Iconic car from Back to the Future set for a comeback
Always dreamed about owning a DeLorean? The iconic car immortalised by the Back to the Future franchise might be making a comeback.
The DeLorean Motor Company has been given the green light for low-volume production, after the US Government passed additions to the federal highway bill in December.
The cars will not be modern takes on the classic design – the company hopes to reproduce the 1982 DeLorean model.
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However, only a limited number of the gull-wing sports cars are planned for production.
Chief executive Stephen Wynne told local media he estimated he had enough new old stock parts – original parts that were never used or sold – to make about 300 replica cars.
“There’s no reason to change the appearance of the car. As we go into the program, we’ll decide what areas need to be freshened up,” Mr Wynne said.
Mr Wynne said he hoped to have the first car completed by 2017, but that a “number of hurdles” had to be overcome before production could begin, according to a statement from the company.
All going to plan, Mr Wynne said he hoped to sell the new cars for less than $US100,000, depending on the engine chosen for the cars.
The company, based in Humble, Texas, holds dozens of old DeLoreans at their facility – some pre-owned models owned by the company, and some shipped from owners around the world to be refurbished.
It was formed in 1995 by Mr Wynne and is separate to the original DeLorean Motor Company founded by John DeLorean in 1975.
The Texas company soon after acquired the DMC logo trademark as well as the leftover parts inventory from the original company.