DeLorean - Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed

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**The DeLorean DMC-12: A Story of Innovation and Excess**

It's such a crazy story that we have to tell it, so buckle up baby,'cause where we're going. We don't need roads. Most of America was introduced to it in 1985's Back to the Future. It was a car unlike anything else on the road and for generations car fans and film buffs looked for Doc's flying car to leave flames instead of skid marks.

**The Birth of a Legend**

It's perhaps the most recognizable car ever made, though it was only in production for barely two years. The DeLorean DMC-12 had gullwing doors, tiny windows, and was built out of stainless steel. But its fame and desirability came three years too late to save the company that made it, created a name for a man who was perhaps too close to the rock star that Marty McFly wanted to be.

**The Man Behind the Machine**

But how many know the tale behind the stainless steel wedge about the maverick auto engineer who built a car company, stamped his name on it, and lost it in a whirlwind of jet setting excess that culminated in a $6 million cocaine bust? It's a story that so perfectly sums up the '80s. You think Scorsese made it up, but he didn't. This all happened.

**The Rise and Fall of John Z. DeLorean**

John Z. DeLorean was an automotive success story. He began working for Chrysler still in college, learned his commitment to quality at Packard Motors, and worked as an engineer at American Motor Company. He then moved to General Motors, where he rose through the ranks as a young designer.

**A Legacy of Innovation**

DeLorean is credited with the birth of the historic Pontiac GTO and the Firebird. As the youngest head of Chevrolet, he was tasked with rolling out the much less iconic Chevy Vega. To distract from its shortcomings, DeLorean harnessed his reputation as a jet setting auto exec hot shot and stepped into the spotlight doing magazine interviews and TV spots touting that the Vega could beat any European car in handling an acceleration. It couldn't. But his claims drove the car's success and helped garner Motor Trend's Car of the Year in 1971.

**The DeLorean DMC-12: A Legacy**

By 1972, John DeLorean's work ethic, commitment to quality, braggadocio, and jet setting excess had reached new heights. But it was also a recipe for disaster. The story of the DeLorean DMC-12 is one of innovation, excess, and ultimately, tragedy. (retro video game music)

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enbut it's such a crazy storythat we have to tell it,so buckle up baby,'cause where we're going.- We don't need roads.- Most of America was introduced to itin 1985's Back to the Future.It was a car unlikeanything else on the roadand for generationscar fans and film buffslooked for Doc's flyingcar to leave flamesinstead of skid marks.It's perhaps the mostrecognizable car ever made,though it was only inproduction for barely two years.It had gullwing doors, tiny windows,and was built out ofstainless (bleep) steel.But its fame and desirabilitycame three years too lateto save the company that made it,created a name for a manwho was perhaps too closeto the rock star thatMarty McFly wanted to be,but how many know the talebehind the stainless steel wedge,about the maverick auto engineerwho built a car company,stamped his name on it,and lost it in a whirlwindof jet setting excessthat culminated in a $6million cocaine bust?It's a story that soperfectly sums up the '80s.You think Scorsese madeit up, but he didn't.This all happened.This is everything you need to knowto get up to speed on the DeLorean DMC-12.(retro video game music)John Z. DeLorean was anautomotive success story.He began working for Chryslerwill still in college,learned his commitment toquality at Packard Motors,and worked as an engineerat American Motor Company.He then moved to General Motors,where he rose through theranks as a young designer.DeLorean is credited for the birthof the historic PontiacGTO and the Firebird.As the youngest head of Chevrolet,he was tasked with rolling outthe much less iconic Chevy Vega.To distract from its shortcomings,DeLorean harnessed his reputationas a jet setting auto exec hot shotand stepped into the spotlightdoing magazine interviewsand TV spots toutingthat the Vega could beatany European car inhandling an acceleration.It couldn't.But his claims drove the car's successand helped garner Motor Trend'sCar of the Year in 1971.By 1972, John DeLorean's work ethic,commitment to quality, braggadocio,and, "Hey, (bleep) you, I knowwhat I'm doin'," attitude,made him the youngest vicepresident in GM history.The public saw him as a sixfoot four American dreamboat.He had cultivated a reputationas the automotive industry's golden boy.After a decade at GM, he had grown tiredof the politics between execs and designsand emboldened by his new public image,he left GM to build his dream car.- (bleep) you, (bleep) you.You're cool, and (bleep) you, I'm out.- In 1973, he formed theDeLorean Motor Company,and by 1976, DMC hadhis mitage and prototypemaking the rounds to garner investment.The private capital came from DMC Inc.DeLorean himself put inno cash but owned over 80%of the common stock in returnfor car development workthat he valued at $3.5 million.Smart guy.DeLorean went all Nick Furyand put an all-star teamtogether to build his car.He tasked chassis design to Colin Chapman,founder and owner of Lotus,and he designed the bodywith Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign.They settled on a stainless steel carwith gullwing doors thatwas under 45 inches highwith about five inchesof ground clearance.To further the upfront cash flow,DeLorean promised four gold-platedDMC-12s for $80,000 each.Those all exist.Also, I just wanna pointout how badass this dude isfor making a gold car named after himself.That's like me making a carand naming it the Pumphre 502.502, shout out, Louisville area code.That's where I was raised, baby.For his legacy, DeLoreanhad to find new technologyto accommodate the groundbreaking design.To make the doors lighter, onlyhalf the window rolled downand they needed special strutsdesigned by German aerospace.For weight, the body had to be fiberglasswith stainless steel panels,and they couldn't find an engine suitablefor the design, so they commissioned one.This flying wedge would be poweredby the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo,PRV, 2.85 liter V6,which produced around 130 horsepower.- That sucks.- Now we have an American companyin charge of an Italian designed carin an Irish factory poweredby a Franco-Swiss engine.What could go wrong?Turns out, everything.John DeLorean was a risktaker who gambled on himself.He toed the line betweensuccess and disasterand he was about to find himselfin a perfect storm ofbad luck and bad timing.For starters, DeLorean was facingallegations of drug trafficking.Drug trafficking.- I don't know what even that is.- DMC's PR was doing a good jobdismissing the allegations,which we now knowlooked more like richguy buying coke in 1980.Investment was still solidand the cars began rolling off the line.Unfortunately, the DeLoreanDMC-12 was introducedat the start of the largest slumpin the American auto industry since 1930,and while the prototype wasestimated to cost $10,000,the production cars hadto sell at $25,000 each.That's in 1980s money.That's $58,000 today.Here's what he did right.Design, handling, marketing,cutting edge digital technology.Here's what he did wrong.Literally everything else.First, to recoup debt,he rolled it out too soonand it was plagued with bugs that probablywould've been worked outat a larger car company.The innovative windshieldembedded antenna didn't work,so the high tech digital radiowould scan for stations continuously.Also, the alternator didn't generateenough current for the car's new tech.The battery would dischargeand strand driverswherever it died, and theengine produced 130 horsepower,all for just 7,000 more dollarsthan a fully loaded Corvette,which hit 60 miles an houralmost two seconds faster.I wanna remind you guysthat we're talking aboutprobably the worst Corvette in history.In 1982, teetering betweenbankruptcy and breakout success,DeLorean outsourced developmentof a twin turbo versionof the PRV engine that proved quickerthan both a Ferrari 308 and a Porsche 928.All they needed was a little more moneyto get over the hump.Talk of a public offering at $12 a sharewould've brought 120million into the company,but it kept gettingpushed as John DeLorean,who, you know, knows best, sought insteada partnership with alarger automotive company.By January of '82,production was curtailedto three days a weekbecause of capital concern.DeLorean is still riding onthe reputation of his name,and though he was just a phone call awayfrom a lucrative payday by going public,he was searching for a wayto get an influx of private capital.Had he made the call, who knows?Maybe we'd all be drivingDeLoreans now, but he waited,and this is where thestory of a stainless steel,time traveling gullwing getsreally, really (bleep) weird.- You're gonna see some serious shit.- Undaunted by reason, thefeds put a plan in place.In October of 1982,John DeLorean got a callabout an investment opportunity,an offer that could save his business,so naturally he hopped ona plane from New York to LAand went to a meeting in an LAX hotel,but it was a (bleep) sting.The FBI set him up withmore than 59 pounds of cokewith about $6.5 million in 1982 money,and nabbed him leaving the hotel.They allege that he tried to financea drug trafficking ring toturn 220 pounds of cocaineinto financing to save his company.DeLorean wanted desperatelyto get back to his plantin Ireland, but while he was on the plane,the British government suddenly concernedover his debt closed his Ireland plant.What followed was a mediafirestorm, and two days later,the FBI broadened itscharges against Mr. DeLoreanto claim that he tried toimport heroin from Thailand.I mean, who hasn't?Almost immediately after his arrest,DeLorean Motor Companydeclared bankruptcy,not making it through the month.(bleep).In 1984, a jury found JohnDeLorean innocent of all chargesand asserted that it was aclear cut case of entrapment,but the damage was already done.After his acquittal, DeLoreanwas asked when he plannedto return to the automotive industry.His response?"Would you buy a used car from me?"- Step right up and get yourselfa brand new DeLorean, just $60,000.- So how did a generation of car loversfall in love with what could've beenjust a never rusty footnotein automotive history?Everyone knows that time travelhappens at 88 miles an hourand if we're fact checkingin the DeLorean DMC-12,it would've taken a lot morethan the Twin Pines parking lotto get there, but Hollywooddoesn't care about facts,and neither did kidswatching the silver screen.But seeing it on the screensomehow made it even more realthan seeing it on the street ever could.A DeLorean was never featuredon Trapper Keeper folderslike the Contosh or Ferrari Testarossa.It was on lunchboxeswith flaming skid marksand Michael J. Fox lifting hisglasses to check his watch.The company had folded, sofor all intents and purposes,the car didn't exist.The DeLorean became whateverfiction we wanted it to be.A blazing fast anomaly thatleft flames in its wake,a purebred Americanmotor car if we decided.Seldom sought but sometimes spotted,like a unicorn or automotive artistry.DMC has long since folded but a generationof car loving film fanskept their eyes peeledon road trips for thetime traveling DeLorean.Everyone remembers the excitementof seeing one on the road.I've seen five, and I remember all of 'em.After summer breakyou'd get back to schooland tell everyone you sawthe Back to the Future carand they'd be all like, "You're a liar,"and I'd be all like,"(bleep) you Mark, I saw it."You're the liar."Now, let's get back to the future.In July 2007, DMC Texas announcedthat the car would be returningin a very limited production,about 20 cars a year.Taking old chassis, they rebuiltnew stainless steel panelsto churn out mintrefurbished time machines.The new cars are madewith 80% original parts,so the term return to production,while welcome, is a bit of a stretch.In 2009, the price ofa refurbished DeLoreanfrom DMC Texas started at like, 57 grand.That's not bad.In 2015, the Low VolumeVehicle Manufacturing Actwas signed into lawand DMC Texas announcedthey would be producing replica DeLoreanswith an expected release date of 2017.Clock's tickin', fellas.According to their web site,the company's official statement is,"A number of hurdles existbefore production can begin,"something their founder, JohnDeLorean learned the hard way.This is everything you need to knowto get up to speed on the DMC DeLorean 12.If you had $60,000, wouldyou spend it on a DeLorean?How many times have youseen Back to the Future?What's your favorite Back to the Future?Mine is two.Is it totally creepy that I'm not botheredthat Marty kissed his mom?(bleep) you, Dad, I kissmy mom all the time.What other cars do you wanna see us cover?What did we miss in this video?What did you like about this video?Comment down below andsubscribe right here.