The DeLorean is coming back to the present, thanks in large part to Back to the Future. The DeLorean DMC-12 is one of the most iconic cars of all time. Now, the gull-winged cars are going back into production – this time with a 300 to 400 hp engine, and up-rated tires. The original DeLorean cars went into production in 1981, but only 9,000 were made before the company went bankrupt in early 1983. There are few other cars that had such a brief lifespan and such a lasting impact. The DeLorean was only originally in production for less than two years. However, in that brief period it gained cult status and became an unlikely symbol for fictional time travel thanks to the Back To The Future trilogy. Now, more than 30 years later, the car that was immortalized in 1985’s Back to the Future is to be brought back into limited production – next year.
Who’s Making the new DeLorean?
DeLorean Motor Company, the Texas-based manufacturer that purchased all the leftover parts from the Belfast factory in 1997, is the company behind this excellent news for cult car lovers. The company had been dedicated to restoring the 6,000 DeLorean cars still in existence. An unsuccessful attempt was previously made by DeLorean Motor Company to restart production in 2008. Recently, a US government initiative has allowed the business to begin making new models for the first time in 33 years, to the delight of Back to the Future fans worldwide.
What’s the Plan?
DeLorean Motor Company has parts to make about 300 new cars, which will include a more powerful and more environmentally efficient engine than the 1980s original, which had 130 horsepower. It hopes to begin production in 2017. However, for Back to the Future fans eagerly hoping to get their hands on the iconic car, it will not come cheap. The company said it hopes to sell the cars for $80,000-$100,000 (USD). In comparison, their refurbished models retail for $45,000 to $55,000 (USD). The company said in a statement: “DeLorean Motor Company has been working for some time to identify a supplier for engines and other parts that must be reproduced to facilitate this production for 2017.” The new DeLorean will have “bigger wheels, bigger brakes, and shocks from ‘a famous German supplier’”, it added. The DeLorean will also have upgraded interiors and amenities such as Bluetooth, navigation systems and heated seats, but no cassette player, and it probably won’t fly.
What’s the History of the DeLorean DMC?
After convincing a handful of investors — including celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Carson — to put money into the new venture, former Pontiac designer John DeLorean set up shop in Belfast, Northern Ireland, hoping to produce 30,000 cars in his first year. However, because of the violent Troubles of the time in Northern Ireland, DeLorean believed that if his suppliers were affected by the ongoing violence, he would have to shut down production. Unlike most car companies, which like to have only enough parts on hand to maintain daily production (so-called “lean” or just-in-time manufacturing), DeLorean ordered nearly 30,000 cars-worth up front. Unfortunately, things did not go to plan and the company went broke after producing only 9,000 vehicles. The rest of the parts were sitting in storage until the DeLorean Motor Company was set up and bought the parts to refurbish the older models. Thanks to the wonderful-but-flawed low-volume “Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act” (H.R. 2675) , it’s now legal for the company that bought all of the old leftover DeLorean parts to start putting them together to make new DMC-12s. And this time it seems like it’ll actually happen, starting early next year.
So what do you think? Would you consider getting a DeLorean and making your time travel fantasies more of a reality?
