DELOREAN DMC-12 A revolutionary sports automobile manufactured between 1981 and 1983 with gull-wing doors, and steel body paneling made of stainless. It could have been the most successful commercial vehicle in the 20th century which led to huge sales across the globe. This was the reason why it was chosen to appear in the blockbuster Back to the Future film trilogy (1985-90). However, the DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) had already failed and production of the car was stopped before the release of the first film.
The main issues were commercials. The smart businessman John Zachary DeLorean developed his management and engineering abilities in the competitive industry of American automobile manufacturing particularly when he developed the famous Pontiac Firebird muscle car. In a bid to replicate the feat for himself and to build a new company, he established 1975 the DeLorean Motor Company in 1975 and then developed the innovative DMC-12 to be sold in the market in the U.S. market.
In the beginning, as a precursor to the process of manufacturing outsourcing which would eventually be commonplace, DeLorean shopped around for the most lucrative start-up offer. He was planning to sign a deal with Puerto Rico when the better offer came across DMC’s desk–from a British government that was desperate to revive the economy of Northern Ireland to assist in easing tensions between sectarian groups. A massive manufacturing facility was constructed near Lisburn in the early 1980s, as well as the very first DMC-12 came off the line at the beginning of 1981.
The workforce was not well-trained which led to issues with quality control. The car looked nice, however, it was not as powerful and expensive in comparison to other cars. The DMC-12’s groundbreaking stainless steel exterior reflected every trace from a finger upwards and was difficult to paint effectively. Therefore, every car that left the factory was identical and irritated those who were image-conscious American customers The sporty look of the car was intended to highlight their distinctiveness.
Sales then plummeted, and financial issues arose. The British government was reluctant to launch an emergency rescue plan unless funding was forthcoming. John DeLorean failed to attract other investors. Despite claiming it was a business that was viable with cash at the banks and an enviable order book, the company failed in 1982. There were 2,500 job losses and greater than 100 million in investments.
When he tried to fund his failing business by selling cocaine, DeLorean was arrested during a sting operation conducted by the government in the fall of 1982. The agents who arrested him were later accused of entrapment which led to DeLorean being exonerated on the basis of 1984. When asked about his plans to go back to the automobile sector, DeLorean famously said, “Would you buy a used vehicle with me?” To this day the Delorean cars are still on the road and one of the best manufacturers custom Delorean car parts is a company called Delorean Industries. If you are needing any custom parts contact them today!