John DeLorean: visionary, car maker extraordinaire, buyer of large amounts of cocaine, provider of time machine chassis. There is a lot to understand about John DeLorean so let’s get busy.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know - John DeLorean
John DeLorean was a brilliant automotive engineer who revolutionized the car industry with game-changing designs like the iconic Pontiac GTO, only to later become a cautionary tale of ego, excess, and self-destruction. From his humble immigrant roots in Detroit to becoming one of GM's youngest executives, DeLorean created some of the most influential cars in American history—but his obsession with becoming a Hollywood celebrity and living a lavish lifestyle eventually led him to leave GM, start his own car company with British government money, and allegedly steal from investors including celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Carson. This episode explores how a genuine car genius transformed into a proto-celebrity CEO who believed his own myth, ultimately bringing down his ambitious DeLorean Motor Company while his infamous stainless steel sports car became more famous for its problems than its pioneering design.
Back to the Future
1985
1h 56m
★ 8.3
"And of course, back to the future, like he was just someone I was fascinated with — Josh mentions Back to the Future in relation to his childhood fascination with John DeLorean and the DeLorean car."
— Josh
Framing John DeLorean
2019
NR
1h 49m
★ 6.1
"There's one I watched a couple of years ago called Framing John DeLorean, which is a sort of a weird mix of documentary and narrative film — Josh mentions a documentary about John DeLorean that uses narrative recreations with Alec Baldwin in the lead role."
— Josh
"This is kind of pre-magnum, but just sort of that era of that machismo — Josh compares John DeLorean's appearance and demeanor to the style and era associated with Magnum P.I."
— Josh
The Partridge Family
1970
★ 6.8
"He starts showing up to manage a division of the most conservative corporation in America like he manages the Partridge family — Josh uses The Partridge Family as a comedic comparison for how DeLorean dressed and carried himself while managing a GM division."
— Josh
The Spy Who Loved Me
1977
2h 5m
★ 6.8
"He's the guy who designed the underwater car in The Spy Who Loved Me that James Bond drove — Chuck references the James Bond film to explain Giorgetto Giugiaro's work designing the underwater car for that movie."
— Chuck
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