So they are at least 100x ahead of where investors thought they would be? So those investors, which pushed the market cap of Tesla higher than GM, expected them to produce only 22 cars last quarter?

Yes, because ancient cave dwellers were known for their tax systems and technology subsidies. /s

That’s just not true. There’s tons of guys putting out kit cars or full custom one offs and registering them. All you need is to trace the major components (engine, transmission, chassis) and prove they aren’t stolen. Check out the guys at the “Locost” forums that do this all the time with lotus 7 clones.