Part three of TAM’s series of articles about incredible visionaries and their cars that were meant to revolutionize the automotive industry but failed.

John DeLorean: The Rise, Fall, and Silver Screen Resurrection of a Dreamer

Few figures in automotive history have captured the imagination quite like John Z. DeLorean — the maverick engineer, executive, and visionary who dared to challenge Detroit’s status quo. His story is a blend of brilliance, ambition, controversy, and redemption — a real-life drama that could only end with his car becoming a Hollywood legend.

The Golden Boy of General Motors

In the 1950s and ’60s, John DeLorean was one of the brightest stars in the American auto industry. A gifted engineer with a flair for marketing, he rose quickly through the ranks at General Motors. By age 40, he was the youngest division head in GM history, credited with creating one of the most iconic muscle cars ever built: the Pontiac GTO.

But DeLorean was never a typical corporate executive. With his tailored suits, long sideburns, and celebrity friends, he looked more like a movie star than an engineer. He dreamed of doing things differently — of building a car company that valued innovation, safety, and design over conformity and cost-cutting.

The Dream of the DMC-12

In 1973, DeLorean left GM to chase his vision: to create the world’s most advanced sports car under his own name. The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was born. His car, the DMC-12, featured a stainless-steel body, gull-wing doors, and a futuristic wedge-shaped design that turned heads everywhere it went.

Production began in 1981 in Northern Ireland — a bold move fueled by government subsidies and DeLorean’s relentless optimism. But the dream soon collided with harsh realities. Manufacturing delays, cost overruns, and a global recession plagued the project. The car’s performance didn’t match its looks, and the company teetered on the edge of financial ruin within a year.

Scandal and Struggle

In 1982, just as DMC was collapsing, DeLorean was arrested in a high-profile drug trafficking sting, accused of attempting to finance his struggling company through cocaine deals. The shocking images of the once-celebrated executive in handcuffs seemed to mark a tragic end.

However, in 1984, DeLorean was acquitted of all charges, after successfully arguing that he had been entrapped by government agents. Though legally vindicated, his reputation and company were beyond repair. The DeLorean Motor Company folded, leaving behind roughly 9,000 cars — and a legacy of “what could have been.”

Back to the Future — Literally

Just a few years later, DeLorean’s dream car found new life in the unlikeliest of places: Hollywood. When “Back to the Future” premiered in 1985, the stainless-steel DMC-12 became the world’s most famous time machine. The film immortalized the car — and, by extension, its creator — as symbols of innovation and imagination.

Today, surviving DeLoreans are prized collector’s items, with dedicated clubs and restoration shops keeping them on the road. The car’s blend of 1980s futurism and movie magic continues to captivate fans around the world.

A Legacy Forged in Steel

John DeLorean’s story is one of ambition and audacity — proof that chasing a dream can sometimes come at great cost, but can also leave an indelible mark. His stainless-steel sports car may have failed as a business venture, but it succeeded in becoming an icon. In the end, DeLorean achieved what few ever do: he built something unforgettable.

🚗 Museum Connection

At the Tucson Auto Museum, we celebrate visionaries like John DeLorean — people who refused to accept “the way things are” and instead reshaped automotive history through sheer determination. While we don’t all get to travel through time in a stainless-steel car, we can travel back in time by exploring the design, engineering, and spirit of innovators like DeLorean inside our galleries. Our 1981 example of the Delorean captures the spirit and excess of the ‘80s.

🕒 Did You Know?

Only about 9,000 DeLoreans were built — and more than 6,000 still exist today, thanks to dedicated owners and parts suppliers.
Every DeLorean left the factory unpainted, showing off its brushed stainless-steel panels.
The car’s gull-wing doors were designed by the same engineer who helped develop the Mercedes 300SL’s doors in the 1950s.
A new company in Texas is now reviving the DeLorean name with modern electric concepts inspired by the original DMC-12.

One Man and His Plan - Part Three: John D. Delorean and his time-traveling wonder