Actor Don Johnson & Others Buy Electric Car Co.
18 July 1999
SAN FRANCISCO--Actor Don Johnson has teamed up with a group of Chinese venture capitalists and American investment bankers to buy Zebra Motors Inc., an electric vehicle manufacturer at the former Alameda Naval Air Station, according to a story in the San Francisco Business Times. The new owners plan to begin limited production of the electric Model Z Roadster as early as September, the newspaper reports in its July 16-22 issue. (They have also changed the name of the company to Xebra Motors Inc., to avoid potential trademark infringement.) Johnson, the San Francisco-based film, stage and TV actor best known for his roles in two television series, "Miami Vice" and "Nash Bridges," was not available for comment. But John Huetter, executive director of the CalStart electric vehicle incubator in Alameda, said the company plans to produce cars in both China and Alameda. The CalStart incubator has provided facilities and support to various electric vehicle companies, including Johnson's venture. While most of the parties involved in the deal were bound by nondisclosure agreements, sources confirmed Johnson's participation in the deal. Xebra's web site lists its investors as W.I. Harper Group, an international investment banking firm, and Unison Pacific Corp. Unison is a subsidiary of the $500 million-asset Chinese venture capital firm Unison Group, which built the 1,000-room Great Wall Hotel in Beijing. Former majority investor Gary Starr and others acquired the company's assets in 1996 and moved the company to Novato. Zebra movedto the CalStart EV Hatchery in Alameda in 1996. The company's Model Z Roadster was originally designed and built by Renaissance Motors Inc. in Palm Beach, Fla. The Model Z Roadster has already appeared in "Nash Bridges" episodes, which are filmed in the Bay Area. The sporty two-seater was driven by the character Caitlin Cross, played by Yasmine Bleeth. Don got my character an electric car," Bleeth told the Austin (Texas) American Statesman in an earlier interview. "He was very adamant about it." The car was originally white, but, she said, "We actually had some guys -- some paint guys -- come up with some different paint chips to match the exact color of my eyes. So it is kind of a Yasmine-blue car." Johnson also plans to film "Nash Bridges" episodes in a Ghirardelli Square restaurant he recently acquired, now renamed Ana Mandara, according to reports.