DeLorean's famous gull-winged car failed within months of its launch- so why is a Texas-based company bringing it back? Donal Byrnereports
For those who were the victims of his failed adventure, the re-emergence of the DeLorean name will probably be as welcome as Banquo's ghost at Macbeth's feast.
For his fans, however (and there are many), the decision by a Texas-based company to put the DeLorean car back into commercial production means the unfulfilled dream of successfully producing a unique sports car may finally become a reality.
DMC (DeLorean Motor Company) has now been resurrected through the efforts of Stephen Wynne and his colleagues in Houston and is in the process of moving from supplying parts to a rather global fan base to actually building the car again.
Speaking to The Irish Times last night, DMC's vice-president James Espey said he expected the first of the new cars to be built in July of next year, but said that production would be limited to perhaps 25 cars per annum.
He did not foresee an export market to Europe in the short term, and suspected there could be problems meeting EU homologation regulations. "We know it's going to be popular but our capacity is limited," said Espey.
He said the new car would have some luxury touches such as heated seats, Bluetooth and iPod compatibility and other things "that people have come to expect".
Espey said the company still had a "huge stock" of original 2.8-litre V6 engines from the original DeLorean inventory and they would continue to use these "although there would be a supercharged option taking the car up to 250bhp".
The DeLorean history is a rather tragic one, both commercially and socially.
Back in the early 1980s, John DeLorean, once the youngest ever vice-president of General Motors, and all-round golden boy of America's automotive industry, arrived in Dunmurry outside Belfast with wads of British government cash and a promise of hundreds of well-paid and secure jobs.
Within months the factory was in trouble, and production of the DMC 12 gull-wing car (if you can't picture it, it was the car that launched Michael J Fox back to the future), was faltering. All kinds of excuses were offered and all sorts of promises made. Quality issues, such as melting electrics, soon became the dominant characteristics of the car and the venture eventually collapsed.
His supporters argue that right until the time of his death, DeLorean regretted the collapse and the loss of jobs. Given more time and more investment, it could have worked, he maintained.
His detractors say he was a vain spendthrift, more interested in personal gain than peoples' jobs.
"I was visiting the States and had always been interested in him, so I found his name in the phone book and called him. He invited me to his house in New Jersey and we talked for an hour. He was very interested in Ireland and was well read. I never doubted him or his commitment to the project," says John Dore, a 27-year-old IT specialist who founded the DeLorean Ireland Owners Club.
For him and the other 80 or so DeLorean owners North and South, the news that DMC in Texas is planning to build the car commercially is mixed news.
"It will be fine for people selling cars because there will be a lot of interest in the originals, but if you are planning on buying one it will drive up the price."
He has been in regular contact with DMC and says the company has enough gull-wing doors to supply owners for 50 years, but there is a serious shortage of other parts, such as front left panels.
"You can pay between $2,500 (€1,860) and $4,000 (€3,000) for one on E-Bay at the moment," he says.
Stephen Wynne, who emigrated to the US from Liverpool 27 years ago, has pioneered the re-emergence of DeLorean.
He started out repairing and re-building the car (there are about 6,000 in existence worldwide) and slowly bought up the entire stock of spare parts and, eventually, the company's name.
At the time the then retired DeLorean told him: "I hope you have better luck with it than I did." So what was the mystique attached to the DeLorean car?
Its two main distinguishing features are the gull-wing doors and the stainless steel body. It had the look of something someone had built in their garage, albeit skilfully. I was once offered the chance to drive one in America and jumped at it. The experience was brief but memorable. The car was crude by today's standards, it rattled, it had lousy handling and the engine was far from exciting. But it was different. It looked and felt like no other car before or since.
THE CAR DMC WILL BUILD will be a lot different from the original, at least in terms of engineering. The original had only 135 horsepower (less than twice the output of a VW Golf), but Wynne and DMC now offer enhanced output of 195 horsepower. For those who really feel they need it, the company will even boost it to 250 horsepower. You can also expect better suspension, brakes, gearboxes and electrics.
Today's enterprise is a far cry from the Dunmurry plant. DMC is based in a 40,000 square foot warehouse and will produce a fully restored model for about $40,000 (€30,000 excluding taxes).
It has enough parts to build some 500 new cars, and many people have already enquired about buying the new one.
"I can understand why a lot of people would buy one. To me it is the best looking car on the planet. And they are not all that unreliable.
"If you buy a 20-year-old Toyota it is going to give trouble if it has not been maintained well. It is the same with DeLorean," says John Dore. He already has two - one restored and one in the process - and hopes to buy more.
DMC vice-president Espey says: "People of all ages are interested in the car. People who can't tell one car from another recognise the DeLorean, because they have seen Back to the Future."
Espey's commercial faith is well founded. The company is now producing eight re-built cars a year, and there is an eight month waiting list. Buying and restoring a DeLorean costs about $25,000 (€18,600) in the United States, but DMC will strip one to the frame and re-build it for a base price of $42,000 (€31,000).
Like a lot of other inventions, perhaps the DMC's greatest failing was the fact that it was before its time.
- Additional reporting: Los Angeles Times