BB FANS

The DeLorean legacy – and British car industry

MORE car makers have come and gone than continue to exist, and many of those which are still producing cars under their own names are actually subsidiary companies to large multinational operations, some with little interest in their product other than what is returned at the bottom line.

Many makers have folded through no fault of their own, save perhaps lack of developmental resources. Global trade and competition have put paid to any number of smaller producers as the quest for greater economies of scale results in cheaper (and many would say less characterful) offerings that can be found on sale in almost every market with just a few tweaks necessary here and there to adapt to local preferences and tastes.

And no particular ‘type’ of car has been immune to this so-called ‘progression’. From the mundane to the mighty, the minuscule to the massive, there are tragic examples in every category.

Sadly, Britain’s car industry has not been immune either, and is perhaps one of the countries hardest hit in the ongoing extinction of family favourites. With a trail of names which exists now only in the memory or among the vibrant groups of enthusiasts keen to perpetuate all that was good about these once household, now defunct marques, some look back fondly at Riley, Wolseley, Humber, Hillman, Singer, Triumph and, most recently, Rover - to name just a few.

One car maker with sights set high and hype to match was John Z DeLorean, a former employee of General Motors and the man who pretty much created the American ‘Muscle Car’ phenomenon of the mid-1960s with the enormously powerful Pontiac GTO.

DeLorean’s idea was to build an ethical sports car to rival the likes of the Porsche 911. Beset by troubles, the car eventually lurched off the production lines in 1979, to enjoy a brief three-year production run of some 6-7000 examples of which around 10 percent were right hand drive.

Nobody can deny that the DeLorean DMC-12 is a striking looking car. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro with the project overseen by Lotus’ Colin Chapman, the DMC–12 was to be aimed at “the bachelor who’d made it” and incorporated such bachelor-boy gimmicks as room behind the front seats for a set of golf clubs, and optional red leather interior.

Powered by the heavy 2850cc PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) fuel injected V6 engine mounted at the rear, the car developed around 145bhp – hardly enough to worry anybody in the thoroughbred Porsche stable – and hauled it up to 125mph. Even sportscars from the 1960s like the legendary Jaguar E-Type and Ferrari Dino were clocking 150mph and more, and the diminutive Lotus Elan could outrun it quite considerably on the 0–60 sprint, propelled by a mere 1600cc engine.

And it wasn’t just the engine that was sadly lacking in power - the gullwing doors were so heavy with electrics that the single gas strut on each side was barely enough to open them, let alone hold them open - and worse still, despite the weather seals, they also failed to close properly, so the design may have looked spectacular on paper, but in the metal, appeared to be a spectacular failure.

The body itself was of GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) construction, sheathed in brushed stainless steel and while it looked striking, owners soon found it was almost impossible to clean and keep clean. Anybody familiar with finger marks on a stainless steel fridge freezer will know that to try and keep a whole car looking sparkling clean would be a tall order, even with a bottle of baby oil handy!

Similarly, the wheels – which were beautiful to look at – were a cleaning nightmare with their multi-spoke design. The car’s wide track and the fact that the front wheels were cast 1inch smaller in diameter than the rear aimed at improving the handling of the car – much needed considering the front-to-rear weight distribution was 35:65, mainly due to the overweight powerplant.

The interior of the DeLorean feels cramped with all the techno-gizmo stuff going on – the telescopic steering column and adjustable wheel, the not-inconsiderable central console, the lumbering air-conditioning and climate control systems.

That, coupled with the red leather everywhere and the tiny window apertures made for a very warm cockpit – many examples are reputed to have encountered air-conditioning failure amongst the other teething troubles and some of the windows are even reported to have stopped working altogether.

It all adds up to a great shame for a car which under other circumstances could have gone from strength to strength.

Already dated by the time it was launched and sadly underpowered, the DeLorean did not get off to a good start. Even with a reputed £60 million or so of government/taxpayers money backing the purpose-built factory at Dunmurry outside Belfast, the company closed its doors with an alleged debt of £25 million.

Aside from rose-tinted glasses and the ability to gloss over the rough build quality and numerous other issues, the potential new owner of this particular example (bought in 1988 for £10,000) would need to be looking for a sum of between £25,000 and £35,000 to secure ownership, and therefore kinship in a rather select family.
We’re a funny lot, the British car lovers!

Xinhuanet

BEIJING, Nov. 7 -- China will issue policies to encourage low-emission economical cars, said a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Monday.

Liu Zhi, director of the Department of Industrial Policy from the NDRC, made the remark at the 6th China/Asia Clean Fuels International Conference being held here from Nov. 7 to 8.

According to the official, new policies will be issued soon to cancel local restrictions on low-emission cars to encourage higher economic efficiency.

"It is an important move of the government to balance the booming car industry of the country with its soaring energy demand," he said.

Liu said that the coming policy will stipulate a clear definition for economical cars as low-emission cars are not necessarily economical. Aside from low emission, an economical car should also meet some other requirements, he said.

Generally, it should be no more than four meters long, have below 1.4-litre emission and more advanced technologies, yet be within the purchasing power of ordinary people.

China should encourage environment-friendly small cars with less oil-consumption, he said.

However, to date small cars are still not allowed to run in over 80 cities of the country despite Chinese Primer Wen Jiabao's call for canceling restrictions on cars with low emission, low oil consumption and high efficiency this summer.

"It is unwise to restrict all small cars, not only those of low efficiency, but also efficient ones, especially in China, a country experiencing a booming car industry and suffering blame for its soaring oil demand," Liu said.

The new policies will also contain taxes preferential for producers and users of economical autos, said Liu.

Signals favoring low-emission, economical cars have been read from the market. According to statistics, the first nine months of this year witnessed the number of cars below 1.6-litre emission standing at 1,240,900, accounting for 64.17 percent of the total and the sale for cars below 1.0-litre emission rose by 93.69 percent year on year to 248,000.

Owing to soaring international oil prices, China saw its refined oil price raised five times this year

A recent innovation in car design:

This 'Pimp My Ride' mullarkey is nothing new. Modifiers, modders, backstreet mechanics, call them what you will, there are thousands of people out there who spend half their time tinkering with the oily bits of their cars and the other half polishing the shiny bits. Some of them even polish the oily bits as well, at which point it is probably time to seek psychiatric help.

But we're tired of seeing boring Corsas, Novas, Saxos and 3 Series served up with all the trimmings, so here's a list of the ten cars we feel they should turn their attention towards.

1. Kia Picanto
This ticks all the essential modding boxes – it’s cheap to buy, run and insure, has lovely sharp handling and the chassis feels as if it can cope with twice as much power as the engine can provide. Perhaps it’s the female-friendly advertising that puts off the boy racers.


2. Lexus LS430
A whole load of bling just waiting to be discovered. Early examples can be bought for peanuts, the interior is high quality but begging to be given a dash of colour and the badge has genuine kudos. They never go wrong. We’d take one of these over a dozen clapped out old Beamers.


3. Citroen Berlingo
Talk about a blank canvas. Modders are well known for a mischievous sense of humour and turning one of these erstwhile van-cum-MPVs into a hot rod would generate smiles aplenty. And just imagine the size of the stereo system you could fit in the back.


4. Daihatsu Sirion
Let’s face it, someone should do something about the Sirion’s half-baked looks, which are neither one thing nor the other. If ever a ride needed to be pimped, this is it. It needn’t be just cosmetic, either – underneath, the Sirion gives a surprisingly satisfying drive.


5. Toyota Corolla
Stop laughing at the back. There is one reason and one reason only why the Corolla should get the treatment – because if you can transform something as middle-of-the-road as this, you can transform anything. Imagine it – a Corolla that turns heads!


6. Renault Espace
With a bit of judicious blingification, the big but boring Espace could be transformed into a latter-day VW Camper Van, with one crucial difference – the Espace wouldn’t break down every ten miles.


7. Rover CityRover
Someone’s got to come up with a use for these unloved pieces of junk. There was talk of an MG-badged ‘hot’ CityRover in the months leading up to Rover’s demise, and it would be fascinating to see what it might have looked like – particularly as the whole MG brand basically became a modding operation for old Rovers.


8. Land Rover Defender
Yes, it would be blasphemy, but what the heck. Owners’ ideas of modification are usually lame in the extreme, stretching simply to the addition of a snorkel, a winch and some unconvincing Paris-Dakar stickers. If lowering the suspension is what it’s all about, why not get your money’s worth and start off with something that’s high up?


9. BMW 5-Series
We’re still waiting for the 5 Series’ design to grow on us, so we have to reach the conclusion that it’s not going to happen. Unless you’re actually in the pay of BMW, you must admit that the current design direction isn’t exactly spot on. Someone please show us what it should have looked like all along – even if it’s identical to the previous generation model!


10. Maybach
It is already the gaudiest, most vulgar and pointless car on the roads today, so not even the most inept spanner monkey with a fistful of Halford’s vouchers could make it look any worse. Spray it orange, add air dams, give it a dose of nitrous, fill your boots, we just don’t care.

--------------------------

You know a car is headed for greatness when German tuning haus, Brabus, starts messing with its internals.
Ok, so maybe Brabus just considered the Smart a really tiny Mercedes, and maybe there’s not a whole hell of a lot you can do with a three-cylinder engine.
Still, the 101hp motor pulls the little scooter with the ferocity of a really ferocious lawn mower. (A really ferocious lawn mower that can kick your ass, Jack!) Plus, it’s got fat tires and a sport-tuned suspension that gives it a track wider than any Geo Metro faker.
Man, if they ever import these things to the US, we’ll be tooling around NYC like Richard Pryor in “The Toy” in no time. (The birthday party scene, you remember.)

jalopnik

Random car question...

The mechanic has just been to look at my little bugger, cos it was stinking of petrol. It was leaking watery type stuff near where the exhaust pipe is, and apparently it needs a new filter, costing £35.

What's a filter then, and could I have got away with not replacing it? I could have bought a fabulous pair of shoes for £35.....

Filters are one of the consumables that need replaced every now and then, better to have it done when advised - particularly if it was so obviously needing replaced that you could see/smell some evidence of the need!

I am wondering what it is like in a limo car. I am supposed to be going in one and can't decide if it's wise or not. For one what are they going to be like for travel sickness?! And two, I think I'd find it kind of embarrassing. The only thing making me say yes is wanting to arrive at the thing we are going to with all my friends but just can't choose.

hmmmm. Can somebody tell me what it's like?

Thanks Cameron! My Dad asked what had been done to it, and I couldn't tell him!
I couldn't smell the petrol today though, so I presume that's done the trick!

Jezi, I went in a limo for the first time back in September, and it was brilliant fun! Not embarrasing at all!
If you get travel sick, you'd probably be better off sitting going forwards, so let your friends sit going backwards / sideways!
And stay off the champagne

But do the people sitting going forwards not end up at the back? If it's anything like buses I NEED to be right behind the driver and I mean need to be. It's so unfair because even with tablets the feeling isn't good, worst thing is going on organised buses when you know all the people and you can look round to talk!

It's fine Jezi - they don't go that fast and the drivers are really careful because the limos are usually worth a lot of money (I mean they dont whang around corners and stuff like that, they're pretty stable) If you are prone to travel sickness, then the seats at the back are probably best for several reasons -

(i) you can open the window for fresh air
(ii) you can open the window to spew out
(iii) you are facing the direction of travel
(iv) you can actually see all that's going on
(v) you don't have to turn around to chat


Hope you have a good time.

errr thanks for that second point there Cameron It's not that long a journey (from here to Aberdeen) and there aren't many corners to 'whang' round anyway so I think I'll take a tablet and hope for the best.

You see the back of cars I'm not too bad with (depending on what sort of car it is ) but buses aren't even funny. Once a teacher wouldn't let me sit in the very front seat and the results weren't good, that was only the 2nd seat from the front too!

Cos you all wanted to know this soooo much!

Just NOT going to say it. Nope Nope, NO!