JOHN Z DELOREANAaron Oswald

Economics P.4

Early Life & Career

John Z DeLorean’s parents were immigrantsfrom Romania and Hungary; his father was aunion organizer for Ford

He attended public school in Detroit, and wentto college at Lawrence TechnologicalUniversity to study mechanical engineering,while working part-time for Chrysler.

Worked at a post-graduate facility at Chrysler,earned a degree in automotive engineering.

Offered and took a job at Packard MotorCompany and became head of research anddevelopment, but was offered a job at GM.

General Motors

Accepted a job working for Pontiac, was heavilyinfluenced by Semon Knudsen, the youngest personto head a division at GM.

Became head engineer, developed the Pontiac GTO,the world’s first muscle car, which transformedPontiac’s image from “old people cars” to one withmore speed and style.

Worked his way to becoming theYoungest GM executive, headingPontiac, then Chevrolet, afterwhich he was promoted to VP ofcars and trucks for all of GM.

DeLorean Motor Company

DeLorean left GM to found his own company in 1975, theDeLorean Motor company, or DMC for short.

To keep production costs low, cars were manufactured inNorthern Ireland, where jobs were sorely needed, startingin 1981, but quality issues held the company back.

The DeLorean DMC-12 had anunpainted stainless steel chassis,and gull-wing (hinge on top) doors.

Warranty issues and decliningdemand due to a lack of a realniche for the car led to thecompany’s collapse in 1982.

Personal Life

DeLorean was known for his trendydress style and witty conversation,unlike many auto executives of theday.

He invested heavily in the SanDiego Chargers and the Yankees,and became a popular pop culturefigure.

To save his company, DeLoreanmay have engaged in cocainetrafficking. However, hesuccessfully defended himself,claiming that it was entrapment.

Legacy

The 1985 movie Back to theFuture featured the DeLoreanDMC-12 as the time-travelingmachine.

Since then, the car has becomea collectors item and a culturalicon, and demand for the car isprobably higher now than it wasduring the actual production.

DeLorean is remembered as anexecutive and entrepreneur whovalued enjoying life more andother executives, who were allabout profit.

Works CitedAdams, Guy. "Hollywood races for DeLorean story." The Independent [London] 12 June

2009: 20. Print.Hakim, Danny. "John Z. DeLorean, Father of Glamour Car, Dies at 80." New York Times

21 Mar. 2005. Print.Kiger, Patrick J. "Moonwalk Down Memory Lane." Los Angeles Times Magazine 3 Mar.

2002: 12-15. Print.Rothenberg, Al. "John Z." Ward's Auto World (2002). Print.

Image URLs:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/DMC_publicity_photo.jpg

http://www.pjgrady.co.uk/General/Images/John_DeLorean.jpg

http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Race/R_Overview/ID77373_Packard.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Pontiac_GTO_1966.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NdGAi6Lhpjk/Sl1DYeSUZOI/AAAAAAAAAIg/r-3pRw5dK1U/s400/delorean3.jpg

http://www.nndb.com/people/994/000022928/jpic4-red.jpg

http://historyofeconomics.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/back_to_the_future1.jpg

http://www.bttfblog.com/images/back_to_the_future_delorean_for_sale/delorean_time_machine_rear2.jpg