RIP John DeLorean

[xouper]

Regardless how history remembers John DeLorean (1925-2005), he built one of the world's coolest cars.

ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=599516)
BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4366733.stm)
CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050320/w032030.html)
Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/2005/03/21/cx_da_0321topnews.html)
I never met the guy. I just owned one of his cars.

[viscousmemories]

That Forbes article was interesting. I always think of "coke dealer" when I hear his name, but I never really knew any of the details. That he beat a federal indictment by claiming he was entrapped makes me wonder if there wasn't a conspiracy afoot to keep him out of the car business. I disagree that it was Back to the Future that made the DeLorean a household name, though. As you said it's one of the world's coolest (and most unique) cars.

[livius drusus]

I had never heard of a DeLorean until BttF. To this day whenever I heard the name I think of Michael J. Fox saying "You made a time machine ... out of a DeLorean?!"

The Forbes article told me the most I've ever known about the man (he designed the GTO and porked Raquel Welch. Damn.) and the car. I had no idea so many DMC's survived and that the original parts are still being supplied. Very cool.

[viscousmemories]

Huh. Maybe he was just a household name in the Detroit area then.

[slimshady2357]

Well, it was certainly the BTTF movies that brought the DeLorean to my attention. I had never heard of one before that. And thanks for the links xouper, I hadn't realized the history behind it's maker. Only about 8,900 made and you owned one! Very cool :)

It sure looked like a cool car, what was it like to drive? Acceleration, cornering, top speed etc.. Not that I know much about cars, but sheesh, I may never get to talk to someone who drove one again! Oh, and did you buy it new or used? What were the parts like for cost?

Adam

[xouper]

Here's a photo of my car in Tampa, Florida, taken in 1984 shortly after I bought it in Chicago. Yes, "road trip". I also drove it from Chicago to Vancouver in 1986 for the World's Fair. It's a very comfortable cross-country car and a blast to drive.

http://www.xoup.net/img/mydelorean2.jpg

For the especially observant, yes, the rear wheels are larger than the front. Fifteen inch rims on the rear and 14 inch rims on the front. Helps compensate for the oversteer inherent in a rear engine car. Same bolt pattern so the "space-saver" spare will fit either. I know this from first-hand experience. :eek:

I took this photo and own the copyright to it, meaning I have permission to post it here.

[livius drusus]

Wow. It's just beautiful. It looks like you could lift it with one hand. Are DeLoreans particularly light for their size? Oh, and what are those slats in the back window? I mean, are they the back window?

[Ensign Steve]

The mid-eighties Mustangs had those slats, too. I always wondered what they were for. Maybe they keep people in the back seat from baking in the direct sunlight. (Are there back seats in a Mustang?)

[ceptimus]

I didn't think there were any back seats in the DeLorean, but I'm not sure - maybe it has some of those useless children / dwarf sized seats.

I suppose the slats do reduce the greenhouse effect when the car is left parked in direct sunlight, but I think it's mainly a styling thing.

[ceptimus]

Good marketing by John to use the 'Z' middle initial in his name always.

I suppose I could adopt a rare middle initial myself, X? Q?, steal the Z now that DeLorean's done with it? :chin:

[Godless Dave]

Hatchback windows were very big and usually curved, which would let in a lot of light and magnify it to boot (much like the windshield of a Saturn sedan). So I imagine those slats are for shade; they had them on a lot of cars back in the 80s. My mom wouldn't let me put them on her Chevette.