROANS) 275 00:13:25,676 --> 00:13:27,134 LISCHERON: ...2,000 dollars. 276 00:13:27,217 --> 00:13:29,342 MCGUINNESS: We were convinced that this thing was gonna take off. 277 00:13:29,426 --> 00:13:31,592 We're in the beginning of Microsoft, you know, 278 00:13:31,676 --> 00:13:33,134 we're at the bottom floor. 279 00:13:33,217 --> 00:13:34,676 This thing is gonna go. 280 00:13:34,759 --> 00:13:36,968 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: We'll build 88,000 cars the first year, 281 00:13:37,050 --> 00:13:40,009 open the second facility in mid-1976, 282 00:13:40,092 --> 00:13:43,509 and then the third facility in '77 on the east coast. 283 00:13:43,592 --> 00:13:46,175 My full intention and expectation 284 00:13:46,259 --> 00:13:50,384 is to become the biggest automobile manufacturer in the world 285 00:13:50,467 --> 00:13:51,676 in five years. 286 00:13:51,759 --> 00:13:54,009 And it won't stop with automobiles. 287 00:13:54,092 --> 00:13:55,342 Henry Ford said, 288 00:13:55,426 --> 00:13:57,592 "You catch things on the rising tide, 289 00:13:57,676 --> 00:13:59,509 -you're doomed to success." -(TAPE CLICKS) 290 00:13:59,592 --> 00:14:01,509 She was just brilliant. 291 00:14:01,592 --> 00:14:03,384 I mean, the way she came across 292 00:14:03,467 --> 00:14:05,384 and the way she can convince you of stuff 293 00:14:05,467 --> 00:14:08,843 that, you know, were not verified about that car. 294 00:14:08,926 --> 00:14:12,134 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 295 00:14:13,718 --> 00:14:15,843 The formula's secret. 296 00:14:15,926 --> 00:14:17,801 The body was made from a material 297 00:14:17,884 --> 00:14:19,551 developed to protect the nose cones 298 00:14:19,634 --> 00:14:22,843 on American space vehicles during reentry. 299 00:14:22,926 --> 00:14:26,300 It's nine times stronger than steel, ounce for ounce. 300 00:14:26,384 --> 00:14:27,884 (METAL CLANKING) 301 00:14:27,968 --> 00:14:29,384 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 302 00:14:29,467 --> 00:14:32,134 CARMICHAEL: We've already done the preliminary testing on this. 303 00:14:32,217 --> 00:14:33,342 (TAPE CLICKS) 304 00:14:33,426 --> 00:14:36,342 One day, she came home telling us about this scientist 305 00:14:36,426 --> 00:14:39,676 who made this unbreakable plastic. 306 00:14:39,759 --> 00:14:43,300 And she brought home this tumbler, a glass... 307 00:14:43,384 --> 00:14:44,884 that wasn't glass. 308 00:14:44,968 --> 00:14:47,801 The next day, she goes to the hardware store 309 00:14:47,884 --> 00:14:50,384 and buys this sledgehammer, 310 00:14:50,467 --> 00:14:52,134 and she said, "Go ahead, break it." 311 00:14:53,801 --> 00:14:54,843 Before you know it, 312 00:14:54,926 --> 00:14:56,676 this is a whole neighborhood thing. 313 00:14:56,759 --> 00:14:57,926 (INDISTINCT CHEERING) 314 00:14:58,009 --> 00:15:00,509 CANDI: Kids from the surrounding houses were all over. 315 00:15:00,592 --> 00:15:02,300 And everybody is taking their turns 316 00:15:02,384 --> 00:15:04,718 with the sledgehammer, trying to break this glass. 317 00:15:04,801 --> 00:15:09,342 She was really excited about this special kind of plastic. 318 00:15:09,426 --> 00:15:12,259 She was making claims that the plastic 319 00:15:12,342 --> 00:15:14,634 was strong enough to take a bullet. 320 00:15:14,718 --> 00:15:17,718 So, uh, one of the guys, he goes and gets, um... 321 00:15:17,801 --> 00:15:19,801 I think a .357 Magnum, 322 00:15:19,884 --> 00:15:22,384 and we went down to the very bottom 323 00:15:22,467 --> 00:15:23,759 of the Wells Fargo, 324 00:15:23,843 --> 00:15:26,467 and he brought that plastic cup and put it in the corner, 325 00:15:26,551 --> 00:15:31,384 and with Liz, aimed at it, maybe 20 yards away. Boom. 326 00:15:31,467 --> 00:15:32,968 (GUNSHOT) 327 00:15:33,342 --> 00:15:34,342 (SHATTERS) 328 00:15:34,426 --> 00:15:36,259 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 329 00:15:36,342 --> 00:15:37,801 She acted like she was convinced 330 00:15:37,884 --> 00:15:40,259 that that bullet would bounce off that plastic. 331 00:15:40,342 --> 00:15:42,259 She had probably said it so many times, 332 00:15:42,342 --> 00:15:43,801 she actually believed it. 333 00:15:43,884 --> 00:15:45,801 And when you spoke with her, 334 00:15:45,884 --> 00:15:48,676 she was very, very, very convincing. 335 00:15:48,759 --> 00:15:52,300 CARMICHAEL: My automobile will be the safest in the world. 336 00:15:52,384 --> 00:15:54,092 I've driven one of the prototypes 337 00:15:54,175 --> 00:15:55,926 into a solid concrete wall 338 00:15:56,009 --> 00:16:00,050 at 30, 40, and 50 miles an hour, 339 00:16:00,134 --> 00:16:02,801 and there was only superficial damage to the front. 340 00:16:02,884 --> 00:16:04,009 All that happened to me 341 00:16:04,092 --> 00:16:06,217 was that my face got scratched a little 342 00:16:06,300 --> 00:16:07,968 and I got a little bloody nose. 343 00:16:08,050 --> 00:16:10,467 Liz would just say anything at any given time, 344 00:16:10,551 --> 00:16:13,009 and then worry about backing it up later. 345 00:16:13,092 --> 00:16:14,843 CARMICHAEL: I drove into the ocean. 346 00:16:14,926 --> 00:16:16,175 I got caught up in testing 347 00:16:16,259 --> 00:16:18,801 and ran the son of a bitch into the ocean. 348 00:16:18,884 --> 00:16:21,551 KENDALL: What Liz didn't realize she was doing 349 00:16:21,634 --> 00:16:23,592 was risking the reputation 350 00:16:23,676 --> 00:16:25,676 of everybody that was working for her. 351 00:16:25,759 --> 00:16:27,801 All these people were in her corner 352 00:16:27,884 --> 00:16:29,634 really pulling for this thing, 353 00:16:29,718 --> 00:16:33,009 believing in it as much as she said she did. 354 00:16:33,092 --> 00:16:34,676 MCGUINNESS: You're promoting something 355 00:16:34,759 --> 00:16:36,926 that should've been built first to the T, 356 00:16:37,009 --> 00:16:39,676 so you could actually go up and say, "This is it." 357 00:16:39,759 --> 00:16:40,801 ♪ (MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY) ♪ 358 00:16:40,884 --> 00:16:42,676 JOHN GRIFFITHS: The sales and the promotion 359 00:16:42,759 --> 00:16:44,926 and the making of money in the main office 360 00:16:45,009 --> 00:16:49,092 is totally separate from anything going on in that shop. 361 00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:51,384 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 362 00:16:51,467 --> 00:16:54,718 GRIFFITHS: As the weeks went on, I realized that we didn't have 363 00:16:54,801 --> 00:16:58,134 the right equipment or anything to make a car. 364 00:17:02,384 --> 00:17:03,884 There was no master plan. 365 00:17:03,968 --> 00:17:06,968 There was no schedule to complete anything. 366 00:17:08,050 --> 00:17:12,300 That's what encouraged me to make my proposal. 367 00:17:12,384 --> 00:17:15,634 I wanna become Prototype Project Director. 368 00:17:16,843 --> 00:17:18,426 So I wrote a formal letter 369 00:17:18,509 --> 00:17:21,509 and told her specifically what I wanted to do, 370 00:17:21,592 --> 00:17:23,968 what I saw needed to be done. 371 00:17:25,426 --> 00:17:26,759 And she said to me, 372 00:17:26,843 --> 00:17:29,551 "We've already got a manager in the shop. 373 00:17:29,634 --> 00:17:32,843 -It's Frank McGuiness." -(TELEPHONE RINGING) 374 00:17:32,926 --> 00:17:34,718 We were those dirty little buggers 375 00:17:34,801 --> 00:17:38,634 that were building this thing in the back room 376 00:17:38,718 --> 00:17:40,843 while she was making the big money 377 00:17:41,426 --> 00:17:42,551 on a dream. 378 00:17:42,634 --> 00:17:44,843 ANCHOR: Meanwhile, mechanics continue to work 379 00:17:44,926 --> 00:17:46,134 on the miracle machine, 380 00:17:46,217 --> 00:17:48,884 correcting what they call "minor bugs." 381 00:17:48,968 --> 00:17:50,384 The miracle is in the mileage, 382 00:17:50,467 --> 00:17:53,050 a promise of 70 per precious gallon. 383 00:17:53,134 --> 00:17:54,926 But if you think the manufacturers 384 00:17:55,009 --> 00:17:57,592 designed this car to meet the energy crisis, 385 00:17:57,676 --> 00:17:58,926 think again. 386 00:17:59,009 --> 00:18:01,676 (CHUCKLES) If in the process I save the world, that's okay, 387 00:18:01,759 --> 00:18:04,050 but my main concern is for myself. 388 00:18:04,134 --> 00:18:06,592 -REPORTER: And you wanna be a billionaire? -CARMICHAEL: That's right. 389 00:18:06,676 --> 00:18:09,884 I know how to build a car. I know how to build a company. 390 00:18:09,968 --> 00:18:13,300 I know how to put together the financial empire. 391 00:18:13,384 --> 00:18:16,467 But the one thing that might stop me is the government. 392 00:18:16,551 --> 00:18:19,426 They've got it rigged so that if you don't already have millions, 393 00:18:19,509 --> 00:18:20,592 you may as well forget it 394 00:18:20,676 --> 00:18:23,300 on attempting to compete with millionaires, 395 00:18:23,384 --> 00:18:25,551 unless you're willing to do it illegally. 396 00:18:25,634 --> 00:18:29,050 Liz said to me, "You know, I wanna make a lot of money. 397 00:18:29,134 --> 00:18:31,217 I'll be legal, but just." 398 00:18:31,300 --> 00:18:33,843 Well, what does that mean? 399 00:18:33,926 --> 00:18:35,968 She would take money from anybody 400 00:18:36,050 --> 00:18:39,801 if they bought into her dream. 401 00:18:39,884 --> 00:18:41,843 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: I get letters from people who say, 402 00:18:41,926 --> 00:18:44,300 "I'll come and work for you and do anything you want 403 00:18:44,384 --> 00:18:46,426 because I think you're our last hope." 404 00:18:46,509 --> 00:18:48,092 They're walking in off the street. 405 00:18:48,175 --> 00:18:50,300 Heard about the Dale, came out here, 406 00:18:50,384 --> 00:18:52,467 and they wanna see this thing happen. 407 00:18:52,551 --> 00:18:54,300 What do you do? 408 00:18:54,384 --> 00:18:57,634 It was really, really hard for her to say no 409 00:18:57,718 --> 00:18:59,217 to people like that, 410 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:01,384 people that believed in her. 411 00:19:01,467 --> 00:19:04,426 Just giving her the power and the feeling she wanted, 412 00:19:04,509 --> 00:19:06,342 she couldn't turn them down. 413 00:19:07,342 --> 00:19:09,259 Send them out to the shop. 414 00:19:09,342 --> 00:19:12,384 You only need three or four or five people 415 00:19:12,467 --> 00:19:13,718 to build a car. 416 00:19:13,801 --> 00:19:17,676 You don't need a shop filled with people walking around, 417 00:19:17,759 --> 00:19:19,134 having no direction, 418 00:19:19,217 --> 00:19:21,009 not being told what to do. 419 00:19:21,092 --> 00:19:23,092 It's embarrassing, actually. 420 00:19:24,634 --> 00:19:25,884 "Why are you here?" 421 00:19:25,968 --> 00:19:29,843 They're there because they've invested their life savings. 422 00:19:29,926 --> 00:19:33,134 She told me she brought in around 30 grand a day. 423 00:19:33,968 --> 00:19:36,592 So just a ton of money coming in. 424 00:19:36,676 --> 00:19:38,926 CARMICHAEL: I don't give one hoot in hell about ecology 425 00:19:39,009 --> 00:19:41,009 or the public welfare or the public good. 426 00:19:41,092 --> 00:19:42,634 I'm in business for only one reason, 427 00:19:42,718 --> 00:19:45,092 to make Liz Carmichael the most important person 428 00:19:45,175 --> 00:19:46,467 in the automotive industry. 429 00:19:46,551 --> 00:19:48,050 And there are thousands of people 430 00:19:48,134 --> 00:19:50,509 riding to cheer me on, and they're not wealthy people, 431 00:19:50,592 --> 00:19:53,509 they're poor people who see in me the embodiment 432 00:19:53,592 --> 00:19:56,467 of the very thing that they went to school 20 years ago 433 00:19:56,551 --> 00:19:58,426 or 30 years ago or 50 years ago, 434 00:19:58,509 --> 00:20:01,134 and learned that that's what America's all about, 435 00:20:01,217 --> 00:20:02,801 -free enterprise. -(TAPE CLICKS) 436 00:20:02,884 --> 00:20:04,884 For Liz... 437 00:20:04,968 --> 00:20:08,426 entrepreneurship isn't just a fresh start. 438 00:20:08,509 --> 00:20:09,676 ♪ (HOUSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 439 00:20:09,759 --> 00:20:11,968 It is the only way forward. 440 00:20:12,968 --> 00:20:14,467 Imagine what it would be like 441 00:20:14,551 --> 00:20:17,592 if there was no other avenue to success. 442 00:20:17,676 --> 00:20:22,759 Being a woman attempting to revolutionize, 443 00:20:22,843 --> 00:20:26,300 uh, a business industry in the '70s, 444 00:20:27,384 --> 00:20:28,592 that at that time, 445 00:20:28,676 --> 00:20:31,300 if you didn't take that strong position, 446 00:20:31,384 --> 00:20:33,134 no one was gonna give you credit. 447 00:20:33,217 --> 00:20:35,551 "You don't think I'm qualified? Well, you're wrong. 448 00:20:35,634 --> 00:20:37,426 Turns out, I'm the only person 449 00:20:37,509 --> 00:20:39,926 in the entire world that's qualified." 450 00:20:40,050 --> 00:20:42,884 It's ridiculous. It's over-the-top. 451 00:20:42,968 --> 00:20:44,926 But is there really any other way 452 00:20:45,009 --> 00:20:48,342 that a woman at the time could have been successful? 453 00:20:50,175 --> 00:20:54,384 It is her one chance 454 00:20:55,050 --> 00:20:58,050 to set all the past aside 455 00:20:58,134 --> 00:21:01,926 and do something truly meaningful. 456 00:21:02,009 --> 00:21:05,050 And no one, no one else in the world, 457 00:21:05,134 --> 00:21:07,092 is gonna give her this chance. 458 00:21:07,175 --> 00:21:09,551 She just has to create it for herself. 459 00:21:11,926 --> 00:21:15,050 -♪ (NEWS THEME PLAYING) ♪ -ANCHOR: And more violence among striking teamsters 460 00:21:15,134 --> 00:21:17,092 in Northern California... 461 00:21:17,175 --> 00:21:19,134 ROGER SCOTT: KABC was pretty normal. 462 00:21:19,217 --> 00:21:22,509 I mean, "normal," it's not like the Bank of America. 463 00:21:22,592 --> 00:21:23,759 It's a newsroom. 464 00:21:23,843 --> 00:21:25,759 There's a lot of tension, there's a lot of deadlines, 465 00:21:25,843 --> 00:21:28,426 people raising their voices at each other. 466 00:21:28,509 --> 00:21:31,217 But that's just the way newsrooms are. 467 00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:33,801 DENNIS SMITH: It was a very exciting time 468 00:21:33,884 --> 00:21:36,384 to be a news documentary cameraman 469 00:21:36,467 --> 00:21:38,134 in the '70s in Los Angeles. 470 00:21:38,217 --> 00:21:40,926 REPORTER: There's a waterline mark over there... 471 00:21:41,009 --> 00:21:43,634 SMITH: Fires, floods, riots... 472 00:21:43,718 --> 00:21:46,634 we did everything that you can imagine. 473 00:21:46,718 --> 00:21:49,968 SCOTT: Dick Carlson was just a regular field reporter. 474 00:21:50,050 --> 00:21:51,926 He delivered stories. 475 00:21:52,009 --> 00:21:54,968 I've worked with him at KGO in San Francisco, 476 00:21:55,050 --> 00:21:58,134 where he was working as the overnight reporter. 477 00:21:58,217 --> 00:22:00,884 And they'd run around shooting police busts, 478 00:22:00,968 --> 00:22:04,467 and they'd come in at six in the morning with film. 479 00:22:04,551 --> 00:22:05,676 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 480 00:22:05,759 --> 00:22:07,259 You'd set up the camera, 481 00:22:07,342 --> 00:22:09,092 put the person to be interviewed 482 00:22:09,175 --> 00:22:10,592 four or five feet in front of the camera, 483 00:22:10,676 --> 00:22:12,009 and then run around with the microphone 484 00:22:12,092 --> 00:22:13,968 and do an interview in less than three minutes 485 00:22:14,050 --> 00:22:15,551 because the film was gonna run out. 486 00:22:15,634 --> 00:22:16,926 What charge is being placed upon-- 487 00:22:17,009 --> 00:22:19,134 They're, uh, being, uh, arrested for 370 of the Penal Code. 488 00:22:19,217 --> 00:22:21,217 -Is that public nuisance? -That is a public nuisance. 489 00:22:21,300 --> 00:22:22,884 -Are you a pimp? -I am no pimp. 490 00:22:22,968 --> 00:22:25,134 I'm a rock-and-roll-style guitar player. 491 00:22:25,217 --> 00:22:29,175 I'm not here to criticize who is right or who is wrong 492 00:22:29,259 --> 00:22:32,050 in calling names, beating people over the head, 493 00:22:32,134 --> 00:22:34,134 or any other reason of harassment. 494 00:22:34,217 --> 00:22:35,843 Have you ever thought it seems sort of ludicrous 495 00:22:35,926 --> 00:22:37,217 to give all the money you make, 496 00:22:37,300 --> 00:22:39,551 work 50, 60 hours a week, to turn it over to a man? 497 00:22:39,634 --> 00:22:41,050 PROSTITUTE 1: No. 498 00:22:41,134 --> 00:22:43,718 PROSTITUTE 2: But when I get starving for two and three days, 499 00:22:43,801 --> 00:22:45,634 and somebody comes along, 500 00:22:46,467 --> 00:22:47,801 I'm gonna take a meal off him 501 00:22:47,884 --> 00:22:49,676 if it's the only means available. 502 00:22:49,759 --> 00:22:50,926 (INDISTINCT CLAMOR) 503 00:22:51,009 --> 00:22:54,300 SCOTT: And about the same time that I came to KABC, 504 00:22:54,384 --> 00:22:57,134 Dick Carlson also came to KABC. 505 00:22:57,217 --> 00:23:00,009 The news director put him together with Pete Noyes 506 00:23:00,092 --> 00:23:01,884 to do investigative work. 507 00:23:01,968 --> 00:23:05,300 Some people at ABC were skeptical about Carlson, 508 00:23:05,384 --> 00:23:07,092 and they said, "Keep an eye on him. 509 00:23:07,175 --> 00:23:09,759 Don't let him go overboard." 510 00:23:09,843 --> 00:23:11,259 ♪ (MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY) ♪ 511 00:23:12,050 --> 00:23:13,384 ♪ (QUIET MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 512 00:23:13,467 --> 00:23:15,676 DICK CARLSON: Pete and I were sitting in the house trailer 513 00:23:15,759 --> 00:23:17,426 next to the newsroom building. 514 00:23:18,801 --> 00:23:20,050 The television was on, 515 00:23:20,134 --> 00:23:25,175 and a reporter who worked for us was talking about a new vehicle 516 00:23:25,801 --> 00:23:27,801 called the Dale car. 517 00:23:27,884 --> 00:23:31,509 They were touting this car and Mrs. Carmichael. 518 00:23:31,592 --> 00:23:34,718 This is in the beginning of interest in the media in feminism 519 00:23:34,801 --> 00:23:37,759 with Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan 520 00:23:37,843 --> 00:23:40,509 and the whole sisterhood at work. 521 00:23:40,592 --> 00:23:42,634 Well, the media loved all that. 522 00:23:42,718 --> 00:23:45,175 They put her on the front of magazines 523 00:23:45,259 --> 00:23:47,342 and got her television coverage. 524 00:23:47,426 --> 00:23:49,217 So Noyes and I looked at it and said... 525 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:51,634 (CHUCKLING) "That's, uh-- That sounds like BS to me." 526 00:23:51,718 --> 00:23:54,509 And it did. It was too perfect. It was a media hype. 527 00:23:55,009 --> 00:23:55,968 So we thought, 528 00:23:56,050 --> 00:23:58,342 "Well, let's take a look at this more seriously." 529 00:23:59,968 --> 00:24:02,718 PETE NOYES: I called up the Dale headquarters. 530 00:24:02,801 --> 00:24:05,009 "We'd like to do a story about the Dale car, 531 00:24:05,092 --> 00:24:07,551 and we'd like to interview G. Elizabeth Carmichael 532 00:24:07,634 --> 00:24:09,676 about her life and times." 533 00:24:09,759 --> 00:24:10,884 So we went over there 534 00:24:10,968 --> 00:24:12,634 and we were waiting for the interview, 535 00:24:12,718 --> 00:24:15,634 and I noticed an intelligence officer 536 00:24:15,718 --> 00:24:18,342 from the DA's office sitting in the room. 537 00:24:18,426 --> 00:24:19,718 His name was Frank Ronick. 538 00:24:19,801 --> 00:24:21,676 So I said, "What the hell are you doing here, Frank?" 539 00:24:21,759 --> 00:24:25,134 And he said, "Well, there's some people working here 540 00:24:25,217 --> 00:24:27,259 that may be able to give me some information 541 00:24:27,342 --> 00:24:29,009 if I squeeze them a little bit, you know?" 542 00:24:29,092 --> 00:24:31,300 I said, "Oh, yeah, well, you wanna tell me more?" 543 00:24:31,384 --> 00:24:33,134 He says, "No, I can't tell you any more about it, 544 00:24:33,217 --> 00:24:34,884 but you gotta keep your eye on this place." 545 00:24:35,592 --> 00:24:37,634 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 546 00:24:37,718 --> 00:24:40,342 She's got some strange people there 547 00:24:40,426 --> 00:24:42,843 working in the company. 548 00:24:42,926 --> 00:24:46,050 Normally, if there was an engineering department, 549 00:24:46,134 --> 00:24:47,300 it'd be just engineers. 550 00:24:47,384 --> 00:24:50,342 Well, some guy in a suit appears one day. 551 00:24:50,426 --> 00:24:52,634 LEAS: Johnny Flack is a good example. 552 00:24:52,718 --> 00:24:55,759 He was dressed to the nines all the time. 553 00:24:56,968 --> 00:24:58,426 Looked like a hit man. 554 00:24:58,509 --> 00:25:00,884 You know, he looked like somebody who could do that, 555 00:25:00,968 --> 00:25:02,676 or maybe had done it. 556 00:25:02,759 --> 00:25:05,092 MCGUINNESS: I remember when I was in my office. 557 00:25:05,175 --> 00:25:08,843 All of a sudden, these three guys walk in 558 00:25:08,926 --> 00:25:11,259 in these three-piece suits. 559 00:25:11,342 --> 00:25:14,050 And there's no way in the world... 560 00:25:14,134 --> 00:25:16,342 You're not telling me this wasn't the Mafia. 561 00:25:16,426 --> 00:25:18,384 These were shady-looking dudes. 562 00:25:18,467 --> 00:25:20,634 They were always sizing people up. 563 00:25:22,050 --> 00:25:24,676 They didn't scare me, but... 564 00:25:24,759 --> 00:25:27,175 they would intimidate me a little bit. 565 00:25:27,259 --> 00:25:31,467 At Twentieth Century, it was like, "Don't say nothing. 566 00:25:32,259 --> 00:25:35,467 What we do here, we leave here." 567 00:25:35,551 --> 00:25:40,134 And it was always emphasized that security is huge. 568 00:25:41,592 --> 00:25:43,884 Every once in a while, you'd see a car going by real slow, 569 00:25:43,968 --> 00:25:45,217 and then they'd shut the bay door 570 00:25:45,300 --> 00:25:48,592 because they were afraid of spies from the big three. 571 00:25:49,759 --> 00:25:51,759 CANDI: I do know she was getting nervous 572 00:25:51,843 --> 00:25:53,676 and there was a bunch of money involved, 573 00:25:53,759 --> 00:25:55,843 and that's why she hired bodyguards. 574 00:25:57,175 --> 00:26:00,634 Bill Miller and Jack Oliver. 575 00:26:00,718 --> 00:26:04,009 To everyone else not involved in the car company, 576 00:26:04,092 --> 00:26:06,259 it was thought that they were her drivers, 577 00:26:06,342 --> 00:26:09,217 but to us, she always called them her bodyguards. 578 00:26:09,300 --> 00:26:13,009 Even though it was dangerous, it was very exciting. 579 00:26:14,259 --> 00:26:16,134 Plus, it was a lot of money. 580 00:26:16,217 --> 00:26:18,259 You know, it wasn't just your regular wages. 581 00:26:18,342 --> 00:26:19,968 It was, like, double. 582 00:26:20,676 --> 00:26:22,217 GRIFFITHS: Every Friday, 583 00:26:22,300 --> 00:26:26,217 everyone would drive over to the headquarters in Encino. 584 00:26:27,509 --> 00:26:29,217 LEAS: Liz would set up a table, 585 00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:34,175 and she had stacks of cash lined up, 586 00:26:34,259 --> 00:26:36,843 and they were all pre-counted. 587 00:26:36,926 --> 00:26:39,175 They go, "Greg," and then come up there 588 00:26:39,259 --> 00:26:41,009 and they'd hand you the stack of cash. 589 00:26:41,092 --> 00:26:43,426 (CHUCKLING) It was just crazy. 590 00:26:43,509 --> 00:26:44,968 Usually, you get a check 591 00:26:45,050 --> 00:26:47,551 and you go to your own bank and do whatever. 592 00:26:47,634 --> 00:26:49,759 In this instance, on Friday, 593 00:26:49,843 --> 00:26:54,509 I looked down, and there was a briefcase full of cash 594 00:26:54,592 --> 00:26:58,509 and next to it, a .357 Magnum Revolver. 595 00:27:00,217 --> 00:27:01,634 It would be like going to a bank 596 00:27:01,718 --> 00:27:04,801 and the teller's got a machine gun or something 597 00:27:04,884 --> 00:27:08,134 sitting right there. (LAUGHS) 598 00:27:08,217 --> 00:27:11,134 It just makes you think about things. 599 00:27:11,217 --> 00:27:14,467 "What's going on here? What could go on here?" 600 00:27:14,551 --> 00:27:16,300 ♪ (PLAYFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 601 00:27:16,384 --> 00:27:18,718 So, it was a big showroom. 602 00:27:20,217 --> 00:27:21,634 Here was the Dale car. 603 00:27:21,718 --> 00:27:24,676 Very attractive-looking, yellow, shiny vehicle. 604 00:27:25,676 --> 00:27:26,801 So we asked Mrs. Carmichael 605 00:27:26,884 --> 00:27:28,217 if they could remove the glass dome 606 00:27:28,300 --> 00:27:30,050 so we could take a look at the car. 607 00:27:30,134 --> 00:27:33,134 "Oh," she said, "Absolutely not, not possible." 608 00:27:33,217 --> 00:27:35,384 The receptionist's name was Vivian, 609 00:27:35,467 --> 00:27:37,050 and Vivian told us 610 00:27:37,134 --> 00:27:39,551 that she was Mrs. Carmichael's sister-in-law. 611 00:27:39,634 --> 00:27:43,009 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: My dearest friend laying over there on the couch, 612 00:27:43,092 --> 00:27:46,217 who's also my private secretary and my sister-in-law, 613 00:27:46,300 --> 00:27:48,801 is a Pisces, and she perfectly embodies 614 00:27:48,884 --> 00:27:51,509 -what a Pisces is supposed to be. -(TAPE CLICKS) 615 00:27:51,592 --> 00:27:52,926 CARLSON: So she ushered us in, 616 00:27:53,009 --> 00:27:55,884 and Mrs. Carmichael was behind the desk. 617 00:27:55,968 --> 00:27:57,509 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 618 00:27:57,592 --> 00:28:00,300 I did a preliminary interview, talked about her past. 619 00:28:00,843 --> 00:28:01,843 (TAPE CLICKS) 620 00:28:01,926 --> 00:28:04,050 CARMICHAEL: 621 00:28:31,634 --> 00:28:33,259 (TAPE CLICKS) 622 00:28:33,342 --> 00:28:35,843 CARLSON: We did the interview. It was very impressive. 623 00:28:35,926 --> 00:28:40,259 She's a widow, she's a graduate automotive engineer, 624 00:28:40,342 --> 00:28:43,592 she lives with her five children and her sister-in-law, 625 00:28:43,676 --> 00:28:47,217 and the first cars are gonna roll off the assembly line 626 00:28:47,300 --> 00:28:48,384 sometime soon. 627 00:28:48,467 --> 00:28:49,676 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 628 00:28:49,759 --> 00:28:52,300 CARLSON: Mrs. Carmichael then arranged for us 629 00:28:52,384 --> 00:28:54,676 to go out to the research, uh, facility, 630 00:28:54,759 --> 00:28:56,801 the "R&D laboratory," she called it. 631 00:28:59,092 --> 00:29:00,634 So, Noyes and I felt 632 00:29:00,718 --> 00:29:03,509 that we were not really equipped in any technical way 633 00:29:03,592 --> 00:29:07,175 to judge the development of an automobile. 634 00:29:07,259 --> 00:29:09,384 We hired a guy for a hundred dollars 635 00:29:09,467 --> 00:29:11,342 who was a retired automotive engineer, 636 00:29:11,426 --> 00:29:12,801 and he joined us 637 00:29:12,884 --> 00:29:15,050 as a sort of shadow member of the crew. 638 00:29:15,134 --> 00:29:17,801 We pulled him off as a lighting man, ultimately. 639 00:29:19,009 --> 00:29:20,884 Mrs. Carmichael took us through 640 00:29:20,968 --> 00:29:23,843 along with the PR guy, Sam Schlisman. 641 00:29:23,926 --> 00:29:28,718 Mrs. Carmichael gave her normal lucid and colorful explanation 642 00:29:28,801 --> 00:29:30,759 of the things that they were doing. 643 00:29:30,843 --> 00:29:33,676 And then we went to another parking lot of a supermarket 644 00:29:33,759 --> 00:29:35,759 to talk to the automotive engineer. 645 00:29:35,843 --> 00:29:38,092 The people who are manufacturing the car 646 00:29:38,175 --> 00:29:42,092 told us that they're making all the parts for that automobile, 647 00:29:42,175 --> 00:29:43,509 the engine and so forth, 648 00:29:43,592 --> 00:29:46,551 right there in that research and development building. 649 00:29:46,634 --> 00:29:49,426 How do you feel about that? You took a look at it. 650 00:29:49,509 --> 00:29:55,884 It would appear that, um, the components we saw there, 651 00:29:55,968 --> 00:29:59,718 uh, might not have been made in that particular building. 652 00:30:01,134 --> 00:30:02,551 CARLSON: A source close to the company 653 00:30:02,634 --> 00:30:04,467 said the engine was, in fact, made by FMC 654 00:30:04,551 --> 00:30:06,134 and the transmission was from a Toyota, 655 00:30:06,217 --> 00:30:08,634 both of which charges were denied by Mrs. Carmichael, 656 00:30:08,718 --> 00:30:10,300 who did refuse to say who'd made them 657 00:30:10,384 --> 00:30:12,551 on the grounds that the secret might be stolen 658 00:30:12,634 --> 00:30:14,718 by Detroit automobile manufacturers. 659 00:30:15,843 --> 00:30:17,300 Salesmen like Jay Garner 660 00:30:17,384 --> 00:30:19,009 have been selling options on the car. 661 00:30:19,092 --> 00:30:21,551 That is, you put money down, up to 1900 dollars, 662 00:30:21,634 --> 00:30:24,134 and you'll get one of the first ones off the assembly line 663 00:30:24,217 --> 00:30:25,759 if and when it's built. 664 00:30:25,843 --> 00:30:28,342 Do you get a lot of people who are willing to write out a check 665 00:30:28,426 --> 00:30:30,759 for 1900, 1500, 1000, whatever it is? 666 00:30:30,843 --> 00:30:31,926 Yes. 667 00:30:32,009 --> 00:30:34,259 They're very enthused about the automobile. 668 00:30:34,342 --> 00:30:38,009 They wanna put money down to be sure to have an automobile 669 00:30:38,092 --> 00:30:39,217 uh, when they come out 670 00:30:39,300 --> 00:30:41,092 because we're limited to the number of automobiles 671 00:30:41,175 --> 00:30:42,509 we're gonna be in production with. 672 00:30:42,592 --> 00:30:44,592 CARLSON: Now, these people, the money is refundable on demand 673 00:30:44,676 --> 00:30:46,801 -at any time, is that correct? -JAY GARNER: That is correct. 674 00:30:46,884 --> 00:30:48,843 CARLSON: Is that written into the contract or something? 675 00:30:48,926 --> 00:30:50,426 Yes. We will put it in there. 676 00:30:50,509 --> 00:30:52,676 -CARLSON: Is it standardly in there? -No. 677 00:30:52,759 --> 00:30:54,968 -CARLSON: Oh, it's not in the contract? -No. 678 00:30:55,050 --> 00:30:56,634 ♪ (JAUNTY MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 679 00:30:56,718 --> 00:30:59,259 NARRATOR: Securities law. 680 00:31:01,134 --> 00:31:04,300 MARK MACCARLEY: People are flocking to the Twentieth Century Motor Car Company 681 00:31:04,384 --> 00:31:05,467 to make deposits. 682 00:31:05,551 --> 00:31:08,384 If you decide you wanna buy a brand-new car 683 00:31:08,467 --> 00:31:09,968 and it's still a concept car, 684 00:31:10,050 --> 00:31:12,009 the manufacturer is required 685 00:31:12,092 --> 00:31:15,050 to put that money away in a safe account. 686 00:31:15,134 --> 00:31:19,134 These deposits were not put in any sort of escrow account, 687 00:31:19,217 --> 00:31:22,175 held until the vehicles were actually produced. 688 00:31:23,718 --> 00:31:24,718 What happened was 689 00:31:24,801 --> 00:31:27,009 the deposits were used to finance 690 00:31:27,092 --> 00:31:29,092 the activities of the business... 691 00:31:30,801 --> 00:31:32,676 salaries and distributions. 692 00:31:32,759 --> 00:31:36,509 That runs immediately afoul of our securities laws, 693 00:31:36,592 --> 00:31:38,551 both federal and state. 694 00:31:38,634 --> 00:31:40,509 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: 695 00:31:44,217 --> 00:31:45,384 -♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪ -(TAPE CLICKS) 696 00:31:45,467 --> 00:31:47,050 CARLSON: What guarantee is there to him 697 00:31:47,134 --> 00:31:48,634 that he's either gonna get the car 698 00:31:48,718 --> 00:31:50,843 or get his money back if he does not get the car? 699 00:31:50,926 --> 00:31:53,467 Well, there's no guarantee, any more than there's a guarantee 700 00:31:53,551 --> 00:31:55,259 that the sun will come up tomorrow morning. 701 00:31:55,342 --> 00:31:57,384 As I've said before, caveat emptor. 702 00:31:57,467 --> 00:31:59,259 Let the buyer beware. Chuck. 703 00:31:59,342 --> 00:32:01,676 SMITH: The fact that we were doing this story 704 00:32:01,759 --> 00:32:03,134 helped their sales. 705 00:32:03,217 --> 00:32:06,342 In fact, I think their sales went up 200 percent 706 00:32:06,426 --> 00:32:09,050 immediately after the news coverage we did. 707 00:32:09,134 --> 00:32:10,592 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 708 00:32:10,676 --> 00:32:11,926 SMITH: There were more people down there 709 00:32:12,009 --> 00:32:16,843 buying options on those cars, and she was making money. 710 00:32:16,926 --> 00:32:19,300 We went over and we talked to the people 711 00:32:19,384 --> 00:32:22,050 at the State Corporations Commission. 712 00:32:22,134 --> 00:32:25,175 But they didn't do anything to enforce it. 713 00:32:25,259 --> 00:32:26,384 If I wanted to commit a fraud, 714 00:32:26,467 --> 00:32:27,843 I certainly would want their help, 715 00:32:27,926 --> 00:32:30,426 because they don't know how to investigate anything. 716 00:32:30,509 --> 00:32:32,801 The evidence was clearly there before them, 717 00:32:32,884 --> 00:32:34,509 and they ignored it. 718 00:32:34,592 --> 00:32:38,718 -(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY) -SMITH: I think the best service we did as a news team 719 00:32:38,801 --> 00:32:42,843 was we brought it to the attention of the public, 720 00:32:42,926 --> 00:32:46,092 so the government had to do something 721 00:32:46,175 --> 00:32:49,384 'cause we were shoving it right in their faces. 722 00:32:49,467 --> 00:32:51,926 On Monday, the state of California issued an order 723 00:32:52,009 --> 00:32:54,092 demanding that the company stop selling options 724 00:32:54,175 --> 00:32:55,384 on the automobile. 725 00:32:55,467 --> 00:32:58,467 They said it was in violation of state securities law. 726 00:32:58,551 --> 00:33:01,968 -(TAPE CLICKS) -CARMICHAEL: Try anything new, try something different, 727 00:33:02,050 --> 00:33:03,300 try to challenge the leaders, 728 00:33:03,384 --> 00:33:05,968 and hey, you gotta be swatted like a fly. 729 00:33:06,050 --> 00:33:08,634 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 730 00:33:08,718 --> 00:33:11,843 CARMICHAEL: Acid in the plastic vats, plans stolen, 731 00:33:11,926 --> 00:33:14,009 locks busted, fires started, 732 00:33:14,092 --> 00:33:18,009 false reports turned in to various regulatory bodies. 733 00:33:18,092 --> 00:33:22,175 Never a day goes by where we aren't harassed by somebody. 734 00:33:22,259 --> 00:33:25,092 -Been going on for months. -(TAPE CLICKS) 735 00:33:25,175 --> 00:33:27,092 CARLSON: And Liz Carmichael says she is convinced 736 00:33:27,175 --> 00:33:29,384 the state has been harassing the company. 737 00:33:29,467 --> 00:33:32,968 I don't really know in what fashion 738 00:33:33,050 --> 00:33:34,843 she has indicated harassment. 739 00:33:34,926 --> 00:33:38,092 I, um, I do know that we have issued subpoenas. 740 00:33:38,175 --> 00:33:41,426 We have issued, uh, orders, desist and refrain orders, 741 00:33:41,509 --> 00:33:46,175 and if she has considered these to be the form of harassment, 742 00:33:46,259 --> 00:33:48,009 then I guess that would be true. 743 00:33:48,092 --> 00:33:50,009 SMITH: After the Department of Corporations 744 00:33:50,092 --> 00:33:53,884 had ordered Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation 745 00:33:53,968 --> 00:33:58,092 to cease and desist selling options on the car, 746 00:33:58,175 --> 00:34:03,009 I was assigned with Dick to go over to their offices 747 00:34:03,092 --> 00:34:05,175 and see what was going on. 748 00:34:05,259 --> 00:34:07,551 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 749 00:34:07,634 --> 00:34:09,718 SMITH: Now, Dick was obviously 750 00:34:09,801 --> 00:34:12,092 really well known in the offices, 751 00:34:12,175 --> 00:34:14,426 and he couldn't walk in. 752 00:34:14,509 --> 00:34:18,050 Dick asked me if I'd go poke my nose inside. 753 00:34:18,134 --> 00:34:21,592 So I walked in and just acted like I was interested. 754 00:34:22,634 --> 00:34:23,843 I looked over, 755 00:34:23,926 --> 00:34:26,843 and there was somebody filling out paperwork at a desk 756 00:34:26,926 --> 00:34:29,300 and writing out a check. 757 00:34:29,384 --> 00:34:33,300 And realized that he was buying an option on the car. 758 00:34:33,384 --> 00:34:35,300 I went back out to the car, jumped in, 759 00:34:35,384 --> 00:34:39,718 and told Dick that they're still selling cars. 760 00:34:39,801 --> 00:34:41,718 And he looked at me and thought for a second, 761 00:34:41,801 --> 00:34:44,551 and he said, "Do you have your checkbook with you?" 762 00:34:44,634 --> 00:34:47,134 I said, "Well, I'm not sure there's that much money in the account." 763 00:34:47,217 --> 00:34:49,092 And he goes, "Don't worry. 764 00:34:49,175 --> 00:34:51,009 The check will never leave this building." 765 00:34:54,092 --> 00:34:56,384 So I walked in, walked around the car again, 766 00:34:56,467 --> 00:34:58,634 looked interested. Somebody came over to me. 767 00:34:58,718 --> 00:35:00,551 I told them I wanted to buy an option, 768 00:35:00,634 --> 00:35:02,426 and they said, "Absolutely." 769 00:35:02,509 --> 00:35:06,259 I fill out the paperwork, I wrote them a check, 770 00:35:06,342 --> 00:35:10,843 walked back out to the car, and held up my option to Dick, 771 00:35:10,926 --> 00:35:14,467 and he goes, "Grab your camera." 772 00:35:14,551 --> 00:35:16,384 -Get outta here. -What I wanna ask you is, uh, 773 00:35:16,467 --> 00:35:18,384 you sold an option to my cameraman here. 774 00:35:18,467 --> 00:35:21,050 I understand there's a state cease and desist order 775 00:35:21,134 --> 00:35:22,801 telling you you can't do that. 776 00:35:22,884 --> 00:35:24,509 Hey, Jay, come on down. 777 00:35:24,592 --> 00:35:26,467 Having trouble finding somebody to talk to. 778 00:35:26,551 --> 00:35:27,843 No sé nada. 779 00:35:27,926 --> 00:35:29,259 -CARLSON: Pardon? -No sé nada. 780 00:35:29,342 --> 00:35:31,592 -CARLSON: No sé nada? -No, no comprendo. 781 00:35:32,175 --> 00:35:33,175 Españoles? 782 00:35:33,259 --> 00:35:35,259 -CARLSON: You're fibbing to me. -Españoles? 783 00:35:35,342 --> 00:35:37,843 CARLSON: No, I don't, and I don't think you speak it very well either. 784 00:35:37,926 --> 00:35:40,134 -Can you tell me who's in charge? -I have-- I have nothing to say. 785 00:35:40,217 --> 00:35:44,551 Well, what I'd like to find out is my-- my cameraman just bought a Dale option for 500 dollars. 786 00:35:44,634 --> 00:35:46,843 LEAS: You'd come home at night after working, 787 00:35:46,926 --> 00:35:49,926 and you see this stuff on the Dale on the news. 788 00:35:50,009 --> 00:35:52,259 CARLSON: Hey, Jay, come on out. We'd like to talk to you. 789 00:35:52,342 --> 00:35:53,592 My cameraman wants a refund. 790 00:35:53,676 --> 00:35:55,259 LEAS: Why are you doing this? 791 00:35:55,342 --> 00:35:56,634 Why are you destroying something 792 00:35:56,718 --> 00:35:58,509 that could actually help this country? 793 00:35:58,592 --> 00:36:02,509 There was nothing, in our minds, more important and more exciting 794 00:36:02,592 --> 00:36:05,009 and more needed by the country at that time. 795 00:36:05,092 --> 00:36:06,759 There was an energy crisis. 796 00:36:06,843 --> 00:36:09,509 CARLSON: Well, finally, after about 20 minutes, a salesman did come out. 797 00:36:09,592 --> 00:36:11,342 Since our interview last time, how are you? 798 00:36:11,426 --> 00:36:12,884 -I'm okay. -CARLSON: Can you explain to me 799 00:36:12,968 --> 00:36:14,926 why you're selling options on the Dale? 800 00:36:15,009 --> 00:36:16,592 What do you mean, "selling options"? 801 00:36:16,676 --> 00:36:19,009 We are. We're taking deposits on cars. 802 00:36:19,092 --> 00:36:20,801 CARLSON: Ah, so you didn't-- you don't know anything about 803 00:36:20,884 --> 00:36:22,509 a, uh, an order from the state of California 804 00:36:22,592 --> 00:36:24,092 -forbidding you to do that? -No, I do not. 805 00:36:24,175 --> 00:36:25,843 CARLSON: You don't? They never said anything to you about it? 806 00:36:25,926 --> 00:36:27,759 -No, they have not. -CARLSON: Have you continued to take, 807 00:36:27,843 --> 00:36:29,467 uh, orders on the car and sell options 808 00:36:29,551 --> 00:36:31,718 -since the last time I talked to you? -Most-- Yes, I do. 809 00:36:31,801 --> 00:36:33,551 CARLSON: I see. You don't think you're breaking the law? 810 00:36:33,634 --> 00:36:35,843 -No, or I wouldn't be doing it. -CARLSON: Would you be surprised if I told you 811 00:36:35,926 --> 00:36:38,592 that there's an order saying that this Twentieth Century Motor Car Company 812 00:36:38,676 --> 00:36:39,884 cannot sell options on Dales? 813 00:36:39,968 --> 00:36:41,676 There's a lot of things you could tell me, 814 00:36:41,759 --> 00:36:43,342 but I don't believe anything that you say. 815 00:36:43,426 --> 00:36:45,718 CARLSON: Well, after a short discussion in that vein, 816 00:36:45,801 --> 00:36:48,009 Jay handed back Smith's check for 500 dollars. 817 00:36:48,092 --> 00:36:49,718 I left, and I was locked outside. 818 00:36:49,801 --> 00:36:51,134 "We're closing for the day," they said. 819 00:36:51,217 --> 00:36:53,217 Somebody called the police, who were first asked to arrest us 820 00:36:53,300 --> 00:36:55,968 and then to confiscate the film that we'd shot this afternoon. 821 00:36:56,050 --> 00:36:58,426 They declined, fortunately for us, to do either one, 822 00:36:58,509 --> 00:37:00,342 and, uh, that all took place about two hours ago. 823 00:37:00,426 --> 00:37:02,426 I just couldn't get over that. I just-- 824 00:37:02,968 --> 00:37:03,968 It was beyond me, 825 00:37:04,050 --> 00:37:05,968 in the name of journalism or anything else, 826 00:37:06,050 --> 00:37:08,009 why anybody would do that. 827 00:37:08,092 --> 00:37:11,342 To set out to deliberately destroy 828 00:37:12,009 --> 00:37:13,384 something that noble. 829 00:37:13,467 --> 00:37:15,009 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 830 00:37:15,092 --> 00:37:18,009 SMITH: We were out to get to the truth 831 00:37:18,092 --> 00:37:22,300 so the people who were investing a couple thousand dollars 832 00:37:22,384 --> 00:37:25,884 to put deposits down on these cars 833 00:37:25,968 --> 00:37:28,134 wouldn't be taken advantage of. 834 00:37:28,217 --> 00:37:29,926 CARLSON: The Twentieth Century Motor Car Company 835 00:37:30,009 --> 00:37:32,300 really got to dislike me. 836 00:37:33,926 --> 00:37:36,759 One day, I was on the set at ABC 837 00:37:36,843 --> 00:37:39,175 and a grip, whom I knew, came up to me 838 00:37:39,259 --> 00:37:41,342 and asked me to-- if he could talk to me alone. 839 00:37:41,426 --> 00:37:44,259 "Sure." So I went behind some curtains with him, 840 00:37:44,342 --> 00:37:46,467 and he basically offered me a bribe 841 00:37:46,551 --> 00:37:48,426 that came through Mrs. Carmichael. 842 00:37:48,509 --> 00:37:51,467 He didn't say it came through Mrs. Carmichael, but it did. 843 00:37:51,551 --> 00:37:54,718 Uh, he said he knew some people who knew some people. (LAUGHS) 844 00:37:54,801 --> 00:37:57,551 And if I would take, I've forgotten, 2,000 dollars 845 00:37:57,634 --> 00:38:00,217 and stop doing this, that would be the end of that. 846 00:38:00,300 --> 00:38:03,467 And he was offering the money. Somebody had gotten to him. 847 00:38:03,551 --> 00:38:06,259 Mrs. Elizabeth Carmichael is the prime mover 848 00:38:06,342 --> 00:38:07,676 behind the automobile. 849 00:38:07,759 --> 00:38:09,968 She says that she is a mechanical engineer. 850 00:38:10,050 --> 00:38:13,092 She says she has a master's degree in business as well. 851 00:38:13,175 --> 00:38:16,676 I called the university that she said she attended, 852 00:38:18,426 --> 00:38:21,384 and I checked to see if there were any graduates 853 00:38:21,467 --> 00:38:25,509 with her name from the engineering school, 854 00:38:25,592 --> 00:38:27,968 and they had never heard of anybody 855 00:38:28,050 --> 00:38:30,217 named Elizabeth Carmichael. 856 00:38:31,718 --> 00:38:35,092 And I called her, and I asked her on the telephone, 857 00:38:35,175 --> 00:38:37,718 "What was the year you graduated?" 858 00:38:37,801 --> 00:38:40,092 She said, "Well, women don't tell our ages." 859 00:38:40,175 --> 00:38:42,634 "Look, I just checked with the university. 860 00:38:42,718 --> 00:38:44,801 They say they have no record of you attending." 861 00:38:44,884 --> 00:38:46,634 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 862 00:38:46,718 --> 00:38:48,801 CARLSON: "Why am I answering all these questions? I-- 863 00:38:48,884 --> 00:38:50,050 I'm telling you who I am, 864 00:38:50,134 --> 00:38:51,676 and it's clear that I'm telling the truth, 865 00:38:51,759 --> 00:38:53,551 and I know a lot about engineering, 866 00:38:53,634 --> 00:38:55,968 -and so stop bugging me." -(PHONE SLAMS) 867 00:38:56,050 --> 00:38:58,801 CARLSON: Now, a woman heading an automobile-making company is news, 868 00:38:58,884 --> 00:39:00,384 and by her account, 869 00:39:00,467 --> 00:39:02,843 Carmichael is a graduate in mechanical engineering from Ohio State 870 00:39:02,926 --> 00:39:05,175 and has a master's in business from the University of Miami, 871 00:39:05,259 --> 00:39:07,259 yet neither school has a record of those degrees, 872 00:39:07,342 --> 00:39:09,259 and when I asked Carmichael for details about that, 873 00:39:09,342 --> 00:39:11,426 she refused to discuss it any further. 874 00:39:37,134 --> 00:39:41,259 Let the stations, the owners, the oil companies 875 00:39:41,342 --> 00:39:43,009 choke on their gas. 876 00:39:43,092 --> 00:39:44,884 -(CAR HORN HONKS) -I'm worried. 877 00:39:44,968 --> 00:39:46,467 It's not a happy situation, to say the least. 878 00:39:46,551 --> 00:39:49,050 -I'm tired. -My tank is, uh, almost empty. 879 00:39:49,134 --> 00:39:52,092 So they waited three hours, and there was no gas. 880 00:39:52,175 --> 00:39:53,592 I can't take it anymore. 881 00:39:53,676 --> 00:39:54,884 (BANGING ECHOES) 882 00:39:54,968 --> 00:39:56,676 REPORTER: How much have you got left in there? 883 00:39:56,759 --> 00:39:59,092 None. It's empty. 884 00:39:59,175 --> 00:40:00,342 I just couldn't imagine 885 00:40:00,426 --> 00:40:02,342 something like this would happen in America. 886 00:40:02,426 --> 00:40:04,968 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 887 00:40:05,050 --> 00:40:08,259 CARMICHAEL: People have begun to believe 888 00:40:08,342 --> 00:40:12,426 that the land of opportunity does not really exist. 889 00:40:12,509 --> 00:40:14,718 And when they see somebody like me, 890 00:40:14,801 --> 00:40:18,134 who spouts off that I am a nobody who's going to become-- 891 00:40:18,217 --> 00:40:20,926 become the biggest in the world by my own effort, 892 00:40:21,009 --> 00:40:22,426 they clamor to me 893 00:40:22,509 --> 00:40:24,718 because I am the one thing that's lacking in this country today, 894 00:40:24,801 --> 00:40:27,134 and that's a hero. People need a hero. 895 00:40:27,217 --> 00:40:29,718 And we haven't had a hero since Teddy Roosevelt. 896 00:40:30,467 --> 00:40:31,676 (TAPE RECORDER CLICKS) 897 00:40:32,467 --> 00:40:34,509 BARRETT: She called me and... 898 00:40:34,592 --> 00:40:37,300 said, "Now, I've got a deal going out here." 899 00:40:37,384 --> 00:40:39,426 She said, "I really need your help. 900 00:40:39,509 --> 00:40:42,592 We're gonna produce this car. 901 00:40:42,676 --> 00:40:45,342 Trust me, you are going to make some money 902 00:40:45,426 --> 00:40:47,300 and everybody's gonna get rich. 903 00:40:49,050 --> 00:40:51,676 We just need a break to get it going, 904 00:40:51,759 --> 00:40:54,968 and once we're up and running, it's gonna be a hit." 905 00:40:55,050 --> 00:40:56,467 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 906 00:40:56,551 --> 00:41:00,426 But she needed help. She needed support from family, 907 00:41:00,509 --> 00:41:01,718 some people that she could trust, 908 00:41:01,801 --> 00:41:04,300 because when you're in a pool of sharks, 909 00:41:04,384 --> 00:41:05,718 you're gonna get bit. 910 00:41:05,801 --> 00:41:07,634 She said, "Every time I turn around, 911 00:41:07,718 --> 00:41:10,092 they're coming through the door with another complaint. 912 00:41:10,175 --> 00:41:11,884 We gotta cut some corners 913 00:41:11,968 --> 00:41:15,300 because we gotta get the money coming in. 914 00:41:15,384 --> 00:41:17,843 If you don't have the money, the car is gone." 915 00:41:17,926 --> 00:41:20,926 She kept stressing how they had to get it in production 916 00:41:21,009 --> 00:41:23,134 before the government shut them down. 917 00:41:23,217 --> 00:41:24,467 She kept saying that. 918 00:41:24,551 --> 00:41:26,300 She said, "Once you're in production 919 00:41:26,384 --> 00:41:29,384 and the car is out there, they can't stop you." 920 00:41:30,134 --> 00:41:31,426 I said, um... 921 00:41:32,426 --> 00:41:34,300 "Man, I'll tell you what, I normally-- 922 00:41:34,384 --> 00:41:36,050 I would do anything you want me." 923 00:41:36,134 --> 00:41:39,050 But I said, "I've got a really good job here." 924 00:41:39,134 --> 00:41:42,009 I said, "I've-- I'm respected." (CHUCKLES) 925 00:41:42,092 --> 00:41:44,009 "I've got three children to feed now." 926 00:41:44,092 --> 00:41:45,426 I said, "I'm sorry... 927 00:41:47,092 --> 00:41:48,968 I can't. I can't." 928 00:41:51,634 --> 00:41:54,050 ♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC FADES) ♪ 929 00:41:56,134 --> 00:41:58,259 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 930 00:42:00,426 --> 00:42:02,509 MCGUINNESS: I remember the first time I'm saying, 931 00:42:02,592 --> 00:42:04,926 "Something is wrong." 932 00:42:05,009 --> 00:42:07,843 People weren't getting their damn paychecks, 933 00:42:07,926 --> 00:42:09,718 and I was, like, shocked. 934 00:42:09,801 --> 00:42:12,300 There was some kind of money issues going on, 935 00:42:12,384 --> 00:42:15,217 and without money, you're a done deal. 936 00:42:15,300 --> 00:42:16,801 You cut off the blood, 937 00:42:17,467 --> 00:42:19,175 that animal dies. 938 00:42:20,467 --> 00:42:22,384 And I remember my dad said, 939 00:42:22,467 --> 00:42:24,759 "No one works without getting paid. 940 00:42:24,843 --> 00:42:26,718 That's all there is to it." 941 00:42:26,801 --> 00:42:28,092 Even though they believed in that car, 942 00:42:28,175 --> 00:42:30,134 you still need money to pay your bills. 943 00:42:31,592 --> 00:42:33,759 We all went down to Liz's office. 944 00:42:33,843 --> 00:42:36,050 -Everyone shows up. -(INDISTINCT CLAMORING) 945 00:42:36,134 --> 00:42:38,718 And some of them were angry, you know, shouting at Liz. 946 00:42:38,801 --> 00:42:41,509 I mean, it was like a mob ready to blow up on her. 947 00:42:41,592 --> 00:42:43,551 (INDISTINCT CLAMORING) 948 00:42:43,634 --> 00:42:45,092 MCGUINNESS: What do you do? 949 00:42:45,968 --> 00:42:48,050 Probably took her by surprise. 950 00:42:48,134 --> 00:42:50,259 All of a sudden, you have 30, 40 people in your office 951 00:42:50,342 --> 00:42:53,718 kind of screaming at you and waving checks that are no good. 952 00:42:53,801 --> 00:42:55,384 (CLAMORING) 953 00:42:55,467 --> 00:42:58,092 MCGUINNESS: She looked very, like, "What am I gonna do? 954 00:42:58,175 --> 00:43:00,467 I can't let this fall apart right now." 955 00:43:01,509 --> 00:43:02,926 I actually felt a little bit sad 956 00:43:03,009 --> 00:43:06,426 'cause we still felt so much involvement in the company, 957 00:43:06,509 --> 00:43:09,926 and I actually, out of all the people there, I just said, 958 00:43:10,009 --> 00:43:13,509 "Well, I feel if we could get over this hump, 959 00:43:13,592 --> 00:43:14,634 we'd be okay. 960 00:43:14,718 --> 00:43:16,676 I know businesses go through things like that, 961 00:43:16,759 --> 00:43:18,592 but we've gotta get the investments." 962 00:43:18,676 --> 00:43:20,676 You know, I'm a kid saying all of this, 963 00:43:20,759 --> 00:43:22,342 and everyone's shutting up. 964 00:43:22,426 --> 00:43:24,175 And she looked back and she goes, 965 00:43:24,259 --> 00:43:26,342 "Well, that's what I just wanted to tell you all, 966 00:43:26,426 --> 00:43:27,676 that I just got the phone call. 967 00:43:27,759 --> 00:43:29,801 The investors are coming in from Japan. 968 00:43:29,884 --> 00:43:32,926 We're getting the money we need. Everything will be fine. 969 00:43:33,009 --> 00:43:35,134 I need you all to go back to work. 970 00:43:35,217 --> 00:43:37,509 You'll get your back pay. We're all gonna make it. 971 00:43:37,592 --> 00:43:39,843 We're all in this team together. We're family. 972 00:43:39,926 --> 00:43:41,634 Don't let me down when I need you. 973 00:43:41,718 --> 00:43:43,759 This is not the time to leave me." 974 00:43:43,843 --> 00:43:45,134 ♪ (INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 975 00:43:45,217 --> 00:43:47,467 MCGUINNESS: And there were people in there that were like, 976 00:43:47,551 --> 00:43:49,467 "Don't worry, Liz, we're there for you." 977 00:43:49,551 --> 00:43:53,551 She could bring that emotion up faster than you could imagine. 978 00:43:55,676 --> 00:43:58,968 GRIFFITHS: Enter the Japanese investor, 979 00:43:59,050 --> 00:44:03,426 which was going to give Liz credibility 980 00:44:03,509 --> 00:44:05,467 about the Dale project. 981 00:44:05,551 --> 00:44:09,009 So Liz said, "It's gonna maybe give us a lot of money. 982 00:44:09,092 --> 00:44:11,384 We're gonna have to put on a test drive." 983 00:44:12,592 --> 00:44:14,175 December 31. 984 00:44:17,259 --> 00:44:20,801 We knew we had a big old fish on the hook. 985 00:44:20,884 --> 00:44:23,509 They were gonna invest 30 million dollars, 986 00:44:23,592 --> 00:44:26,175 so if that test drive is successful, 987 00:44:26,259 --> 00:44:28,843 that's the beginning of the major competition 988 00:44:28,926 --> 00:44:30,676 for the big three. 989 00:44:30,759 --> 00:44:32,551 MCGUINNESS: So it was like, "Throw it together! 990 00:44:32,634 --> 00:44:35,175 Get the engine going! Put the parts together! 991 00:44:35,259 --> 00:44:37,509 We need it now." 992 00:44:37,592 --> 00:44:40,467 GRIFFITHS: Orders came from headquarters. 993 00:44:40,551 --> 00:44:42,426 "Get that car running. 994 00:44:42,509 --> 00:44:44,050 I don't care if it's unfinished." 995 00:44:44,134 --> 00:44:47,592 Just had to put two seats in it one way or another 996 00:44:47,676 --> 00:44:51,509 that would, quote, "start, physically start and run." 997 00:44:51,592 --> 00:44:53,009 Eyewitness News wanted to know 998 00:44:53,092 --> 00:44:56,050 just what those men who actually worked on the idea, 999 00:44:56,134 --> 00:44:57,843 the design, the mechanics of the Dale 1000 00:44:57,926 --> 00:44:59,092 really thought about it. 1001 00:44:59,175 --> 00:45:01,592 Late last week, I located a high-level technician. 1002 00:45:01,676 --> 00:45:03,718 He asked only that he not be identified, 1003 00:45:03,801 --> 00:45:05,426 hence the shadows on the sidewalk. 1004 00:45:05,509 --> 00:45:08,009 TECHNICIAN: I feel the car's got a lot of potential, 1005 00:45:08,092 --> 00:45:11,926 and with proper management, I think we can really produce 1006 00:45:12,009 --> 00:45:15,134 a good, sensible, economical automobile. 1007 00:45:15,217 --> 00:45:17,342 CARLSON: Mrs. Carmichael said she expects this car 1008 00:45:17,426 --> 00:45:19,134 to be in mass production by June. 1009 00:45:19,217 --> 00:45:20,509 Do you think that's realistic? 1010 00:45:20,592 --> 00:45:23,217 TECHNICIAN: I don't feel it's realistic. No. 1011 00:45:23,300 --> 00:45:25,718 They've generated a momentum, and they-- 1012 00:45:25,801 --> 00:45:27,759 they don't know how to control it now. 1013 00:45:27,843 --> 00:45:30,342 I'd say the lunchtime talk was, 1014 00:45:30,426 --> 00:45:32,384 "Well, yeah, she's probably gonna-- 1015 00:45:32,467 --> 00:45:34,175 she's probably gonna hit the hills 1016 00:45:34,259 --> 00:45:35,551 when the money comes in. 1017 00:45:35,634 --> 00:45:37,551 That sounds like what she's waiting for, 1018 00:45:37,634 --> 00:45:39,300 it's the Japanese investment. 1019 00:45:39,384 --> 00:45:42,509 Once she gets a few million, she's gonna disappear." 1020 00:45:45,009 --> 00:45:46,843 And then, at the same time, you're thinking, 1021 00:45:46,926 --> 00:45:50,259 "No, we have to move forward on this. 1022 00:45:50,342 --> 00:45:51,592 I don't know if it's real or not, 1023 00:45:51,676 --> 00:45:53,759 but we have to move forward." 1024 00:45:53,843 --> 00:45:56,384 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1025 00:45:57,843 --> 00:46:01,009 GRIFFITHS: Everything culminated with that one test drive. 1026 00:46:03,175 --> 00:46:06,634 It took place very near the facility. 1027 00:46:09,384 --> 00:46:11,259 I mean, I-- I did seize the moment 1028 00:46:11,342 --> 00:46:14,843 because people are, "Well, who's gonna drive it? Who's gonna..." 1029 00:46:14,926 --> 00:46:16,884 "Well, I'm gonna drive the car." 1030 00:46:18,592 --> 00:46:21,050 The excitement was getting into the car 1031 00:46:21,134 --> 00:46:23,342 before anyone else got into it. 1032 00:46:25,217 --> 00:46:29,259 And I grabbed Hans specifically for the test purposes, 1033 00:46:29,342 --> 00:46:32,384 and we talked briefly, and I said, "You know... 1034 00:46:33,551 --> 00:46:35,759 you know why I want you to help me here, 1035 00:46:35,843 --> 00:46:36,968 because we're gonna-- 1036 00:46:37,050 --> 00:46:40,426 we're gonna see whether this thing is even roadworthy 1037 00:46:40,509 --> 00:46:42,050 in any way or form." 1038 00:46:43,551 --> 00:46:47,009 Liz followed fairly closely behind us. 1039 00:46:48,759 --> 00:46:51,884 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1040 00:46:53,134 --> 00:46:55,759 MCGUINNESS: We got there, and all of a sudden, 1041 00:46:55,843 --> 00:46:58,968 these Bentleys, big black limo kind of cars 1042 00:46:59,050 --> 00:47:00,592 all one after another, 1043 00:47:00,676 --> 00:47:03,050 I mean, it must've been a half a dozen or more, 1044 00:47:03,134 --> 00:47:04,384 all pulling up. 1045 00:47:04,467 --> 00:47:05,843 It was like, "Oh, my God, 1046 00:47:05,926 --> 00:47:07,509 big money just is rolling up here 1047 00:47:07,592 --> 00:47:08,926 to see this thing." 1048 00:47:09,009 --> 00:47:11,634 Well, I'm thinking it's gonna be perfect. 1049 00:47:11,718 --> 00:47:14,676 And I mean, you go straight, you have no problem. 1050 00:47:14,759 --> 00:47:16,259 (ENGINE STARTS) 1051 00:47:22,217 --> 00:47:24,426 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 1052 00:47:26,259 --> 00:47:29,134 LEAS: I was amazed that we had that doggone thing operational. 1053 00:47:29,217 --> 00:47:32,384 And it reached 45, 50 miles an hour, you know. 1054 00:47:32,926 --> 00:47:34,426 That's cool. 1055 00:47:34,509 --> 00:47:37,259 And it sounded good, sounded like a BMW. 1056 00:47:39,426 --> 00:47:43,092 And it looked good. It was a three-wheeled car. 1057 00:47:44,050 --> 00:47:45,884 How many times do you see one of those 1058 00:47:46,009 --> 00:47:47,676 going 40 miles an hour? 1059 00:47:48,634 --> 00:47:49,592 I loved it. 1060 00:47:49,676 --> 00:47:52,050 (ENGINE REVS) 1061 00:47:52,134 --> 00:47:55,676 GRIFFITHS: The whole idea of getting someone who's heavy, 1062 00:47:55,759 --> 00:47:58,718 I'm gonna be able to test the turn, 1063 00:47:58,801 --> 00:48:00,592 whether I go right or left, 1064 00:48:00,676 --> 00:48:03,718 that the turnover aspect of a three-wheeler 1065 00:48:03,801 --> 00:48:04,843 comes into play. 1066 00:48:04,926 --> 00:48:07,551 And if the weight is on one side, 1067 00:48:07,634 --> 00:48:09,884 then you're gonna have an issue 1068 00:48:09,968 --> 00:48:12,718 if you wanna turn in the opposite direction. 1069 00:48:12,801 --> 00:48:14,634 The car will wanna roll. 1070 00:48:15,384 --> 00:48:17,217 I told him what I was gonna do. 1071 00:48:17,300 --> 00:48:19,718 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1072 00:48:19,801 --> 00:48:21,509 GRIFFITHS: So he's grabbing onto the roof, 1073 00:48:21,592 --> 00:48:25,342 and I said, "Be ready here, I'm gonna do it right now." 1074 00:48:27,884 --> 00:48:29,426 MCGUINNESS: And he's driving around fine, 1075 00:48:29,509 --> 00:48:33,634 and then he hits the brake and turns the wheel. 1076 00:48:34,342 --> 00:48:36,300 (TIRES SCREECHING) 1077 00:48:36,384 --> 00:48:39,134 (METAL SCRAPING) 1078 00:48:43,050 --> 00:48:46,259 And I almost went out the door, if I remember correctly, 1079 00:48:46,342 --> 00:48:48,718 hanging onto the steering wheel. 1080 00:48:48,801 --> 00:48:51,050 Hans had his shoulder 1081 00:48:51,134 --> 00:48:53,342 scraping along the side there. 1082 00:48:54,509 --> 00:48:57,092 Came back down, boom, boom, boom. 1083 00:48:57,175 --> 00:48:58,217 (CLANKING) 1084 00:48:58,300 --> 00:49:00,342 GRIFFITHS: We both laughed pretty hard 1085 00:49:00,426 --> 00:49:03,175 out of the nervousness of this experience. 1086 00:49:04,509 --> 00:49:08,718 So it made the car look very dangerous, you know. 1087 00:49:08,801 --> 00:49:12,467 And, of course, this was quite disturbing to Liz 1088 00:49:12,551 --> 00:49:14,134 'cause she was counting on this 1089 00:49:14,217 --> 00:49:16,968 as the clincher to get some money, 1090 00:49:17,050 --> 00:49:20,259 give a reality to the whole project. 1091 00:49:20,342 --> 00:49:25,134 I thought the test driver was there to disprove it. 1092 00:49:25,217 --> 00:49:28,801 In the shop, they blamed me for sabotaging the company, 1093 00:49:28,884 --> 00:49:30,801 usual stuff. 1094 00:49:30,884 --> 00:49:33,134 MCGUINNESS: The guy that drove that car, 1095 00:49:33,217 --> 00:49:36,300 he tried purposely to try and flip it. 1096 00:49:36,384 --> 00:49:38,718 This is just a prototype, you know? 1097 00:49:38,801 --> 00:49:41,300 Should've just let it run around like a normal car 1098 00:49:41,384 --> 00:49:43,134 instead of going as fast as you could, 1099 00:49:43,217 --> 00:49:46,134 hitting the brake and turning the wheels. 1100 00:49:46,217 --> 00:49:48,509 He said something along the lines... 1101 00:49:49,259 --> 00:49:51,134 (SIGHS) 1102 00:49:51,217 --> 00:49:55,384 "I had to do that to prove what kind of car this really was," 1103 00:49:55,467 --> 00:49:58,634 and I was like, "You just shot us all in the heart, you know that." 1104 00:49:58,718 --> 00:50:00,175 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1105 00:50:00,259 --> 00:50:02,426 PRODUCER: 1106 00:50:02,509 --> 00:50:05,884 No, I vin-- I vindicated the poor design. 1107 00:50:09,300 --> 00:50:12,342 Liz Carmichael focused on the excitement 1108 00:50:12,426 --> 00:50:15,217 of making a lot of money and raising money 1109 00:50:15,300 --> 00:50:17,634 and hoop-dee-doing about technology 1110 00:50:17,718 --> 00:50:19,342 and getting people, you know, 1111 00:50:19,426 --> 00:50:21,551 "Oh, who is this person? What is this? 1112 00:50:21,634 --> 00:50:24,467 Oh, it's three wheels and not four? Oh, wow. 1113 00:50:24,551 --> 00:50:27,634 Made in such and such a fashion." 1114 00:50:27,718 --> 00:50:30,676 "Oh yeah, I'm gonna put GM out of business." 1115 00:50:30,759 --> 00:50:32,342 Blah, blah, blah, you know? 1116 00:50:32,426 --> 00:50:34,050 (IMITATES GUN FIRING) 1117 00:50:34,134 --> 00:50:37,426 That was-- that was the style. 1118 00:50:38,050 --> 00:50:39,801 See, it's just ridiculous. 1119 00:50:41,259 --> 00:50:43,718 I wanted this thing to be road tested 1120 00:50:43,801 --> 00:50:45,801 and be engineered and everything, 1121 00:50:45,884 --> 00:50:47,092 and it never was. 1122 00:50:49,843 --> 00:50:51,759 We are so used to just being 1123 00:50:51,843 --> 00:50:54,968 a dog in the chain of events, you know. 1124 00:50:55,050 --> 00:50:56,551 (TIRES SCREECHING) 1125 00:50:56,634 --> 00:51:00,217 LEAS: It wasn't that hard to get it up on two wheels, 1126 00:51:00,300 --> 00:51:02,009 because of our rear suspension. 1127 00:51:02,092 --> 00:51:04,259 There's two in the front, one in the back, 1128 00:51:04,342 --> 00:51:06,551 and it's on a right-angle drive train, 1129 00:51:06,634 --> 00:51:08,384 there's a wheel and an axle. 1130 00:51:08,467 --> 00:51:12,634 And that's suspended this way, on a lever, so to speak. 1131 00:51:12,718 --> 00:51:14,926 Well, that lever has side play, 1132 00:51:16,509 --> 00:51:18,426 so that when you turn the car right, 1133 00:51:18,509 --> 00:51:21,259 that-- that whole thing kind of tilts. 1134 00:51:21,342 --> 00:51:25,551 So one of the wheels is trying to turn the car over. 1135 00:51:25,634 --> 00:51:27,300 We're going, "Oh, there you go." 1136 00:51:27,384 --> 00:51:29,676 All we needed to do was tighten that up. 1137 00:51:30,426 --> 00:51:32,050 But we didn't think of it. 1138 00:51:33,426 --> 00:51:35,217 Took a while to get over that. 1139 00:51:37,009 --> 00:51:39,092 MCGUINNESS: That was it. That was it. That was it. 1140 00:51:39,175 --> 00:51:41,759 There's no way in the world that these guys-- 1141 00:51:41,843 --> 00:51:44,592 They saw that, and they were not about to invest. 1142 00:51:44,676 --> 00:51:46,384 (ENGINE STARTING) 1143 00:51:49,676 --> 00:51:52,676 CARLSON: I put a surveillance on the R&D lab. 1144 00:51:54,259 --> 00:51:56,259 They had a bunch of Japanese investors out there, 1145 00:51:56,342 --> 00:51:57,884 as I remember. 1146 00:51:57,968 --> 00:52:00,134 (ENGINES RUMBLING) 1147 00:52:00,217 --> 00:52:02,843 CARLSON: I watched this white-coated lab tech leave, 1148 00:52:02,926 --> 00:52:06,384 get in the car, and he drove to some other spot 1149 00:52:06,467 --> 00:52:09,050 in the San Fernando Valley. 1150 00:52:09,134 --> 00:52:10,676 -He went into a bar. -(INDISTINCT CHATTER) 1151 00:52:10,759 --> 00:52:13,801 So I followed him into the bar and I sat down next to him, 1152 00:52:13,884 --> 00:52:16,759 and I attempted to turn him into an informant for us, 1153 00:52:16,843 --> 00:52:19,467 and actually with some success, I have to say. 1154 00:52:19,551 --> 00:52:21,718 Introduced myself. I said, "Can you tell me 1155 00:52:21,801 --> 00:52:23,467 exactly what it is you're hired to do?" 1156 00:52:23,551 --> 00:52:27,134 He said, "Yes, we're all hired on a-- on a daily basis 1157 00:52:27,217 --> 00:52:29,968 to wear these lab coats and talk automotive language 1158 00:52:30,050 --> 00:52:31,634 and sound like we know what we're talking about. 1159 00:52:31,718 --> 00:52:33,342 But they do it-- They did it for your benefit, 1160 00:52:33,426 --> 00:52:35,467 they did it for some other TV people's benefit." 1161 00:52:35,551 --> 00:52:36,592 He told me all that. 1162 00:52:36,676 --> 00:52:38,467 So ultimately, he was good enough 1163 00:52:38,551 --> 00:52:41,342 to grab an item that Mrs. Carmichael had used. 1164 00:52:41,426 --> 00:52:43,843 It was a glass, actually. And he gave it to me, 1165 00:52:43,926 --> 00:52:46,968 and I gave it to a sergeant at the LAPD. 1166 00:52:47,050 --> 00:52:49,259 He had the prints taken off it. 1167 00:52:50,175 --> 00:52:53,759 NOYES: (ECHOING) Who the hell was she? 1168 00:52:53,843 --> 00:52:57,926 ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1169 00:52:59,050 --> 00:53:00,759 MCGUINNESS: After the test drive, 1170 00:53:00,843 --> 00:53:02,968 Liz was irate. 1171 00:53:03,050 --> 00:53:07,968 She said, "I just witnessed an abortion on three wheels." 1172 00:53:09,175 --> 00:53:12,092 But she acted like new investors were coming on, 1173 00:53:12,175 --> 00:53:14,759 or something else, which, you know... 1174 00:53:15,759 --> 00:53:17,259 she knew nobody was coming in with money. 1175 00:53:17,342 --> 00:53:19,718 She had to say something, you know, make up something 1176 00:53:19,801 --> 00:53:21,884 to keep the waters clean and level, 1177 00:53:21,968 --> 00:53:24,259 or else bad things were gonna happen. 1178 00:53:24,342 --> 00:53:28,009 And, uh... pretty soon, bad things did happen. 1179 00:53:28,092 --> 00:53:30,759 She had to, uh, you know, run for the hills. 1180 00:53:30,843 --> 00:53:33,634 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1181 00:53:35,592 --> 00:53:40,050 CANDI: We were in the car driving from Los Angeles to Dallas 1182 00:53:40,134 --> 00:53:42,718 because the headquarters was being moved to Dallas 1183 00:53:42,801 --> 00:53:46,676 by invitation of the governor of Texas. 1184 00:53:46,759 --> 00:53:48,384 California was coming up 1185 00:53:48,467 --> 00:53:50,634 with all these new regulations and stuff, 1186 00:53:50,718 --> 00:53:53,134 so Texas said, "Hey, come build it here. 1187 00:53:53,217 --> 00:53:56,092 We'll waive these regulations, and, you know, 1188 00:53:56,175 --> 00:53:57,592 do your car company here." 1189 00:53:57,676 --> 00:53:59,884 The only stumbling blocks that would prevent us 1190 00:53:59,968 --> 00:54:01,884 from manufacturing, uh, 1191 00:54:02,009 --> 00:54:05,384 short of, uh, let's say, a ship being sunk at sea 1192 00:54:05,467 --> 00:54:07,009 that had some of our components on it, 1193 00:54:07,092 --> 00:54:08,592 might delay us a few weeks, 1194 00:54:08,676 --> 00:54:10,676 or the possibility in California 1195 00:54:10,759 --> 00:54:13,759 that we might not be licensed to manufacture an automobile. 1196 00:54:13,843 --> 00:54:15,342 In the event that that should happen, 1197 00:54:15,426 --> 00:54:17,384 we'll simply manufacture it someplace else. 1198 00:54:17,467 --> 00:54:18,884 We're prepared to go anyplace, 1199 00:54:18,968 --> 00:54:20,426 but we are going to build the car, 1200 00:54:20,509 --> 00:54:22,134 and we're gonna build it in '75. 1201 00:54:24,968 --> 00:54:27,175 CANDI: This was the time for the big move. 1202 00:54:28,718 --> 00:54:30,384 We were taking two cars. 1203 00:54:32,259 --> 00:54:37,467 Vivian and I and Michael were in one car. 1204 00:54:37,551 --> 00:54:40,843 Aunt Patti and the other kids were in the other car. 1205 00:54:44,342 --> 00:54:46,968 Liz was still at the headquarters office 1206 00:54:47,050 --> 00:54:48,342 in Los Angeles. 1207 00:54:48,426 --> 00:54:52,050 And we were driving down the Pearblossom Highway 1208 00:54:53,592 --> 00:54:55,217 when it came on the radio. 1209 00:54:56,551 --> 00:54:58,175 (RADIO STATIC) 1210 00:54:58,259 --> 00:54:59,426 ANCHOR: Late this afternoon... 1211 00:54:59,509 --> 00:55:01,050 -(STATIC) -...was shot to death 1212 00:55:01,134 --> 00:55:03,634 in the showroom of the Twentieth Century Motor Car Company. 1213 00:55:03,718 --> 00:55:05,634 They were shot on the showroom floor... 1214 00:55:05,718 --> 00:55:07,217 (TIRES SCREECHING) 1215 00:55:07,300 --> 00:55:09,926 CANDI: There had been a murder at the Twentieth Century office. 1216 00:55:10,009 --> 00:55:12,259 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1217 00:55:12,342 --> 00:55:14,134 I remember pulling over 1218 00:55:14,217 --> 00:55:18,592 and her and Patti frantically talking. 1219 00:55:23,092 --> 00:55:25,217 Vivian was scared to death. 1220 00:55:29,342 --> 00:55:31,551 Vivian thought that Liz had been killed. 1221 00:55:32,592 --> 00:55:36,092 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1222 00:56:41,634 --> 00:56:43,843 ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 1223 00:56:48,467 --> 00:56:49,259 ♪ (FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 1224 00:56:49,759 --> 00:56:51,467 -REPORTER: Where's the money? -What money? 1225 00:56:54,968 --> 00:56:58,467 MAN: We asked them to run the name Jerry Dean Michael. 1226 00:56:58,676 --> 00:56:59,676 It was a house of cards. 1227 00:57:00,676 --> 00:57:06,551 MAN 2: Liz being transgender was the single most motivating issue 1228 00:57:06,634 --> 00:57:08,009 in why they went after her. 1229 00:57:08,509 --> 00:57:12,050 How do you combat the media's narrative 1230 00:57:12,259 --> 00:57:13,968 that you are not a woman? 1231 00:57:14,342 --> 00:57:16,009 ♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪