John DeLorean dies at 80

The man behind the infamous DeLorean car which was manufactured in Belfast has died aged 80.

John DeLorean, whose car company at Dunmurry near Belfast collapsed in 1982, died in New Jersey on Saturday of complications after a recent stroke.

DeLorean had been a rising executive at General Motors before starting his own company and eventually began the manufacture of the stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 at the Dunmurry plant in 1981.

However by the end of 1982 DeLorean’s dream had turned sour amid a recession and drugs scandal. Fewer than 9,000 cars had been rolled off the production line in its short lifespan.

The car, which was later immortalised in the Back to the Future films starring Michael J Fox, did however gain a cult following, but for its creator the remainder of his life would be beset with scandal.

In 1999 he was declared bankrupt and was still wanted in the UK over fraud allegations, before Monday’s news of his death.

(MB/KMcA)