Kathryn DeLorean, much like her legendary father, automotive engineering genius John DeLorean, is not someone prone to conformity and is now taking up the challenge to revive the DeLorean name in the auto industry.
“I was the first person in the senior leadership of Bank of America to have purple hair,” said DeLorean, speaking of her former cyber security profession.
DeLorean sat warming herself up in the waiting room of C&C Automotive, taking an interview break from the first annual DeLorean Day car show. Dressed in a gray hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a cartoonish DMC-12 with the word “NERD” underneath, she was not what one would picture when the words “automotive executive” are spoken.
Her hair now is not only purple but many more colors, braided neatly, hanging over her shoulder. A gleaming DeLorean DMC-12 is parked proudly in the service lane next door, ready for pictures with enthusiasts visiting the show.
The car, which became a cultural icon thanks to the movie Back To The Future, used to be a sore point for her.
“If there was an iconic representation of your entire life falling apart, would you park it in your driveway? Probably not. That is what it was for me, until I met this community, these people, these kids, right?” DeLorean said.
What started as an embarrassment for her changed when she realized the impact her father’s DMC-12 has had over the decades.
“I got to talk to everyone about how their lives were changed by just wanting the car, whether they got one or not. Their life was defined in some fantastic way. I saw dreams were made because people were inspired by the car. That is where I see my father’s legacy,” DeLorean said.
Kathryn’s father John Zachary DeLorean is a household name, and known mostly for one out of character event that made headlines all through the 1980s.
In October of 1982, DeLorean was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine after he was videotaped in a sting operation; he was later acquitted, but his reputation never recovered.
To think of DeLorean in just this light would be a mistake, his daughter says, as he was much more than one unfortunate decision.
Kathryn DeLorean is out to change that perception and also revive the DeLorean marque with a modern take on the classic design. Her company, DeLorean Next Generation has big plans involving the new car as well as creating an education outreach to high school engineering programs, and she says she even has a plan to revitalize the Detroit automotive industry. It is quite the undertaking.
John DeLorean, who was feisty, ambitious and known to toss the automotive rulebook out the window would likely be proud of his daughter’s efforts.
“The name DeLorean in the future is going to represent hope and dreams. (John DeLorean) believed that every person was worthy of a chance. In the past, the name has become associated with what it has been associated with and that has prevented people from getting to know the man my father was. The people that knew him the best did not know that man. My father was a man who needed more problems to solve,” DeLorean said passionately about the legacy of her father, who passed away in 2005.
DeLorean Next Generation has teamed up with automotive designer Angel Guerra to conceptualize the DNG model JDZ. A rendering of the car can be seen on their website, gracefully presenting a sleek shape of a modern supercar.
With the signature gull wing doors, a louvered rear window and a stainless-steel skin, the planned car retains the spirit of the DMC-12 nicely. The prototype will be unveiled at the Ford Innovation Center in Detroit this September, with production scheduled in the third quarter of 2025.
In a limited first run, 42 vehicles are planned for production, each with a gasoline/electric motor hybrid powertrain. The focus of their new car is quality, safety, affordability and longevity, traits that her father valued through his work.
“I am the next generation DeLorean. Anything that comes under the DNG moniker is inspired by carrying my father into the next generation. The car is just a cog in the machine. It is just a means to an end. I love the car, I don’t want to discount it by saying that so tritely. DNG is a collection of passionate companies and individuals that have come together to change the world for the next generation. It is about people before profits, and community before competition. With this we hope to raise the bar so people start caring about customer service and quality,” DeLorean said about the operation of the new company.
Outside of manufacturing the automobile her father never got a chance to build, DeLorean wants to foster young, aspiring engineers. She is in the beginning stages of launching an initiative to empower educators in high school engineering programs.
DeLorean also plans to give back to the birthplace of so many of her father’s ideas. Like her dad, who chose to build the DMC-12 in the middle of war torn Northern Ireland, she is planning to revitalize Detroit, much of which looks like a war zone, with a new automotive factory providing jobs and revenue to residents reeling from factory closures.
“We are going into one of the most difficult times ever, for society, for our world, and for our country. Nothing is going to be the same when we come out of this pandemic fog we are in. People are not going to be able to recognize the world they are in. My dad built his car in the cut, it wasn’t even Ireland. When Brexit happened, people were worried about factories closing because that is what stopped the Troubles. So, he had it right. That’s what it is about, and that’s where we are going. We are trying to save Detroit,” DeLorean said, speaking of her company’s choice of location.
“I am a Pontiac Princess” she proclaimed, when being asked about being called automotive royalty, again distancing herself from the complicated past and feelings of the DMC-12.
DeLorean’s father, the creator of the Pontiac GTO in his heyday, is considered the father of the American muscle car. To her, it is his biggest accomplishment.
“Being automotive royalty is just icing on the cake. I don’t believe in the fame and attention. It was uncomfortable for my dad as well. Automotive royalty sounds hoity toity, but what it really means is that I am responsible for the legacy that my father left. For me it is a joy,” DeLorean said.
Long live Princess DeLorean. See you on the road!
