Is the DeLorean a Lotus?
The DeLorean (also known as the DMC-12) was designed by DeLorean. John DeLorean contracted with a specialist U.S. subcontractor to design and build a prototype based on some ideas that he had. He then contracted Lotus to develop and certify the production car and set up the manufacturing system. The final chassis design looks very much like the Esprit chassis. The cars were actually built at the DeLorean factory in Dunmurry, south of Belfast, Northern Ireland. If you chose to believe the British Government and others (and the evidence is compelling), John DeLorean, Colin Chapman and Fred Bushell (Chapman’s financial man) took the British Government for a lot of money in loans and assistance that were given because the DeLorean was built in Northern Ireland.
