The 2015 envisioned in “Back To The Future: Part II” came and went without many of the innovations envisioned in 1989 coming to fruition.
The car made famous by the film series, however, could soon make its return — without the ability to fly, of course.
John DeLorean formed his eponymous car company in 1975 but it declared bankruptcy in 1982 — after a high-profile effort by its founder to stay afloat with money from a cocaine deal.
Then, in 1985, the DeLorean DMC-12 became a pop culture icon following its role as a plutonium-fueled time machine in the first “Back To The Future” movie.
Ten years later, Stephen Wynne, a Texas mechanic, established his own company under the DeLorean Motor name. Wynne’s company refurbishes some of the 9,000 DMC-12 models sold during the original company’s brief run.
But a recent change passed by Congress will allow the Humble, Texas-based company to make new DeLoreans for the first time in 34 years.
The legislation enables low-volume manufacturers to produce replicas of older cars without conforming to all safety requirements that apply to conventional automakers.
“It’s a game-changer for us. We’ve been wanting this to happen,” Wynne told KPRC-TV in Houston.
Wynne estimates that his current inventory of parts could allow the company to make about 300 new DeLoreans.
The new models are expected to cost nearly $100,000 and go on sale early next year.