There were a few cars that could stop me in my tracks when I was a kid, and the DeLorean was near the top of the list. We had one in my town, parked outside a dentist’s office, and just knowing it was amazing. It was not something you expected to see in everyday life. It looked like it had landed from somewhere else, all sharp lines and brushed metal, like the future had somehow ended up next to where I got scolded for not brushing properly.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about what it was like to grow up with that kind of local landmark, a car that felt larger than life before I knew much at all about how it came to be. Back then, the DeLorean was just the DeLorean to me, a machine that stood apart from every other car on the road. Later on, of course, I came to understand that behind it was John DeLorean himself, a figure who was just as unusual, ambitious, and complicated as the car that carried his name. That is part of what makes this story so interesting to revisit. You cannot really separate the man from the machine.
From there I get into both sides of that story. I talk about the car itself, why it looked the way it did, why it made such an impression, and how it managed to become iconic even though its actual time on the market was so short. I also get into John DeLorean, his rise in the auto industry, the image he built around himself, and the strange and sometimes messy path that led to the creation of the company. It is one of those stories where big ideas, personality, timing, and unexpected trouble.
What makes the DeLorean worth talking about now is that it carries two stories at once. There is the car people remember, and then there is the man who willed it into existence. One became a symbol, helped along by pop culture and memory, while the other remains a much harder figure to pin down. Bringing them together in one episode felt like the right way to do it, because the DeLorean was never just a car. It was a dream, a gamble, and for some of us, one of those unforgettable sights from childhood.
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Production Notes
This is the 363rd episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 14 of Season 18.
This might be the longest episode I have ever done.
While we would get used to seeing a DeLorean in our town. I never got jaded seeing it. I sometimes think about how many towns exist in the world vs. how many DeLoreans were actually sold and how amazing we had one in our town.
I could not pull the door down on my own when I was in the car.
I have never done an episode about a car before and I am not super knowledgeable about cars naturally, so this was a lot of fun to do while a bit challenging. Please forgive any detail misunderstanding.
I suggest a nickname for myself in this episode, but Bunky would also be a cool nickname.
Being a celebrity version of anything must be addicting, but it seems to always lead to trouble.
The National Alliance of Businessmen’s messaging doesn’t quite land nowadays.
The term ethical or words like it were being use a lot in 1970s.
Banshee really is an an amazing car name. I like mythological creatures as car names. Some other names that would be fun? The Ford Unicorn. The Chevy Cylcops. Honda Goblin. Toyota Hydra.
I sometimes like to think about “what ifs” around products. What if DeLorean had been a success? Could it have lasted longer? What might the newer models look like?
Its not clear what DeLorean could have been done differently once he started to make a car like this at scale.
So many movies from the time I haven’t seen.
See you at Moonrakers.
My first and only NY Giants Deep Cut.
Mellow Cheese!
I think one more episode in the BTTF coverage. It will be a Supporter Episode.
Bonus clippings can be found over on Patreon for Supporters.
Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
