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Mention DeLorean to a child of the 1980s and chances are they will reply with “Back to the Future”.
The first film in director Robert Zemeckis’ trilogy was released in 1985 and introduced us not only to plucky teen Marty McFly and his inventor friend Doc Brown, but to a DeLorean motor car able to travel through time.
Few of us watching the movie would have been aware of the remarkable story behind the original automobile, or know anything about the man who created it. But in many ways, his story is just as fascinating and incredible as anything ever depicted on the big screen.
John Zachary DeLorean seemed destined for a life in the car industry – he was born in Detroit (aka the Motor City) in 1925 and eventually won a scholarship to the Lawrence Institute of Technology, where he excelled in industrial engineering.
The Second World War interrupted his studies, but after gaining his…
