Bring back the DeLorean

(Credit: Retro Thing)

It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since John DeLorean was arrested on drug-trafficking charges, a major scandal for the GM executive often credited for creating the famed Pontiac GTO. It seems like just yesterday to us but, then again, we still have a Members Only jacket somewhere in our closet.

Anyway, a quarter-century later, we find that we're hardly alone in our appreciation of the DeLorean DMC-12 of Back to the Future fame, which we still think was one of the best-designed sports cars of our generation with its gull-wing doors and stainless-steel finish. Retro Thing says a new DeLorean Motor Company in Texas offers custom rebuilt DMC-12s starting at $42,500.

We think that's a bargain considering only 8,000 of the original cars were made--unless the price is being calculated in 1982 dollars.

[jcommodore]

Details on the "new/rebuilt" cars

The cars coming out of Texas today are technically new cars, built from the excess parts left from when DeLorean closed its doors. The company purchased all of the excess inventory from the original manufacturing facility and restated assembly, in much lower numbers. They do not have any present manufacturing ability, but the vehicles they put out are in addition to the 8000+ cars originally built.

[deloreanguy]

The actual details on the "new/rebuilt" cars...

You got it almost exactly right, but in order not to run afoul of the DOT/NHTSA, the remanufactured cars that we sell are actually cars that began their lives as original 1981-193 model DeLoreans. These cars are disassembled completely to the bare frame, and then rebuilt using a combination of original 25 year old DeLorean parts, new parts sourced from the original suppliers and our line of reproduction parts. Of the 2800 or so parts that make up a DeLorean, about 50 carry over the donor vehicle - the rest are new parts. The car retains the original Vehicle Identification Number and therefore, model year.

As this is written there remain just two open slots for production in the 2007 build schedule.

James Espey
Vice President
DMC (Texas)

[Rod Roddy]

GREAT SCOTT!

This is earth shattering news, the consequences could quite possibly create a disruption in the space time continuum.

[dotmike]

Hope they make it a bit more powerful

I listened to the Director's Commentary track of Back to the Future, and
apparently the thing was so sluggish they had a hard time getting the stunt
driving fast enough to make it look like it was going the speeds shown on
Michael J Fox's dial.

Forget actually getting to 88 mph!

I hope the new model gets a booster charge to its flux capacitor.

[deloreanguy]

$42,500 in 2007 dollars...

Bringing back the DeLorean, or at least keping it in the public eye, is all we've been doing for years. If ever in or passing through Houston, be sure to stop by...

James Espey
Vice President
DMC (Texas)

[Delorean2006]

The Delorean has been back.

The Texas Delorean plant has been pumping out Delorean's new and rebuilt since 2002; at the same price. Also, you could get a higher performance engine, new exhaust, xenon lights, nav, and new sound system. The Delorean has been back but has not been publicised that much.