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The Story of Liz Carmichael & The Dale

In 1973, Liz Carmichael appeared to be a prominent Los Angeles businesswoman. She claimed to be a farmer's daughter, a widow of a NASA engineer, and a graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering. She founded twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation, which designed a fuel efficient low priced car with only three wheels. She claimed the lack of a fourth wheel eliminated 300 pounds from the car's weight, allowing better gas mileage than four wheeled cars. The vehicle, called the Dale, claimed 60 miles to the gallon, and would cost less than $2,000. It was made of a special aerospace material, could withstand an impact against the brick wall of 50 miles per hour and was impossible to tip over. Carmichael told investors and the press that her company was renting three large aircraft hangars, where they would soon start production. Investment money poured in, due in part by a mention of the Dale by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. She was also interviewed by Newsweek and People magazine.

In 1974, officials began to examine Carmichael and her company. Well, if you've got a manufacturing facility, where is it? And how long have been making cars? And who are your engineers? And we're not the tough questions. The questions were basically, well, Liz, we're behind you and where can I send my money? She was originally accused of illegally selling both dealer franchises and cars that did not yet exist. The California DMV discovered the company did not have a state permit to manufacture cars and there was no evidence the cars were being produced. Investigator Bill Hall went to the lab where the cars were being designed. We went to the research and development lab and observed what appeared to be people appearing to be busy, in wandering through the lab, I saw no evidence that they were designing a vehicle or in the process of making a vehicle. It appeared that no actual work was being done.

He also went to the hangers rented by Carmichael and found that they were empty. Airport. Upon entering, I discovered the factory were nothing. Hangers were absolutely empty. No tools, no machinery, nothing but a little dirt on the floor. They had rented this for only one month and the rent had now expired. So they actually did not have a factory that they were representing they had. There were no tools, machinery, or equipment. It was also discovered that the company's rent had since expired on the hangars, meaning that they had no place to mate the cars. Upon inspection of this vehicle, it was not a viable vehicle at all. It had no engine. Two by fours were holding up the rear wheel. The accelerator was just sitting on the floor. It wasn't even unattached. The windows were not safety glass. They would bend back and forth. The, doors were put on by regular hinges like one might find on a house door. The vehicle just absolutely did not exist. Paul found that the Dale cars had been constructed from shoddy materials, no engine, two by fours holding up the rear wheel, an unattached accelerator, windows that could bend back and forth, and doors attached by regular house hinges. Of the three Vales in existence, only one was able to run on its own power. With the authorities closing in, Carmichael moved her business to Dallas.

wo weeks later, the DA filed criminal charges against her for grand theft. Armed with a search warrant, Dallas police arrived at her home. She and her five children had vanished. While looking through her home, investigators found evidence that Carmichael had been hiding her true identity. Nine weeks later, she was discovered living in Miami with her five children. Carmichael was working for a dating service and calling herself Susan Raines. Investigators soon discovered the true identity of Liz Carmichael. Jerry Dean Michael. Jerry Michael, was wanted for swindling people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and for having a federal arrest warrant for him for counterfeiting. On 04/12/1975, Carmichael was arrested and extradited to Los Angeles. During the trial, she maintained that the Dale was a real car and could still be released. When asked why such little progress had been made, Carmichael countered with inability to do so due to failure of the California legislature to grant a license to manufacture. On 01/24/1977, Jerry Michael was convicted of conspiracy, Grand theft, fraud and counterfeiting. She was released on $50,000 bail which was paid by a TV company that wanted the rights to her story.

For four years, she appealed her conviction. Finally, in 1980, she failed to appear in court for sentencing. After airing on Unsolved mysteries, on 04/05/1989, Carmichael was finally arrested on 04/19/1989, two weeks after the broadcast, due to a viewer tit. At the time, she was living in Dale, Texas, working as a flower vendor going by the name of Catherine Elizabeth Johnson. On April 26, Carmichael was returned to California where she served two years in prison for her Los Angeles convictions. Carmichael died of cancer in 2004. A prototype of the Dale resides at the Peterson Automobile museum in Los Angeles, California.

Glossary (Moeilijke woorden met betekenis)
  • businesswoman – zakenvrouw; een vrouw die een bedrijf runt, zoals Carmichael in Los Angeles.
  • NASA – Amerikaanse ruimtevaartorganisatie; hier genoemd omdat Carmichael beweerde dat haar overleden echtgenoot er werkte.
  • engineer – ingenieur; iemand die technische oplossingen ontwerpt, zoals Carmichael zei dat ze zelf had gestudeerd.
  • twentieth – twintigste; in dit geval: twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation.
  • motor – motor; apparaat dat een voertuig laat rijden.
  • priced – geprijsd; de kosten van de auto’s die Carmichael beloofde.
  • eliminated – verwijderd / uitgesloten; Carmichael zei dat het verwijderen van een vierde wiel 300 pond gewicht scheelde.
  • mileage – brandstofverbruik / aantal kilometers per liter of gallon.
  • gallon – Amerikaanse maat voor vloeistof (~3,8 liter).
  • aerospace – ruimtevaart- en luchtvaartindustrie; de auto zou van een speciaal materiaal uit deze industrie zijn gemaakt.
  • withstand – weerstaan; de auto zou botsingen van 50 mph aankunnen.
  • tip – tip / aanwijzing; in deze context: advies of hint over veiligheid of kwaliteit van de auto.
  • aircraft – vliegtuig; Carmichael huurde grote hangars waar vliegtuigen in passen.
  • hangars – hangars; grote loodsen voor vliegtuigen of productie.
  • poured – gestort / binnengekomen; geld dat binnenkwam van investeerders.
  • examine – onderzoeken; officials onderzochten Carmichael en haar bedrijf.
  • manufacturing – productie; het maken van de Dale-auto.
  • facility – faciliteit; gebouw of werkplaats voor het maken van de auto’s.
  • basically – eigenlijk / in feite; bij uitleg over de vragen van onderzoekers.
  • originally – oorspronkelijk; aanvankelijk beschuldigd van illegale verkoop.
  • illegally – illegaal; tegen de wet, zoals het verkopen van auto’s die niet bestonden.
  • dealer – dealer / handelaar; iemand die auto’s zou verkopen.
  • franchises – franchising; licenties om de Dale-auto te verkopen.
  • observed – geobserveerd / bekeken; onderzoekers zagen dat er geen productie was.
  • machinery – machines; er waren geen machines in de hangars.
  • expired – verlopen; de huur van de hangars was verlopen.
  • equipment – uitrusting / benodigdheden; er was geen gereedschap of materiaal aanwezig.
  • mate – koppelen / samenvoegen; de auto’s konden nergens in elkaar worden gezet.
  • inspection – inspectie / controle; onderzoeken van de voertuigen.
  • viable – levensvatbaar; de auto bleek totaal niet functioneel.
  • accelerator – gaspedaal; het pedaal zat los in de auto.
  • hinges – scharnieren; deuren van de auto waren bevestigd zoals bij een huisdeur.
  • constructed – gebouwd / geconstrueerd; de Dale-auto’s waren slecht gemaakt.
  • shoddy – slecht gemaakt / rommelig; slechte materialen en constructie.
  • unattached – los / niet bevestigd; sommige onderdelen zaten niet vast.
  • theft – diefstal; Carmichael werd aangeklaagd voor groot diefstal (grand theft).
  • warrant – bevel / arrestatiebevel; politie kreeg een document om haar te arresteren.
  • vanished – verdwenen; Carmichael verdween met haar kinderen.
  • swindling – oplichten / bedriegen; mensen geld afhandig maken door misleiding.
  • counterfeiting – vervalsen; geld of documenten namaken.
  • extradited – uitgeleverd; naar Los Angeles gebracht voor het proces.
  • legislature – wetgevende macht; Carmichael zei dat zij geen vergunning kreeg van de California legislature.
  • convicted – veroordeeld; schuldig bevonden door de rechter.
  • conspiracy – samenzwering; samenwerking om illegale activiteiten uit te voeren.
  • fraud – fraude; oplichting voor financieel gewin.
  • bail – borgsom; geld betaald om vrij te komen tot proces.
  • conviction – veroordeling; de juridische uitspraak dat iemand schuldig is.
  • sentencing – strafoplegging; het moment waarop de rechter de straf bepaalt.
  • mysteries – mysteries / raadsels; het tv-programma Unsolved Mysteries.
  • broadcast – uitzending; de aflevering waarin Carmichael’s locatie werd onthuld.
  • viewer – kijker; iemand die het programma bekeek.
  • tit – in de podcast verwijst dit waarschijnlijk naar tip van een kijker (tip van iemand).
  • flower – bloem; Carmichael werkte later als bloemenverkoper.
  • vendor – verkoper; iemand die iets verkoopt, zoals bloemen.
  • prototype – prototype; eerste testversie van de Dale-auto.
  • resides – woont / verblijft; prototype van de Dale staat in een museum.
  • museum – museum; het Petersen Automobile Museum in Los Angeles.

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