[DML] Re: History Channel Documentory

["Stian Birkeland" <dmc_norway@xxxx>]

Claude wrote:
> I have read most of the books that are out there on the DMC >Blunder,and 
> again, JZD was the the person who was used to living a >lavish lifestyle 
> (as he still Does,look at his present estate)

Mr. DeLorean's present estate in Bedminster,NJ, was bought before he started 
DMC. Lavish lifestyle? Well, he has declared bankruptcy so as to protect his 
house and so that he can live there...Now who wouldn't have done that?


> for example there was no reason for a startup company for JZD to fly >first 
> class on the Concord back and forth from New York to Britain,

AFAIK, Mr. DeLorean was in Northern Ireland two times.

> or buy $50,000 paintings for his Park Ave.offices(or even to have a >very 
> expensive office on Park Ave.,

Well, you may have a point here, but DeLorean's point was to be noticed. You 
don't start up a new car company living in barracks. This style is of course 
expensive, yet essential in getting investors to invest.

> or throw big money at Lotus Engineering,only for them,to "throw >away"the 
> ERM process of making the car,and then Lotus just >"cheapened" the Delorean 
> by coping their Lotus Esprit,

The ERM process was only patented but never tried out. Therefore DMC went 
for the Lotus solution - cheaper, and proven! Imagine what could happen if 
ERM was chosen and didn't work. The company would have gone out of business 
at once...

> Sure the British Government knew money was being spent,but JZD,just >like 
> Mal.Bricklin were "Confidence Men" meaning that they could sell >you the 
> shirt off your back,and you would think you were getting a >great bargain 
> that was the kind of attitude that was present with
> the British Gov.They figured that they could get a area that was war
> torn,with a very high unemployment rate,and religious difference and >get 
> the people working together and, make a profit at the same time >to 
> boot,but again Delorean had a great idea at first,but he still >had that GM 
> attitude,spend,spend spend,and don't worry about the >bills,his idea was 
> that if he spent enough the British Gov.would >have to much invested in the 
> DMC project to back off,because you >must remember it is Very difficult to 
> get any Major Government >involved in a private enterprise,but when they do 
> WATCH OUT,they go >full speed ahead,and that is exactly what happened with 
> the
> British Gov.they were dazzled by JZD and he played his cards as far >as he 
> could,until his blunder finally fell thru.

You have some points here, but again, this is only half the story. The 
British Government (Conservatives) REFUSED to give DeLorean export-financing 
while every other manufacturer gets that whether they make tooth-brushes or 
steam-engines. To quote Thatcher "You're on your own!" Besides, I think 
there is more...the Conservatives couldnt allow Labour to have success with 
the DeLorean project... It cost the British Taxpayer a lot more to close the 
factory than it would have cost to keep the company afloat a few months 
more...

As I see it DeLorean did only one mistake, and that was that the company was 
too slow to get to the other markets, esp. the European market. The car was 
a winner, and when recession set in in the US, the European market could 
have swallowed those "extra" cars that piled up...

Best wishes
Stian Birkeland
NORWAY






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