building the "VIsioneering" delorean
In 1977, the first DeLorean prototype was shown at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) meeting in New Orleans. With the 1980 NADA meeting looming on the horizon, the DeLorean Motor Company planned to show a final "production" version of the car to dealers at that show. However, there were no production cars ready at that time, or even any stainless panels ready.
In the summer of 1979, the revised Giugiaro styling mockup was shipped to a Detroit company call Visioneering for the purpose of creating the data needed to make the stamping dies for the stainless panels. The scope of project grew to include not only that, but also to create a set of Kirksite dies as well as build this "production" car for the NADA show. |
Using a completed prototype chassis supplied by Lotus in late 1979, Visioneering completed the assembly of this car in about two months at a cost of about $750,000. After the NADA show, the car saw limited duty as an engineering development and technical training car here in the states, as well as being used for press photos. The car was flown to the Dunmurry factory in 1980 for the "family night" at the factory, as well.
This car was then returned to the states, and in early 1981 when production cars began to arrive, it was set aside in the Irvine warehouse, almost forgotten. it was later sold under a bill of sale at auction (along with the first prototype) in late 1984. The car is now in a private collection. |