How will the mythical DeLorean return?

Many cars have been protagonists, throughout history, of emblematic films. And one of them has been the case of the mythical DeLorean DMC-12, the “celebrity” of the movie “Back to the future”.

With its sporty design and seagull wings, this vehicle She became an icon of cinema in 1985, transcending the borders of the world for her participation on the big screen, rather than for her success in sales.

Since then kept in the memory of millions of people, the possibility that the maker and owner of your patent, get to work and produce it again. The idea sounds strong in the United States, where current legislation would make it possible to fulfill this dream.

DeLorean 2020

This is not the first time that the model wants to be revived. The first attempt had been in 2015, when a change in the law was raised in the United States that allowed smaller manufacturers to produce and sell up to 325 replicas per year without having to comply with the usual safety standard.

This legislation was suspended for four years, but in December the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) elaborated on the details of the proposal. Now, the last stumbling block is the Office of Administration and Budget, a process that can take another six months, but the law went one step further towards its final enactment.

According to what the vice president of DeLorean Motor Company, James Espey, the change in legislation is tangible because NHTSA released a 120-page document outlining the new law. That is why, now, the project seems to be serious.

The brand, owned by the British businessman Stephen Wynne, which is dedicated to the sale and purchase of used models that he restores, personalizes and resells, has the patent and will seek to retake the production at their Texas plant.

James Espey, vice president of DeLorean Motor Company, is responsible for the idea, who cautioned that only manufacture one or two cars per week, unlike other manufacturers of vehicles Limited edition, which are licensed by the United States Government to produce about 350 a year.

What will the new DeLorean be like?

Espey is optimistic about the parts he needs to build the car and its design. “We have 96.7% of the parts needed to continue production.”

According to what they let transcend, the new DeLorean they will have many old parts. The idea is that they do not lose the aesthetics of the historical model, but that it present the modernization that the automotive industry has been incorporating in recent years.

So, beyond its exterior, where it promises a lot is in motorization: They will have a power of approximately 350 horses, they will have new security systems with ABS and traction control, connectivity modules and a more “luxurious” interior.

Of course, we still have to wait for some issues to be closed, including legal ones. Also the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the United States could also have an effect on how quickly regulations become law.

DeLorean from its origins

DeLorean revolutionized the American auto industry with its flamboyant model, the DMC-12. The founder was John DeLorean, a Detroit-born businessman who passed away in 2005 at age 80, and chose that name in honor of his last name.

The brand began to take shape in October 1978, with the construction of the first manufacturing plant in Northern Ireland. It was finished in 16 months. The company was officially known as DMCL (DeLorean Motor Company, Ltd).

The start of production of the DeLorean DMC-12 It was slated for 1979, but engineering delays and budget overruns caused production to begin in early 1981.

Factory workers were generally inexperienced: some had never had a job in the industry before entering DMC. All this could have been decisive in the reports on quality issues, which was widely criticized.

Just a year later, in 1982, the improvement in the quality of the parts and the greater training of the workforce meant that the production quality improved. However, there were problems with customers and dealers, as several dealers refused to perform warranty repairs because the manufacturer did not reimburse them for the cost.

Little by little, the good omens for the sales lists were dashed when the British government launched a campaign against DMC, imposing a high exclusive company tax and pulling down an already agreed grant plan to protect the focused car industry In England.

After this, John DeLorean built what would be the next factory in DMC in Detroit, United States, in 1982, but even then his future was chaotic.

In October 1982, he was arrested for drug trafficking. Following the arrest, the company went bankrupt. Finally, this car came to an end, gaining more fame for starring in the movie. Back to the Future, that due to its importance in the automotive sector.

Back to the Future

Filmed in the United States in 1985, the DeLorean DMC-12 has a long record: it starred in three movies, more than five hours of screening, millions of viewers who saw it on movie theater with $ 1 billion raised, and hundreds of millions of people who watched it on television at home, those who maintain its success.

All those repercussions for a car that it had only 9,000 units manufactured, but that it became a cult object, precisely because of its role in Back to the Future.

The American film was directed and written by Robert Zemeckis, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starring Michael Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas Wilson.

It recounts the adventures of Marty McFly, a rebellious and impulsive teenager who lives with his parents and accidentally travels back in time from 1985 his time, to 1955 the time his parents met. Eventually, it changes the specific facts of the original timeline that your parents met and fell in love.

By changing the facts, Marty tries with the help of Dr. Emmett Brown to reunite his parents again to ensure his own existence and that of his brothers.

Universal Pictures gave the green light to the project on July 3, 1985. After its premiere, it became the movie most successful of that year.

As a legacy, Ronald Reagan came to mention it in the 1986 State of the Union Address, while in 2007 the Library of Congress chose it to be preserved in the National Film Registry. Finally, in 2008, the American Film Institute ranked it as the tenth best science fiction movie of all time.

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