The ‘DeLorean Revival’ has been organized by ardent local lovers of the famous cult car, with co-organiser David Mathers revealing that 62 DeLorean vehicles will descend on Northern Ireland from across the UK and Europe tomorrow night.
“Just before last Christmas, I spoke to Alistair Vanstone in England [co-founder of the DeLorean Club UK]and they have their meetings in Norfolk,” explained David.
Alistair Vanstone (co-founder of DeLorean Club UK)
“I said me and another guy wanted to come for a date with the DeLoreans and he suggested they come to us.
“Over the last few months, it’s grown from half a dozen cars coming for a small car show to 62 coming for a big Stormont event.”
This Saturday will see the House of Assembly taken over by the engines made famous by the Back to the Future films, while Sunday will see all visitors take to the test track at the old DeLorean factory in west Belfast.
In 1978, American engineer John DeLorean signed an agreement to create a custom-built factory at the Twinbrook industrial estate, which was projected to fulfill orders for 30,000 iconic DMC-12 DeLorean cars per year.
By the end of 1981, the factory had produced 7,500 cars, but the DeLorean Motor Company had only managed to sell 3,000.
The iconic Delorean (Credit: Russell Pritchard / Presseye)
In February 1982, DMC was placed into administration and at the end of May 1982, production at the plant was closed.
John DeLorean was subsequently charged with drug trafficking in October 1982, but a jury acquitted him in 1984, although his reputation suffered badly.
The old DeLorean site at Dunmurry is now owned by Linamar Metals and the once iconic DeLorean test track was overgrown, but David and his fellow vintage enthusiasts have fixed it up for this weekend’s event.
David added: “About eight weeks ago, I took a friend of mine with two diggers to clear the DeLorean track and everything is in good shape now.
“We spent about a week getting all the grass and trees. It’s all there, it looks like it was just built. We had a combined nearly £10,000 to clear it.
“A couple of Americans donated a few thousand pounds and all our guys here chipped in with the money to do it.”
DeLorean lovers have a packed agenda all weekend, starting with a trip to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum on Friday morning, starting at 10am, where a DMC-12 design sits in the Innovation exhibit, along with copies of Back To The Future Time Circuits and a hoverboard.
The group will then head to Titanic Distillers, for the unveiling of a special limited edition bottle of whisky.
Peter Lavery – the Lotto-winning bus driver from Belfast’s Short Strand, who opened the distillery last year – is himself a big fan of classic cars.
“Peter used to own a DeLorean and sold it a few years ago unfortunately, but he’s still very interested in them,” continued David.
“So his distillery is making a special bottle of whiskey for us, with the ‘DeLorean Revival’ label on it.”
On Saturday, drivers are directed to Stormont Buildings from 8.30am, where members of the public are encouraged to come and watch the show, and Sunday will see them drive along the old Dunmurry test track .
The DeLorean name has returned somewhat to the mainstream recently, with John DeLorean’s daughter Kat announcing earlier this month that she is determined to reclaim her father John DeLorean’s tarnished legacy by creating the spiritual successor to DMC his built in Belfast.
Two decades after her father’s death, Kat DeLorean’s company, DeLorean Next Generation Motors (DNG Motors), is working on a new vehicle in the traditional home of US car manufacturing, Detroit.
“I’m not returning the car,” she said of the famous original.
Motor Cars: DeLorean/Car designer John DeLorean in one of his gullwing models.
“My car is not a DeLorean, it’s a DNG JZD. And I’m building the car to honor my dad.
“It’s about legacy. It’s about the inspiration he can give to others. It’s about my father.”
There are an estimated 6,000 DMC DeLoreans still left on the road around the globe, and quite a few will be available for the public to view at Stormont on Saturday morning.
Attendees can purchase tickets at the door, with all proceeds from the show going to the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Cancer Action charities.