This message has been cropped into two parts as it exceeded the e-groups limit.... (cheers for the info, Dave) > Dear all, > > Chris Parnham is on the DML now, and sent this mail to me today, copied > on a mail to the DML, but unfortuately I need to let him know to turn > off HTML! This is a cracking read for anyone interested in our > "euro-spec" cars. > > Best Wishes, > > Martin > > Chris Parnham wrote: > > Dear David Knudson > > As a member of the De lorean Owners Association (USA) and > secretary and registrar of the De Lorean Owners Club (UK), and owner of > 4 original right hand > drive cars, I was surprised to see that you have stated in the > latest edition of De lorean World, that no RHD cars left the factory! > > There is no shame in saying I don't know, but you could have > first checked with your British cousins. > > If you check out Martin Gutlowski's web > site....www.delorean.co.uk you will see numerous photo's and > descriptions of about half of the known surviving > UK RHD examples. > > Some of these photo's taken earlier this month at the "NEC", > Britain's biggest and most prestigious Classic Car Show, where our club > displayed 4 RHD's and 3 > LHD's. on its "prize winning" stand. ( 2nd out of 520). > > As far as I know no "original" RHD cars ever made it to the other > side of the pond, so it perhaps not supprising how little is known about > them in States. > Indeed even in the UK apart from the ones I have recently > bought,( all previously one owner cars) only two others have changed > hands in the last 10 years or > so. > > One of America's leading De Lorean experts and concourse judge, > Steve Wynn, checked out the latest RHD "barn find" to turn up, "DUSTY", > this has only > got 4 miles on the clock, and has never been registered for road > use! > > Steve said that this is a "significant" car, in some ways as > "important" as the 2 GOLD cars! > He also said after checking out the car, that because of the > many and varied differences between this and the other RHD cars on > display, he was going to > have to "re-write" the rule book, about what is and is not > "original fitments"!..If we in the DOC ever get into "concourse"! > > What is an "original Right Hand Drive Car"?........My > interpretation is, one that left the De Lorean factory as such. > > All RHD cars are " conversions" in that, the plastic underbody > would have to have been re-designed and re-made in the footwell, and > spare wheel areas to be > a true "un-converted RHD". This never happened, the "under > bonnet" area's were cut out and re-made separately, the foot well area > was not altered, such, > that the pedals ( on manuals) seem a bit close together. > > There is no doubt that, depending whitch book you read between > 15-25 were "converted" to RHD for or by the factory. Of these about > 12/14 are thought to > survive. Some were used for testing purposes and were later > scrapped.