[Arragonis]

Yes any maker will sell to Elio because they are not a competitor and Elio should design their 'car' to use a variety of engines to suit. A suitable engine has existed more or less for the last 35 years, maybe not the same one but suitable ones anyway.

Morgan have done this for 70 years, it works as a strategy - choose a suitable engine from whatever the world has to offer. They even ran at LeMans and competed directly with Porsche using this idea.

If Elio sell enough in terms of numbers then the major makers will compete directly and Elio will be crushed, maybe bought and then crushed, but crushed all the same. E.g. Hummer ?

Please see 'In Search of Stupidity' (book) in particular the chapter on the all crushing gorilla, it applies here.

Edit: Anyone supplying engines would probably want COD.