“Wait a minute, Doc. Are you telling me you built a time machine…out of a DeLorean?"
Ever since Marty McFly uttered those famous words in 1985's first Back To The Future installment, the fans that pined for a DeLorean would have needed their own time machine as the short-lived production of this stainless steel, gull-winged beauty ended in 1982. Fast forward 40 years, however, and it seems DeLorean is indeed going back to the future.
A new model is headed to market, fittingly – for those who recall the movie's clock-tower scene where a lightning strike powers the DeLorean time machine – as a luxury electric vehicle. But first, how did we even get here?
DMC'S BACKSTORY
Founded in Detroit in 1975 by automotive-industry veteran and engineer John DeLorean, production lasted a scant two years from 1981 to 1982 during which just 9,000 units of one model – known internally as the DMC-12 – were produced. Originally beset by performance issues (0-60 mph took 10-plus seconds on models with the automatic transmission) and a hefty price tag, DMC's woes compounded from there to also include financial and legal troubles, resulting in the company declaring bankruptcy in 1982. John DeLorean's dream died, and anything that remained of DMC was picked over and snapped up by buyers.
Recreation of the DeLorean time machine | Dwurban
In the mid-1980s, Stephen Wynne, a native of Liverpool, England, and mechanic, had carved a niche for himself working exclusively on DeLoreans in California. Sensing the car's enduring popularity and witnessing the continued demand from DeLorean owners, Wynne relocated to Texas. From there, he began acquiring DMC's trademarks in 1995, along with any parts inventory and tooling he could find for a company he founded outside Houston.
Wynne's “new" DeLorean Motor Company would focus on providing parts, service and restoration to DeLorean owners nationwide. During that time, DeLorean's popularity never waned and, if anything, only increased in the five decades since the last one rolled off the production line — with an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 original models still on the road today.
THE DELOREAN RETURNS
In early 2022, however, DeLorean's cult-like following received a jolt of energy unlike any other since the car's appearance in Back To The Future. After years of rumors and disappointments for DMC fans, Wynne confirmed that new a DeLorean would soon be available, only this time as a luxury electric vehicle.
In a 15-second video posted to Twitter, @deloreanmotorco tweeted, “The Future was never promised. Reimagine today. Sign up for the premiere of the DeLorean in 2022."
Teaser image of the model | Youtube
While the new DeLorean's design wasn't fully revealed in the video, what was visible bears a striking resemblance to the original model, including the trademark gull-wing doors. Other details that have leaked include a targeted 300-mile range and the collaboration with Volkswagen-owned Italdesign.
Wynne is working with a group of auto-industry executives on the new, San Antonio-based company named DeLorean Motors Reimagined LLC, of which Wynne's DMC is the largest shareholder. Joost DeVries is the new company's CEO and was previously with Tesla, Volvo and Karma (a hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturer).
The new DeLorean EV's public reveal is slated to occur in August at the Pebble Beach Concurs d'Elegance. Now entering its 70th year, this is the world's premier auto event, displaying collector, concept and new car debuts on the famed golf course's 18th fairway.
Car & Driver reports that “the car the company plans to show off at Pebble Beach imagines what a modern DeLorean might look like 'had it been around for the last 40 years,'" quoting a DeLorean marketing representative. Until then, the world will just have to wait to see if this new DeLorean sequel is as good, or perhaps even better than, the original.
What do you think of the electric DeLorean? Let us know in the comments.
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About the Author(s)
Rich Ellis is a DIYer who’s worked in and written for the automotive industry for nearly two decades. He uses his experiences, lessons learned, and interest in maintaining and fixing vehicles on his family’s small farm in his writing.
