Elon Musk used Monty Python to test the sound in Tesla’s Model 3

Tesla billionaire Elon Musk has said he stopped meetings to watch clips from British favourite Monty Python, in order to explain how he wanted the sound to work in the Model 3.

During the second half of 2017 as Tesla worked at full capacity to ramp up production of the Model 3 sedan, Wired first reported that Musk would often interrupt meetings with the show's best bits on his computer.

Musk verified the tidbit on Twitter last night, clarifying that he didn't want Tesla vehicles to have a "tinny" sound. One famous sketch from Monty Python shows characters discussing the difference between words that have a "woody" sound, and those that are "tinny".

This part is true. I was trying to explain that we don’t want our cars to have a “tinny” sound. https://t.co/VxO9rR1uAf

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2018

Musk unveiled the Model 3 in March 2016 to widespread public approval, pitching it as an affordable electric car for everyday users.

However, Tesla experienced a number of setbacks when manufacturing the cars, turning to quick-fix measures such as building an extra tent at its Fremont factory site and dismissing nine per cent of its salaried staff to cut back on costs.

The news comes after Musk said earlier this week that he plans to retire the chairman role at Tesla in three years time, having only stepped down from the role several weeks earlier.

Musk was forced to replace himself as chairman last month as part of a settlement deal with the US securities watchdog, after the regulator took issue with his attempt to take the firm private in August.

In a now-infamous tweet on 7 August, the entrepreneur said that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 per share, causing wild share price swings and two months of controversy. He later abandoned the buyout plans, and alongside Tesla, paid $20m (£16m) in fines.