Most likely he used a manufacturer R&D exemption to do it. This is fairly common, just usually not as high profile as the CEO.

Precisely this

Maybe the same way Steve Jobs did the no plate thing. Maybe he just keeps cycling them. Might even send them to the labs at Ford for destructive analysis after each one is legally done.

Since I am not as well-versed in Michigan state law as you, yeah it was a serious question. I really wanted to know what law or laws he used.