DeLorean doc

[Wilko220]

There was a fairly interesting documentary about John DeLorean on BBC2 earlier, which may appeal to some here.

Available on iPlayer here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000rqw8 via @bbciplayer

[eddyramrod]

Yes, I've just been watching that too.  Lots of interest in the street scenes!

[Vincent Velocette]

He was a bit of a cad eh? Not the best motors in the world by all accounts, good old Larry Flint though De Lorean would have been in a bit of bother had he not bailed him out. That business with Colin Chapman as well, all very suspect.

An interesting tale all the same.

[Tartan58]

I reckon they missed a trick by not calling it "The Man DeLorean" 😬

[cort16]

I thought it was good. He was obviously a bit of a rogue and while it was UK money you have to have a bit of admiration for him being able to actually build the cars with very little actual personal money going into it.

The whole thing was the drug bust was a total setup too. He was coerced into it and the FBI effectively lent him the money to to buy the drugs. If they hadn't sowed the seed he probably wouldn't have done it.

Is there not quite a well rounded conspiracy theory about Chapman faking his own death around the the time they figured out about the millions going missing?

https://tcct.com/news/2020/04/the-mystery-of-colin-chapmans-death-the-man-who-created-the-lotus/

 

[Vincent Velocette]

The plot thickens!

[Surface Rust]

Can anyone else see similarities between Elon Musk and DeLorean?  I think Musk has managed to get exactly the right car out at the right time which is the critical difference. I really admired DeLoreans intent to offer a 'car for life', though the business model with that is obviously flawed!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I watched about 10 mins of this before Mrs_Nuts started moaning, it looked flipping excellent so I shall be watching it on iPlayer later

[cort16]

17 minutes ago, Surface Rust said:

Can anyone else see similarities between Elon Musk and DeLorean?  I think Musk has managed to get exactly the right car out at the right time which is the critical difference. I really admired DeLoreans intent to offer a 'car for life', though the business model with that is obviously flawed!

Definitely. They're both chancers!  I think the cars still look good but his original vision ended up diluted. While he won with effectively getting a government to bank roll his business he lost as he couldn't recruit experienced automotive workers in Belfast. The might not have been so much of an issue if the weren't trying to press the panels out of stainless steel and build a complex car with gull wing doors.

I guess the PRV engine was smogged up to only produce 130bhp as it was a reasonably sophisticated motor by US measures with OHC and ? I read somewhere the original plan was to put the Cologne v6 in it.

[Cord Fourteener]

19 minutes ago, Surface Rust said:

Can anyone else see similarities between Elon Musk and DeLorean?  I think Musk has managed to get exactly the right car out at the right time which is the critical difference. I really admired DeLoreans intent to offer a 'car for life', though the business model with that is obviously flawed!

Totally. He's a personality, not quite a cult, but though his ideas are sound great, his ideas of EV vertical integration are good, his actual company sells hype more than it sells cars. The cars never meet demand, quality control, or make a profit, yet shares are silly money mostly due to the hype he creates.

I mean, it's entirely good stimulating the market for EVs with decent range and performance, but I also think he's winging it based on charisma.

Once there are a few more high range high performance from big car brands and more competition with the vertical integration model he'll have some actual competition, which is something he had not had yet.

I see some similarities, maybe Musk is less 'dodgy', more 'winging it and hoping for best'.

[Surface Rust]

They also both started out with a facelifted Lotus design for added parallels. I reckon that one of those early Tesla 'Elises'  is a solid pension plan if you can find one!

[cort1977]

The film 'Driven' is an all right watch as well.  I did see it on a plane mind which lowers critical faculties.

There's also 'Framing John DeLorean' with Alec Baldwin.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I can also reccommend the album 'Stainless Style' by Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals & his mate) on which all the songs are about John Z and his adventures

[St.Jude]

10 minutes ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

I can also reccommend the album 'Stainless Style' by Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals & his mate) on which all the songs are about John Z and his adventures

A seriously underrated album. 

[Dabooka]

1 hour ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

I can also reccommend the album 'Stainless Style' by Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals & his mate) on which all the songs are about John Z and his adventures

I'll have to check this out, I've got quite a lot of SFA from back in the day. Only saw them once live, in the Riverside Newcastle if I recall correctly; my memories from back then are somewhat hazy and are one long drown out drunken blur

[tooSavvy]

3 hours ago, Tim_E said:

Totally. He's a personality, not quite a cult, but though his ideas are sound great, his ideas of EV vertical integration are good, his actual company sells hype more than it sells cars. The cars never meet demand, quality control, or make a profit, yet shares are silly money mostly due to the hype he creates.

I mean, it's entirely good stimulating the market for EVs with decent range and performance, but I also think he's winging it based on charisma.

Once there are a few more high range high performance from big car brands and more competition with the vertical integration model he'll have some actual competition, which is something he had not had yet.

I see some similarities, maybe Musk is less 'dodgy', more 'winging it and hoping for best'.

If you were to follow 'Rich Rebuilds' YouTube (putting a V8 in a Tesla) you would get a strong whiff of that 'hype/EV elitism'.... 

There is a webbie troll fest, at his behest, to visit the FB 'O.G.' and tease them all about 'My number one reason for choosing my Tesla...' / 'Why I love my Tesla...'

Right rip-up 

[JimH]

I have a funny feeling that when the dust has settled and the bullshit has stopped the numbers swirling around Musk will dwarf the nickle and dime sums involving DMC.

This Vanity Fair article is worth a skim.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/how-elon-musk-gambled-tesla-to-save-solarcity

[artdjones]

SniffPetrol's view of the Tesla phenomenon :-

https://sniffpetrol.com/2019/09/05/psychologists-identify-new-mental-condition/

[flat4alfa]

Watched the DeLorean doc last night with wifey

It's an old documentary, its been on YT for a few years no so was surprised it was picked up and broadcast.  But worth watching again all the same.  

[Jerzy Woking]

He united the Protestants and Catholics factions in the factory at the height of the troubles. Many of his employees loved him, and look at their time working in his factory as being good times.

[tooSavvy]

^ ^ ^ Bread & [T Blair] Circuses...

[Cord Fourteener]

29 minutes ago, Jerzy Woking said:

He united the Protestants and Catholics factions in the factory at the height of the troubles. Many of his employees loved him, and look at their time working in his factory as being good times.

Apart from the not being paid thing.

I haven't watched the documentary, I don't know if it's mentioned but from what I understood the workers were owed a lot of money at close.

[artdjones]

What did he do to his chin? I couldn't see William Lyons  having plastic surgery.

Seemed to confirm Chapman's rep.

[mat_the_cat]

On 1/28/2021 at 9:32 AM, Mr_Bo11ox said:

I watched about 10 mins of this before Mrs_Nuts started moaning, it looked flipping excellent so I shall be watching it on iPlayer later

I'm lucky being married to a mechanical engineer, as she was equally keen as me!