So whats Delorean's nationality?

[SIMid]

Most would say American as she was designed for that market.

So.......

Designed by Italians
Built by the Irish
Paid by the British
Engineered by the British
Supported by the Americans

Therefore she's....?

[Dangermouse]

Technically




Designed by Italians
Built by the British
Paid by the British
Engineered by the British
Supported by the Americans

[tjd]

Like Dangermouse points out, it was built in Northen Ireland which is ruled by Great Britain.

My opinion it was built in Great Britain, payed for largely by the British, made up of 70% British parts. It's a british car.

Some will argue that because of DMC offices being in the U.S. that it's an American car. My take on that is DMC was divided early on, and DeLorean Motor Cars manufactured the cars (British cars, british company) and they were purchased and distributed in the states by DeLorean Motor Company (American Company). Just because the sales and distrubution end of it had it's offices in the states doesn't make it an American car IMHO.

[deloman]

more:
Engine by French
Transmission by French
Injection and Ignition by Germans (BOSCH Karlsruhe)
Bumpers by Germans (Phoenix Hamburg)
Louvres upper and lower by Germans (Ferrozell Augsburg)
Molds for stainless steel body parts by Germans (Läpple Heilbronn)
Catalytic Converter by Americans (ENGELHARD PTX)
AC-Compressor by Japanese (SANKYO)
Assembled by proud and motivated Northern Ireland workers
...

In Germany we call the Delorean an complete European car, built for America.
The distribution structure was established only for the American market up from the start .

[DeLorean]

Where the final assembly happened is where I tend to think of cars as where they are "from" - For the DeLorean, that makes it an Irish car. The components used in the final assembly, especially for modern cars are never all from one place, so it's no longer accurate to say "I drive a Swedish, German, American, Korean, Japanese" car. More accurate would be to say "I drive a car whose final assembly too place in X, Y or Z"

A good modern-day example is the Mercedes SUV's that are built in the US. Those are NOT German cars. You can see it right down to their consumer reports status in problems per vehicle in relation to their German produced counterparts.

[deloman]

I think Northern Ireland is right.

http://www.deloreanclub.de/images/VINplate.jpg

I try again: An European Car, build in Northern Ireland for the US American market.

What do you think about this?

[Twilight_Fenrir]

Where the final assembly happened is where I tend to think of cars as where they are "from" - For the DeLorean, that makes it an Irish car. The components used in the final assembly, especially for modern cars are never all from one place, so it's no longer accurate to say "I drive a Swedish, German, American, Korean, Japanese" car. More accurate would be to say "I drive a car whose final assembly too place in X, Y or Z"

A good modern-day example is the Mercedes SUV's that are built in the US. Those are NOT German cars. You can see it right down to their consumer reports status in problems per vehicle in relation to their German produced counterparts.
I'd be inclined to agree with this statement...

Though the Brittish certainly have a heavy claim. Afterall, the only reason the D was built in Ireland is because they hoped some industry would quell the IRA, and other rebelious factions in the country.

But I might pose, that where the company was founded would have a say in the vehicle origin... Most would agree the El Camino is American, however after 1983 they were assembled in Mexico. DeLorean Motor Company was founded in Detroit. Therefore it is an American based company, whose primary manufacturing was in Ireland.

Many "American" Brands are made in China today... Delorean was just an early out-sourcer...

[Sidaries]

I try again: An European Car, build in Northern Ireland for the US American market.

What do you think about this?

Good for me. Actually when people ask about it, I always says, that:
"This car is the globalization itself. John Delorean's father was Romanian, his mother was Hungarian, the car was made in Northern Ireland, and was financed with English money. The steel was German, the design was Italian, the engine is Swedish, the gearbox is French, and this all together was made to the American market. So what do you think?"

[Farrar]

Most of the people who ask me are older guys who are more concerned with the mechanical particulars of the car, so I tell them it's mostly English and French -- English chassis, French drivetrain.

I get really tired of explaining to ignorant U.S. citizens that Northern Ireland is not Ireland, so I try not to bring up where the thing was assembled.

Farrar

[SIMid]

So if there was a car show, you could take her to ..........

An Italian Car show

An American Car show

An English Car show

Ripper!! :)

But reading all your replies, I would now say it's english, engineered for the wrong side of the road. ;)

[yellowmxwheels23]

So if there was a car show, you could take her to ..........

An Italian Car show

An American Car show

An English Car show

Ripper!! :)

But reading all your replies, I would now say it's english, engineered for the wrong side of the road. ;)

There is a Delorean class in the San Diego British car day show.
They seem to always put us near Lotus's.

[Dangermouse]

So if there was a car show, you could take her to ..........

An Italian Car show

An American Car show

An English Car show

Ripper!! :)

But reading all your replies, I would now say it's english, engineered for the wrong side of the road. ;)

Don't forget St Patricks Day Parades when it is considered Irish ;)

[SIMid]

Don't forget St Patricks Day Parades when it is considered Irish ;)

Of course! All I hear in Melbourne, everyone gets dressed in green, then get wasted all afternoon, all night. :lol:

[Dangermouse]

Of course! All I hear in Melbourne, everyone gets dressed in green, then get wasted all afternoon, all night. :lol:

In Ireland, that's called "Thursday" :)

[dmcjohn]

Most of the people who ask me are older guys who are more concerned with the mechanical particulars of the car, so I tell them it's mostly English and French -- English chassis, French drivetrain.

I get really tired of explaining to ignorant U.S. citizens that Northern Ireland is not Ireland, so I try not to bring up where the thing was assembled.

Farrar

Well to be really technical and pedantic about it, Northern Ireland is a part of Ireland in the same way the Republic of Ireland is a part of Ireland.

Ireland is simply the name of the island upon which both countries reside. So, it is accurate to say the DeLorean was assembled in Ireland (referring to the island) and it is also accurate to say the DeLorean was assembled in Northern Ireland (referring to the country), whereas it is inaccurate to say the DeLorean was assembled in the Republic of Ireland (again referring to the country).

Granted, I think sometimes when Americans say "Ireland", they often mean the Republic of Ireland rather than the island of Ireland, so in that sense they are incorrectly attributing the assembly of the car to the ROI rather than Northern Ireland and you are right to correct them!

John

[Mark D]

I've always been of the opinion that the DeLorean is an american car regardless of where it was designed, built or where the subcomponents were sourced.

A Honda accord is still a Japanese car even though it is built in the US with components made in the US. A Cadillac Escallade is not mexican because it is assembled in Mexico. A Ford Ranger is still american even though it is designed by Mazda.

It all comes down to where the headquarters are based for the company. The corporate offices for DMC were located and registered in the state of New York which makes it an american company, and an american car.

[Dracula]

I take the approach of wherever the company initially assembled the cars and they rolled off the assembly line; complete, dictates where its from. For years, Cadillacs were made exclusively in the US; American car. The DeLorean was assembled in Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland-built car.

[Dangermouse]

I've always been of the opinion that the DeLorean is an american car regardless of where it was designed, built or where the subcomponents were sourced.

A Honda accord is still a Japanese car even though it is built in the US with components made in the US. A Cadillac Escallade is not mexican because it is assembled in Mexico. A Ford Ranger is still american even though it is designed by Mazda.

It all comes down to where the headquarters are based for the company. The corporate offices for DMC were located and registered in the state of New York which makes it an american company, and an american car.

In the '80s in the UK there were generally considered to be 3 major domestic British automakers

Austin/Rover/MG - subsidiaries of (basically) UK gov't owned British Leyland
Vauxhall - subsidiary of GM
Ford - subsidiary of, well, Ford

All their varied models were designed and built in Britain (though some parts obviously came from Europe)and considered by all as British cars, even though the last two obviously had their group headquarters in Detroit. No-one would surely consider the Ford Cortina or Vauxhall Viva as American cars.

So how is this different from the DeLorean?

[Dangermouse]

Well to be really technical and pedantic about it, Northern Ireland is a part of Ireland in the same way the Republic of Ireland is a part of Ireland.

Ireland is simply the name of the island upon which both countries reside. So, it is accurate to say the DeLorean was assembled in Ireland (referring to the island) and it is also accurate to say the DeLorean was assembled in Northern Ireland (referring to the country), whereas it is inaccurate to say the DeLorean was assembled in the Republic of Ireland (again referring to the country).

Granted, I think sometimes when Americans say "Ireland", they often mean the Republic of Ireland rather than the island of Ireland, so in that sense they are incorrectly attributing the assembly of the car to the ROI rather than Northern Ireland and you are right to correct them!

John

and to really muddy the waters further (which I tried not to do earlier), the highly trained craftsmen in Dunmurry were both UK citizens and Irish citizens :)

[Morpheus]

I take the approach of wherever the company initially assembled the cars and they rolled off the assembly line; complete, dictates where its from. For years, Cadillacs were made exclusively in the US; American car. The DeLorean was assembled in Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland-built car.

By that logic, then BMW X3s and certain models of Kia, Honda, Nissan and a few others (with plants in the US) are American cars.

[Morpheus]

I've always been of the opinion that the DeLorean is an american car regardless of where it was designed, built or where the subcomponents were sourced.

A Honda accord is still a Japanese car even though it is built in the US with components made in the US. A Cadillac Escallade is not mexican because it is assembled in Mexico. A Ford Ranger is still american even though it is designed by Mazda.

It all comes down to where the headquarters are based for the company. The corporate offices for DMC were located and registered in the state of New York which makes it an american company, and an american car.

Agreed.

[Dracula]

By that logic, then BMW X3s and certain models of Kia, Honda, Nissan and a few others (with plants in the US) are American cars.

Not quite. I mean where the first cars made by the company were assembled. If the company started building cars in America, then I'll always classify them as an American company and so forth.

[Mark D]

Not quite. I mean where the first cars made by the company were assembled. If the company started building cars in America, then I'll always classify them as an American company and so forth.

Then by that logic the DeLorean is an american car. The first ones (prototypes) were built in the US.

[Iznodmad]

Then by that logic the DeLorean is an american car. The first ones (prototypes) were built in the US.

If you wish to get that technical, the POGS claim that most DeLorean production cars were "re-built" at the QAC centers anyways. 1st build in NI, 2nd build at QACs.

[Dracula]

Then by that logic the DeLorean is an american car. The first ones (prototypes) were built in the US.

I don't consider the prototype more than a novelty; especially since there were so few aspects of it that went into production.

[08087]

I've always been of the opinion that the DeLorean is an american car regardless of where it was designed, built or where the subcomponents were sourced.

A Honda accord is still a Japanese car even though it is built in the US with components made in the US. A Cadillac Escallade is not mexican because it is assembled in Mexico. A Ford Ranger is still american even though it is designed by Mazda.

It all comes down to where the headquarters are based for the company. The corporate offices for DMC were located and registered in the state of New York which makes it an american company, and an american car.

DITTO that! I get when others say it's British cause of the build but I'm with you.

[DMC3165]

I've always been of the opinion that the DeLorean is an american car regardless of where it was designed, built or where the subcomponents were sourced.

A Honda accord is still a Japanese car even though it is built in the US with components made in the US. A Cadillac Escallade is not mexican because it is assembled in Mexico. A Ford Ranger is still american even though it is designed by Mazda.

It all comes down to where the headquarters are based for the company. The corporate offices for DMC were located and registered in the state of New York which makes it an american company, and an american car.

+1

These are the same exact points I bring up when having this conversation. Although I'd agree the DeLorean has a very unique and complex history in terms of financial backing and manufacturing, it is definable as an American car.

[Dangermouse]

So, by that logic, all of these are 'Merican cars:

http://www.worldtopcars.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/vauxhall-viva1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Ford_capri_mk2_1974.jpg/250px-Ford_capri_mk2_1974.jpg

http://www.carsandtuning.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/holden-hsv-maloo-r8_11.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Ford_RS200_-_Race_Retro_2008_01.jpg/220px-Ford_RS200_-_Race_Retro_2008_01.jpg

can't say I've seen any of these on I285 here in Atlanta

(Just being devils advocate :devil:, as we don't have a "stir the pot" smilie)