By Casey Williams
MyCarData

(February 1, 2016) After a 34-year hiatus, the DeLorean Motor Company announced it is putting its famous stainless steel gull-winged sports car back into production.  Between January 1981 and December 1982, about 9,200 were built.  The company plans an additional 300 units, beginning in 2017.  Want one?  Prepare to spend $100,000.

You’re not stuck in an episode of The Goldbergs; this is for real.  “How,” you might ask? 

When production ended in 1982, there were enough parts in inventory to produce many more cars. In 1985, entrepreneur Stephen Wynne started a mail order parts business to serve DeLorean owners.  A decade later, he acquired the remaining parts inventory, bought the DMC logo, and opened a new DeLorean Motor Company near Houston, TX to support owners. 



And, that’s where it would have continued had a new law not entered the books last December.  The “Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act” allows small companies to build limited numbers of replica motor vehicles that resemble the appearance of cars produced 25 years ago or more.  It was designed to allow builders of Cobra replicas and similar vehicles to sell their wares without meeting advanced safety standards.  Automakers exercising this act must meet the current Clean Air Act requirements and report production to NHTSA and EPA.
   
That requirement to meet Clean Air Act standards is a blessing.  Gone is the original engine, replaced by a new powerplant generating at least 400 horsepower. 

Ever wonder what it’s like to drive a DeLorean?  I know — because my best writing buddy owns one.  I jokingly call it “The Oven,” but it’s a really cool car.  It’s not fast, struggling to reach 88 mph with any sense of urgency.  The Peugeot Renault Volvo (PRV) rear-mounted V6 was put in the right place, but with 130 horsepower, it barely made it from 0-60 mph in 10s.  The suspension is compliant over rough pavement and handles well, leveraging the car’s low height.
   
Once inside, it’s delightful.  The leather seats are comfy and the air-conditioning keeps the car chilled.  It’s not possible to roll the full windows down because of the door design, so little windowlets retract for drive-through windows and tollbooths.  There’s nothing like parking at a Starbucks for an evening coffee, pop the doors, and watch the aghast on people’s faces.

John DeLorean, former GM executive credited for creating the GTO, is most famous for the sports car that made a movie out of Back to the Future.  He went all out for his rear-engine car, tapping Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro for the stainless steel body design with gullwing doors.  Lotus was contracted to engineer the backbone chassis, which was based on the exotic Esprit. 
   
Problems became evident immediately after launch in 1981.  Placing an auto plant outside Belfast, Northern Ireland was made possible by funding from the British people, but sitting it in the middle of a civil war was not so bright.  Sluggish sales sent DeLorean scrambling for funding, which is how he ended up in an FBI bust with accusations he was planning to import cocaine to the U.S.  He got off, but the car was finished. 

Like Preston Tucker, DeLorean’s dream car was immortalized by Hollywood and has a rabid following.  Soon, they’ll be able to do something Tucker aficionados never will:  Take home a brand new one assembled from original parts.  Visit www.delorean.com for more information.