User blog:NuclearVacuum/The Secret Project (2 of 3): Live the Dream

Before going any further, I would like to give a shout-out to user Airwolf fanatic94. Back in 2013, they worked on their own take of a successful DeLorean Motor Company for their Alternity timeline. I greatly enjoyed reading their updates back then, I would highly recommend giving the article a read.

Today, I will be discussing my own take on a successful DeLorean Motor Company (with an Alaskan twist). Please enjoy.

More Vehicles
If my previous blog post wasn't obvious enough, I do have a bias in favor of both and his. I've been obsessed with the car since I first watched  in the 1990s. I want to make this perfectly clear as I'm about to reveal something mind blowing (if you are as much of a DeLorean fanatic as I happen to be).

Getting back to the point, for the DeLorean Motor Company to truly become successful, more cars should be added to the lineup. I've always been under the impression that DeLorean simply wished to sell a single car and they his arrest put a stop to any expansion. This is actually false, as DeLorean always intended to create a true car company to compete with the likes of and the growing foreign car market (i.e., more cars).

Over the past decade, it has been revealed that at least three additional DeLorean models were in the works, as well as additional acquisitions and proposals were made. Spending the past year researching these proposed vehicles actually make me regret not living in such a reality. Today, I hope I can give you guys the same feeling.

Before going any further, I want to explain a little quirk DeLorean had going (and its place in this alternate history). From the beginning, all DeLoreans were to be named and numbered as "DMC-#". This fully explains why the quintessential car we know of is often called the DMC-12. This was its actual model name. As for a bit of trivia, the number 12 was in reference to the hope that the car would be sold for $12,000 upon release. Despite the car being more expensive, the number stuck. Based on the additional vehicles I've come across, it appears the all follow the same naming pattern, with an esoteric number combination (which I also hope to explain).

DMC-80
The DMC-80 was going to be a. Not as exciting as the others on this list, the thought of DeLorean buses on America's roads is not something I thought I'd ever say. It almost sounds like "all alternate histories have hundreds of zeppelins in the sky."



Probably the most interesting thing about this proposed bus is that it would've (technically speaking) been just as revolutionary as the DMC-12. How so? The DMC-80 would've been a and based on German models of the time. While this kind of bus is practically standard today across the world, it was non-existent in North America in the 1980s (and was only becoming a reality in Europe). Had DeLorean actually released the DMC-80 by the mid-1980s, this would've introduced this design to North America years before our timeline (in the early 1990s).

I'm also happy to say that we know a lot about the DMC-80, in part, because of a promotional brochure given to public transport companies in the late 1970s. Here's a link to the full brochure, which I highly recommend looking through real quick. I'd also like to add that the number 80 is likely in reference to the, which are a set of standards used for buses made in Germany. In this case, the DMC-80 is referring to the VöV S 80, which was a prototype bus layout intended for the 1980s (hence the number 80). The S 80 was never adopted in OTL. Had DeLorean actually made the DMC-80, not only would've it introduced low-floor buses into North America, but perhaps be the only bus to adopt this standard (if not help launch it globally).

Also, a quick shout out to FastCarsNoRules220 on YouTube. They made a video not only about the DMC-80, but also showed how it would've looked like had 's acquired them back in the day.

DMC-44
Unlike our previous entry, we actually know a little more about the proposed DMC-44. Actually, I don't have to write about it all that much, as the DeLorean Museum has actually released an old promotional video from the 1970s. OMFG! So nostalgia, much imagining. Just watch.



For those that don't completely understand what is going on, allow me to explain. The DMC-44 was going to be a small,  (with the number 44 obviously referring to its 4×4 abilities). For the time (late 1970s and early 1980s), it was something in between a and a, with the ability to be used both off-road and on-road. Much like the DMC-12, it too would have a (technically speaking), making the DMC-44 a  (i.e., you're riding above the engine and front wheels).



It should be noted that the physical vehicle shown in the video was not the final product but a rudimentary prototype. The final design would've made the DMC-44 look something like a or a. At the time, such a vehicle didn't exist in North America. But in a similar story to the DMC-80, DeLorean predicted the trend towards vehicles we commonly see today (at least in North America).

In an interesting twist, if you wanted to find a similar vehicles to the DMC-44 at the time, you had to look towards. Virtually all Japanese motor companies had their own version of such a vehicle (which are referred to as s in Japan). These include (but not limited to): the, the , and the.

However, I will be focusing on one kei truck in particular: the. Why? Because it was this vehicle that I (and most North Americans of the time) have some memories about. From the late 1980s until the early 1990s, Toyota exported this model to the United States as the Toyota Van. Growing up in the '90s, I remember seeing these quite often and I always thought of them as a kind of "DeLorean Van" (how close I was).

For this timeline, the DMC-44 would effectively introduce s into North America earlier and potentially helped keep them alive on the continent. It's also possible that the DMC-44 could serve as a (prototype) DeLorean pickup and van.

DMC-24
So, uh... if I were to tell you that DeLorean was working on a, what would be the first thing that come into your mind? Perhaps a DeLorean with 4 s? Sounds kinda ridiculous, right? Well, what if I told that this was 100% true (sort of).



Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the DMC-24. In many ways, it is an extended version of the DMC-12 (with the number 24 being in reference to being double the size of the number 12). It has a (with the  being used for cargo), made up of  panels, and includes. Like any sedan, it has two seats in the front and 2.5 in the back. The exterior design does give it a more distinct look, such as.

I would also like to clarify the number of doors the DMC-24 has. While some sources I've come across say it has 4-doors, this is wrong. It actually only has 2-doors. The 2-doors are wider than those of the DMC-12, allowing for both front and rear passengers to enter unhindered. There's only one door handle on the outside of each door, but two on the inside (one for both front and rear passengers).

At first glance, this sounds rather odd and infuriating (especially when considering how cool a 4-doored DeLorean would look), I believe I know of the reasons why only 2-doors were chosen. Firstly, s are actually difficult to make work (due to them going against gravity). This is why most cars use standard sideways doors. While it's true that DeLorean helped to introduce design changes which made gull-wing doors more practicable, this only adds more components that can break over time. My guess is that having 2-doors would be better for consumers than 4-doors (less cost if something breaks). Another issue has to do with the chosen demographic. Because this is a sedan, it would likely be targeted towards families with children. Unlike adults, "well-behaved children" would have difficulty closing a gull-wing door when properly sitting. So having only 2-doors would allow the adults in the front to close the door for their children in the back without wasting time. Yeah, I spend time pondering this.



However, the story of the DMC-24 doesn't end here. Unlike the previous entries, which all had promotional material made, the DMC-24 was the closest to being completed with a 1983 starting date (a year prior, DeLorean was arrested). Not only was it the closest to being done, we actually have a physical model of it... kinda.

This brings us to, and Italian designer. Giugiaro worked for DeLorean in designing both the DMC-12 and the DMC-24. In fact, the DMC-24 was loosely based on a previous design by Giugiaro, the. The Medusa was primarily a concept project focusing on than making a car. To add another notch to DeLorean's oracle powers, the release of the DMC-24 in 1983 would've made it the first North American car to not have a boxy design and beating the by a few years (more history about this). Back to the topic at hand. By 1982, Giugiaro had completed his display model for the DMC-24, but there was a problem. John DeLorean had been arrested and the DeLorean Motor Company was no more. Rather than lose all that time and money spend on this model, he recycled it into a new car: the . While Lamborghini wouldn't adopt this proposal, the model lives on. Ironically, you can see that Giugiaro simply hid the iconic DeLorean hubcaps under another hubcap.

DMC-2
Unlike the previous three, this one wasn't intended to be released in the early 1980s. Instead, this project was done by John DeLorean in the early 2000s. Prior to his death in 2005, DeLorean was considering re-establishing his motor company and would release the DMC-2 as its poster child.



The biggest design point of the DMC-2 was not its exterior, but its engine. The engine was supposed to incorporate a system (developed by Tom Kasmer). Such a system was never used on cars (at least at the time). Other than that, the DMC-2 would incorporate elements from the iconic DMC-12, such as a similar style and "s" (I'll get to that in a second).

What's tragic about this is the timing. Kasmer began discussing how his engine would be included in a "future car," when DeLorean randomly contacted an auto reporter and they talked about the project. The interview was mostly casual, but it was intended to do a full and formal interview in a few weeks time (when the project would be formally announced). A week before that interview, John DeLorean passed. The DMC-2 died with him.

As for the sketches or other information about the DMC-2, apparently they are currently lost. However, the description and fan-made pieces I've seen make me thing that the DMC-2 might not exist in this timeline. It may be more likely that the ideas of the DMC-2 would simply be incorporated as a new generation of the DMC-12 (rather than being its own model).

Logan Machine Company


In 1978, the DeLorean Motor Company acquired the division of  and was in the proccess of incorporating these models into the DMC name. So we now have the DMC-1200, DMC-1500, DMC-1450, etc. Following DeLorean's arrest, the division was disconnected and became the  (LMC), which even kept the iconic DeLorean font in their logo.

The company no longer exists. However, I could see them remaining in this timeline. snowcats (i.e., traced vehicles used for snowy conditions) would be ideal for the mountainous and varied climate of Alaska and North America (perhaps being sold in Russia as well).

Triumph Motor Company
Unlike the previous entry, this one was merely a proposal that never materialized. The was a British car company which had been in existance since the 1880s. By the 1980s, it had been incorporated into (a nationalized conglomerate of British car companies).

To better understand what is going on here, let's go back to the late 1970s. The was under the premiership of  and the. It was the Labour government which worked out a deal with the DeLorean Motor Company for them to open their assembly plant in, , in exchange for government subsidies and incentives. Shortly after this agreement was made, Callaghan and Labour would to  and the. The Tories wouldn't be as supportive of DeLorean as their predecessors, which only got worse following DeLorean's arrest in 1982.



Despite the chaos John DeLorean was facing back in the States, leaders and workers over in Belfast were fully supportive and willing to save both the factory and company from ruin. Their plan was mostly simple, they would rename the company to the "Dunmurry Motor Company" (named after, where the plant was located in) and continue to produce the DMC-12 (and finish the DMC-24) like nothing was wrong. But the biggest part of their plan was to add more cars. More specifically, they proposed to merge or acquire the dying Triumph Motor Company and produce the and the  (which were the only cars being fully made by this point).

As part of the plan, both cars would receive a facelift to make them look more DeLorean-esque. They even considered having do the redesign, but this was rejected due to the company still owing Giugiaro money. The two cars would also be rebranded with the "DMC" name. The TR7 (which was to be sold mostly in the United Kingdom) would be named the DMC-2000, while the TR8 (to be mostly sold in North America) would be named the DMC-3500. Both numbers are in reference to the volume of each engine (2,000 cc and 3,500 cc, respectfully).

But as one can guess, this idea never happened. A combination of poor presentation and Thatcher being... well... Thatcher, the needed money and permissions were not met. The DeLorean Motor Company would cease to exist shortly afterwards, followed a few years later with Triumph's end.

In respect to this timeline, I'm not completely sure about what could happen. The logical answer (given my last blog post) would be that a DeLorean-Triumph merger would be butterflied away. However, I have been toying around with a new set of events that could allow for such an acquisition to happen (just under differing circumstances). As stated in my last blog, Ivan Deloryan would overlook the British offers and agrees to establish his first plant in his native Alaska. However, I could still see the British (regardless of whom is in charge) seeing some interest in a massive company building a factory in (which was in the midst of the ). By 1982, Deloryan is in a far better spot (both financially and legally). With that in mind, I find it highly likely that Deloryan would seek to expand his company into Europe. Now under Margaret Thatcher, the previous deal is brought up.

While the same deal wouldn't be made, a new one could be as followed. The British government would give some (but not as much) financial incentives for Deloryan to build a plant in Northern Ireland. One of these incentives would be giving the go-ahead for them to acquire the Triumph Motor Company. Why would Thatcher allow this? At the time, her government was in the process of breaking-up and denationalizing (such Tory). Many parts of BL were sold to foreign car companies (such as getting Jaguar), so Deloryan wouldn't be much different here. As for building a plant in Northern Ireland, why bother? What about the existing Triumph factories in ? Why not use them? Simply put, the three factories used by Triumph at the time (,, and ) were being closed and repurposed for others (such as ). So, building a new plant would really their only option. In the end, Deloryan saves another car company. Northern Ireland still gets their miracle.

Anything Else?
Any additional car models would be up to the imagination. But with the amount of examples that have been given for an alternate history, perhaps we can come up with quite a few ideas.

For this thought experiment, I'm going to focus on the North American car market (being that I live here). The most common car types I see on American roads are: s, s,, and s (SUVs). Because Deloryan would be a North American brand (above all else), they would very likely release (at least one) of each of these car types. While the DMC-24 would be their sedan and the DMC-44 could (in the loosest defintion) could actually fill the remaining categories, let's also assume that Deloryan would release multiple models with a category (many companies do this).