Re: Fw: [DML] my attitude about DeLorean (long)

[DMCVegas@xxxx]

I agree. Even after you read all the books and articles you can find 
about the 3 DeLoreans (the man, the car, and the company), you still 
won't be able to know everything that has happened. It will always be 
an interesting read, and will always leave questions behind. There's 
no murder, no death, no kidnappings, and no violence. But it will 
always remain, in the business sense, one of the greatest mysteries 
ever.

To be perfectly honest, I feel that the British Govt. is more 
responsible for the birth of DMC, rather than it's demise. Yes they 
should have provided the export financing, yes the Thatcher/General 
Motors connection is all too convienent, and yes they could have 
carried on with the company. But still, DMC as a whole (not just JZD) 
could have pulled it off had they planed things better. Hind sight is 
20/20 is so true in this case. In most cases, they could not have 
known about what pitfalls the company would have encountered. And in 
other cases, other options just were not there for them to see.

The best example is the DEA's entrapment of JZD. What if it never 
happend? Chances are the company could have continued on. JZD just 
needed $20 down to secure future grants & loans from the British. A 
company in Washington DC had $10 to invest, and recently an article 
was auctioned off on eBay that states yet another company had $20 to 
invest! (an article from a Houston paper I believe) And if it wern't 
for Christina, he could have gotten $5 million for the apartment in 
NYC. But John snubbed these offers. Not because the drug deal was the 
easy way out, but because he honestly believed at the time that if he 
didn't coperate, his children and wife would be killed.

But, JZD and crew should have kept up more contact with the 
companies' opertaions to have better guided it. JZD got a lot of 
talent involved. Some were GM people who had been shelved or passed 
over. Good strategy, but let's face it. Most still had that "Clear 
Day" mentality when it came to their specific duties/operations. John 
DeLorean should have put his foot down when it came to some things, 
and on others someone else should have done the same for him. No one 
wanted to upset a system that helped them, even though they knew it 
was wrong. Sound familier?

In a word, DeLorean Motor Company was this big cookie jar that just 
about everyone involved has their hands in. And when it failed, and 
people wanted answers, JZD just happened to be the kid still chewing, 
with crumbs on his shirt. But, that doesn't mean he ate the most 
cookies! :)

The Bedminster Estate, and Logan MFG purchases were not the best 
ideas. Either economicly, or PR wise. But they were not as big 
contributing factors as one might expect. The company made some 
mistakes, but it is my firm belief that on Oct. 20, 1982, it was 
still self sufficent enough to have continued.

Here's an interesting insight on a rare subject about how JZD treated 
the dealer network:

"We had planned a dealer get-together at LAX. It was supposed to be a 
chance for the dealers to meet John DeLorean. The dealers were inside 
waiting for him. "He arrived and was about to go inside when a guy 
happened to pull up in a turbo-charged DeLorean. DeLorean went over 
to get a closer look. He started talking to the guy. He ended up 
spending the whole morning talking to him. Meanwhile, the DeLorean 
dealers waited and waited. It was terrible."

Now this seems like a litle thing I know. But, you have to remember 
that it those little things that add up. But on the flip-side, lets 
not forget that C.R. "Dick" Brown was out in California claiming that 
the DMC-12 should have his name on it. And that he was really the one 
who was in charge of the company. This and the fact that JZD states 
the price @ the QAC dropped by $2,000 per car in repairs after Brown 
was fired. Not enough attention, and too many personal agendas added 
up fast.

All in all, the company had a bright future ahead that no one could 
have predicted. Lying ahead was Back to the Future, and a little know 
DeLorean venture into "High-tech wellness systems". I can only 
imagine this could have coupled the DeLorean to the fitness craze of 
the 80's.

But aside from the British Govt, DeLorean also found hurdles to jump 
right here in the good 'ol USA. After DMC collapsed, it seems that he 
had a new plan. Buy back the cars and parts from Consolidated, and 
start things over. He had reportedly 4 major investors to help him. 
One got divorced, so he did have to back out. But around this time is 
when he suddenly had to fight fraud and racketeering charges. 
Fighting these court battles diverted his attention away from new car 
plans, and drained his finacial resources.

So in the end, I guess it was a recepie that had a little bit of 
everything, from everybody that contirbuted to the demise of the 
company.

Today, I "Live the Dream" everyday. I purchased my DeLorean, and 
never looked back. While things overall may not have turned out for 
the company the way everyone wanted them to, I'm thankful that they 
turned out at all. If I was able to choose one thing for my car to 
have, just one thing. I know what it would be: That new car smell. 
That's the only thing my car doesn't have, that I wish it did. To 
open the door for the first time, pull the plastic off, and turn over 
the engine on a car with "0" miles. But it's never too late. Perhaps 
one day I'll have a D2 sitting in my garage. But then I guess the 
problem would be choosing which one to drive! ;p

-Robert
vin 6585



--- In dmcnews@xxxx, "Chris Parnham" <chrisparnham@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> Andy / List,
> 
> There are lots of books, myths, rumour and legends about the whole 
DeLorean
> story.
> I am sure all of them have "truth" in there some where, they are 
often
> contriductory and always give a different "spin" on events.
<SNIP>