Lots of cars have had flush handles. Most early 2000 GM w-bodies did and those were common af. The silly electic ones may be what Tesla popularized at best... But even so a few cars had electric pop out, but flush handles. Perhaps its bad safety designs they've popularized.

Flush handles (called shaved handles or hidden handles) were a fad in the custom car and hot rod scenes for a very long time before Tesla used them.