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DMC-12 and John Z. DeLorean

DMC-12 and John Z. DeLorean

That’s right! The DeLorean. The short-lived American sports car made famous by the 1985 cult classic movie Back to the Future. The DeLorean was manufactured by DeLorean Motor Company, owned by John Z. DeLorean, and made the model from 1981 through 1983. Giorgetto Giugiaro’s design featured gull-wing doors, unpainted body panels, and a rear-mounted engine. Unfortunately, it was more known for its lack of power and performance. Road and Track magazine stated the car was, ".. not quick for a sports/GT car in this price category ..". In 1995 a British entrepreneur created a company using the “DeLorean Motor Company” name and announced in 2016 a plan to build 300-325 replicas of the 1982 DeLorean car. But what do we about the American engineer who founded the company that gave us this beauty?

John Z. DeLorean and the DeLorean DMC-12

Mr. DeLorean was an American engineer and inventor with the development of numerous vehicles before the DeLorean. He grew up in Detroit and began to work for Packard Motor Company and was the youngest division head at General Motors before venturing out and starting DeLorean Motor Company in 1973. He managed to get a couple of well-known celebrities to invest in his company before it failed. Johnny Carson and Sammy Davis, Jr. both invested thousands while the British government invested $140 million. Soon Carson will realize his unfortunate mistake. The first time he took it out for a drive, it broke down and he was arrested for driving under the influence while he was behind the wheel of his 1981 DMC-12.
Even though the DeLorean looked fast, it was a disappointment to owners that realized the 130 horsepower engine couldn’t pull the 2,866 pound DMC-12. Not only that, there were reports that the gull-wing doors would get stuck, the dye from the floor mats would rub off onto shoe’s, and the stainless steel body was very hard to keep clean. Less than 9,000 DMC-12’s were ever assembled of the course of about 24 months.
Sadly, Mr. DeLorean faced more bad luck. In October 1982, he was charged with conspiring to smuggle $24 million dollars worth of cocaine into the US, but was acquitted. According to law enforcement officials, DeLorean was trying to organize a huge drug deal in order to save his company. Mr. DeLorean's lawyer argued that his client had been 'entrapped'. He said the agents had persuaded him into a position that made it look as if he had committed a crime. Come to find out, his FBI informant neighbor new of DeLorean’s troubles and had suggested the idea. DeLorean’s defense lawyers relied upon the entrapment defense and claimed that he had not been predisposed to commit the crime of drug trafficking until the government’s informant initiated the illegal “investment” scheme. DeLorean would spend the next two decades paying millions of dollars to creditors and lawyers.

Williams Group Auto 

There is no doubt that John Z. DeLorean left a permanent footnote in pop-culture history as the man who got Marty McFly to the future (multiple times). Unfortunately, that masterpiece didn’t leave a happy taste in DeLorean owners mouths. At Williams Group Auto, you can be sure you will find a reliable vehicle at an affordable price. Stop by and see us or visit us at www.williamsgroupauto.com to view everything we have in stock.

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