John Delorean history: visionary or serial scammer?

[Fire-medic]

If you were a car nut in the 1960's, you had to be on his side: creator of the Pontiac GTO, promoter of the muscle car, and increased performance across the board; the GM administrator who rose through the ranks, and seemed destined for the top administrative post at GM.

But he had other plans, and left GM. Most people know about the Delorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future and its sequels, but few cars were ever-produced, and the government of Northern Ireland ended-up sinking machine tools from the manufacturing plant for fish reefs in the ocean.

Delorean's legal problems are well-documented, including his last-ditch attempt to finance the continuing operation of DMC-12 manufacturing via the wholesale purchase and distribution of Peruvian marching dust. His eventual "not-guilty" verdict was based upon the jury's believing the entire deal was based-upon entrapment, and that Delorean had never initiated the deal.

Anyway, if you read the article, you're probably going to-be a "run the category" guy on "Jeopardy," if the category is "Delorean."

https://theoutline.com/post/6776/jo...all-big-money-the-fbi-celebrities-and-cocaine

 

[jdeitz1979]

Visionary. I wouldn’t mind seeing the delorean re done by a car manufacture today and see how it would look

 

[Fire-medic]

The Delorean isn't capable of passing current standards for safety or emissions. Of course, that your reason for asking for a re-do.

I think this company has some good designs, but they aren't cheap: http://spykercars.com/

 

[jdeitz1979]

That’s one reason, and the fact the car was way under powered. A car sporting a look like that should have power to brag about

 

[Fire-medic]

The DeLorean has an engine constructed like our beloved VMax. A horizontally-split crankcase, cylinders integral to the top of the crankcase, and stud-mounted heads though it does use replaceable sleeves. Not a powerhouse.

 

[Kronx]

Any of ya'll remember the cars from Vector Motors?

 

[Bill Seward]

Add a Flux Capacitor and a Mr. Fusion (unless you copped a few ounces of Plutonium from some Libyans) and you only need to go 88 mph to have some real fun..

 

[Fire-medic]

Any of ya'll remember the cars from Vector Motors?

One of the big top-rated tennis stars had his Vector catch on-fire I recall, maybe Brooke Shield's husband? I think it burned up, and he sued to get his $$$$ back. other purchasers did the same thing, and his business plan to sell these 'supercars' turned into a debacle. I think his name was Jerry Weigert? No google-fu, just trying to exercise my grey matter.

The cars sure looked cool in the posters hanging-on a 14 year-old's wall back in the 1980's. Nowadays, the kids probably have posters of computer games instead of cool cars.

 

[Klwallace69]

One of the big top-rated tennis stars had his Vector catch on-fire I recall, maybe Brooke Shield's husband? I think it burned up, and he sued to get his $$$$ back. other purchasers did the same thing, and his business plan to sell these 'supercars' turned into a debacle. I think his name was Jerry Weigert? No google-fu, just trying to exercise my grey matter.

The cars sure looked cool in the posters hanging-on a 14 year-old's wall back in the 1980's. Nowadays, the kids probably have posters of computer games instead of cool cars.

Yep. I was one of those teens with a picture of one, on my wall. The looks are still a thing to behold. Too bad there was never a chance of me owning one (even if it burned up).

Not all of today's kids are beyond hope. Out of 4 kids, I, successfully, gave 1 the gear-head sickness