Since 2013, Elon Musk has been at war with car dealers in the United States. Battles have played out in legislative backrooms, courtrooms, governors' offices, and news media outlets across the country. As of now, Musk has won the war. Telsa has established a foothold across the country, sold over 2 million cars without using a dealer, established a loyal customer base, and overcome most states' franchise dealer laws. Direct Hit tells the story of this fight, taking readers into courtrooms and legislative halls where the dealers tried in vain to derail Tesla's advances. The book shares key insights on the strategic choices made by dealers, legacy car companies, and electric-vehicle startups. With a combination of historical narrative, blow-by-blow accounts of the Tesla wars, and a consideration of America's longstanding romance with the personal automobile, Direct Hit shares a uniquely American drama over cars and the people who sell them.

‘In Direct Hit, one of our greatest experts on competition and regulation puts automobile sales under the microscope. And what he shows us is high drama: special interests pulling the levers of power, a thrilling wave of technological innovation, and - at last - a growing movement for change. Don't miss this tour de force from a brilliant writer on a subject that affects us all.’

Daniel Francis - New York University School of Law

‘Direct Hit is a must read for anyone who has ever had a bad experience haggling for a car. Daniel Crane skillfully lays out how car dealers across the country convinced states to adopt laws that supposedly protected consumers but in practice just protected the dealerships. It took a Goliath - in the form of Elon Musk at the helm of Tesla - to break their stranglehold. Crane’s account of how it took an ambitious, hard-charging and wealthy entrepreneur to disrupt laws that hurt consumers is a testament to all that is broken in today’s political system.’

Kathryn Judge - Columbia Law School