What ever happened to Proto-2?

[Dangermouse]

I was reading about an auction sale in 1984 of the two prototypes.

Proto-1 was bought by Bill Yaccobozzi for $37,000, and we know what has happened to it

Proto-2 was bought by a Don Williams for $21,000. What happened to it?

Reportedly both cars weren’t driveable, but with parts missing. Judging by price alone, this would imply that -2 was in a worse condition than -1.

[Raphael]

take a look here
http://www.pjgrady.co.uk//GenericContent.aspx?PageType=Pilot_Chronology&ShowContent=Pilot_Cars.html

[DMCH James]

Proto-1 was really the first prototype (with the Citroen engine), and is now on display at DMC Florida.

What the auction referred to as "Proto-2" was actually the Visioneering car, which is in a private collection in Michigan.

The actual "Proto-2", meaning the car built by the Bill Collins team with the PRV engine, went to Lotus for evaluation in 1978, ended up in a storage lot there, and was reported to have been destroyed when Proton bought out Lotus in the very late 90s/early 2000s.

James

[Delorean Industries]

Proto-1 was really the first prototype (with the Citroen engine), and is now on display at DMC Florida.

What the auction referred to as "Proto-2" was actually the Visioneering car, which is in a private collection in Michigan.

The actual "Proto-2", meaning the car built by the Bill Collins team with the PRV engine, went to Lotus for evaluation in 1978, ended up in a storage lot there, and was reported to have been destroyed when Proton bought out Lotus in the very late 90s/early 2000s.

James

Is there documented proof and reasoning behind the destruction of the Bill Collins PRV version?

[DMCH James]

There were photos of the car published in a DOC-UK newsletter in 1996 - the car was a mess then. I was a guest at the Lotus factory in 2001 (we supplied them some excess NOS parts for the final run of the Esprit) and showed the photo around and asked everyone I bumped into there about it. People recognized the yard as where the 'scrap' cars were kept but no one had seen the DeLorean in some time. My contact there later emailed me to say that it had been scrapped when Lotus was completely bought out but Proton and they "cleaned house". When I visited again in 2006, I showed the photos around and asked a different set of people, and got the same reply. In 2007, I was in contact with a guy who worked at Lotus on the Tesla project, and inquired of him, as well with the same results. If nothing else, they all have their story straight at Lotus...

I've asked another person, one last time, if they know anything about it, but I expect the story to remain the same...

James

[Delorean Industries]

The best thing that could have happened would be for it to have ended up in a barn to be found years from now. You never know right?

[DMCH James]

The best thing that could have happened would be for it to have ended up in a barn to be found years from now. You never know right?

Hope springs eternal, yes.

James

[DMCH James]

Here's the last published photo that I know of the car...

James

[SIMid]

:(

What a mess. Hope someone "took" it and kept it somewhere hidden.

[jawn101]

:(

What a mess. Hope someone "took" it and kept it somewhere hidden.

Check youtube, there might be some kid trying to "liberate" it ;-)

[dvonk]

Here's the last published photo that I know of the car...

James

ah, its a damn shame it probably got smashed. i get the same feeling when a neat old building gets demolished: a piece of history, gone forever. :disapprove:

at least Proto-1 is still around and in good hands.

[Ryan King]

What car is this?
7706

[Andy]

What car is this?
7706

That's the wooden mock-up.

It's kept in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Northern Ireland and was displayed at Eurofest 2006. At the last Eurofest 2011, they didn't show it, but I was told they kept it in the basement ...

[john 05141]

That's the wooden mock-up.

It's kept in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Northern Ireland and was displayed at Eurofest 2006. At the last Eurofest 2011, they didn't show it, but I was told they kept it in the basement ...

That makes sense... Celebrating the 30 year aniversary in Belfast, the press is looking at it, and the whole convoi is going to that museum... and they put it in the basement.
I was very dissapointed it was not there, I wanted to see it.

John

[The Aviator]

What car is this?
7706

I love this car... I remember seeing this years ago

[tjd]

I was a guest at the Lotus factory in 2001 (we supplied them some excess NOS parts for the final run of the Esprit)


On behalf of the DeLorean community at large and Lotus owners I thank you James. Now why don't you enlighten the group on what "excess NOS parts" DMCH provided Lotus.

No wait, I'll do it for you. The adjustment mechanism (part #Part #:105171 TILT MECHANISM LH and Part #:105170 TILT MECHANISM RH) from our NOS seat assemblies as well as any unassembled inventory, and it wasn't excess as James describes it but complete depletion of said inventory. DMCH couldn't resist the extra cash that Lotus was offering for our NOS inventory that they went and sold out the DeLorean community and stripped our completed (assembled) seat inventory of this mechanism. Now our only option for seat replacement is seat covers (do it yourself) or have them do it with a core charge. The reason they have to charge a core charge on seats is because they no longer have this mechanism due to the Lotus sale.

I hope no one has one of these that breaks on them because thanks to DMCH they all went to Lotus.

[Michael]

On behalf of the DeLorean community at large and Lotus owners I thank you James. Now why don't you enlighten the group on what "excess NOS parts" DMCH provided Lotus.

No wait, I'll do it for you. The adjustment mechanism (part #Part #:105171 TILT MECHANISM LH and Part #:105170 TILT MECHANISM RH) from our NOS seat assemblies as well as any unassembled inventory, and it wasn't excess as James describes it but complete depletion of said inventory. DMCH couldn't resist the extra cash that Lotus was offering for our NOS inventory that they went and sold out the DeLorean community and stripped our completed (assembled) seat inventory of this mechanism. Now our only option for seat replacement is seat covers (do it yourself) or have them do it with a core charge. The reason they have to charge a core charge on seats is because they no longer have this mechanism due to the Lotus sale.

I hope no one has one of these that breaks on them because thanks to DMCH they all went to Lotus.

Feel free to sign your life away taking a huge risk and debt to buy your own bankrupt car company, and do with it as you please.

[tjd]

Feel free to sign your life away taking a huge risk and debt to buy your own bankrupt car company, and do with it as you please.

I just hope I never have to replace this mechanism. They knew full well the financial risks involved when they bought the inventory and took stewardship of our lifetime parts supply for our cars, they also got it at a considerable discount ( < 1 Million) that they rarely if ever pass on to us.

Like always they will scheme to get whatever paycheck regardless of the possible risk it poses to the DeLorean community of owners. I don't know how failure prone these parts are or the difficulty in rebuilding them, but they made the decision to deplete a part of this car for the almighty dollar.

[Ryan King]

I just hope I never have to replace this mechanism. They knew full well the financial risks involved when they bought the inventory and took stewardship of our lifetime parts supply for our cars, they also got it at a considerable discount ( < 1 Million) that they rarely if ever pass on to us.

Like always they will scheme to get whatever paycheck regardless of the possible risk it poses to the DeLorean community of owners. I don't know how failure prone these parts are or the difficulty in rebuilding them, but they made the decision to deplete a part of this car for the almighty dollar.

tjd...Heres how I see it...

So Houston sold the Seat Mechanisms and used the money to re-make a bunch of no longer available parts. Seems like a fair trade off to me.

....And scene.

[Roberto]

That makes sense... Celebrating the 30 year aniversary in Belfast, the press is looking at it, and the whole convoi is going to that museum... and they put it in the basement.
I was very dissapointed it was not there, I wanted to see it.

John

Hi John,

I contacted the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum nine months before our visit asking them to make the wooden mockup available but they said that 'it wasn't in their business plan' as they were concentrating on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic! I did take this nonsense all the way to the Board of Trustees at the museum but to no avail. Maybe they will put it back on display during our centenary!

Robert
Belfast