DeLorean Kickstarter?

[ed209]

The recent DMC-branded matched-luggage venture got me thinking: Why hasn't DeLorean utilized Kickstarter to fund projects? While the car does have its haters, it also has a LOT of fans that I'm sure would be willing to support it, despite the fact that they can't (yet) afford it. Seriously, you'd be surprised what people are willing to pitch in for on Kickstarter; if some random guy from nowhere can get several thousand dollars of other people's money for a shoddy wooden DeLorean-shaped hovercraft (just ONE example of what people are paying for on that site), I'm sure DMC can get a buck or two to at least help fund their ambitions.

What do you guys think?

[Starglider]

The problem with Kickstarter is that you have to think of lots of 'reward tiers' i.e. stuff to give people as well as the main product. This is quite easy for say a video game but rather difficult for say a remanufactured fuel tank. Extremely expensive products such as the DeLorean EV conversion are just not appropriate for Kickstarter : aside from anything else there is a $10,000 max donnation limit so you couldn't even offer the product as the top reward tier.

[ed209]

I was thinking more along the lines of projects that are clearly garnered to produce awareness and profits like the DMC-branded luggage, which costs money that could be used elsewhere. And the reward tiers don't have to be big deals (they usually aren't); trinkets ought to do fine, perhaps a Hot Wheels DeLorean, a DMC emblem (as a desk ornament?), or a recording of an old DeLorean documentary (ideal since this would also spread the word on what REALLY happened and what the car REALLY is, helping to fight against all that he's-still-in-jail/it's-made-of-aluminum/etc crap).

[Starglider]

I was thinking more along the lines of projects that are clearly garnered to produce awareness and profits like the DMC-branded luggage, which costs money that could be used elsewhere.

I'm not clear what you mean here. If it produces 'profits' then it doesn't 'cost money' in the long run. I can't imagine DMCH is producing non-car items as loss leaders for 'awareness'. Now, this isn't in itself a problem for Kickstarter as most projects on there do intend to make a profit eventually. However the goal of Kickstarter is to provide capital to worthy projects that otherwise wouldn't have it. DMCH clearly has plenty of capital to cover the startup/manufacturing costs of luggage, branded wine, USB pens etc (and can no doubt trivially borrow against their facilities and established income stream as required). I don't think the Kickstarter user community would react well to 'sure we could keep funding setup costs of this profitable merchandise ourselves, but we'd like to cut our cost of capital even further by getting you suckers to pre-order the first 1,000'. Even if it worked the results would just be higher general profitability and you'd have to take DMCH's word for it that those profits would be reinvested into something like the EV.

There are far better candidates in the DeLorean vendor community for Kickstarter : they love scrappy underfunded underdogs who genuinely do need the capital if the project is going to happen at all. However it's still more suited to a stainless steel skateboard with the DMC logo on it than anything to do with the car.

[ed209]

Well, DeLorean is definitely the underdog when compared to other auto manufacturers... But I see your point.

[thirdmanj]

Well, DeLorean is definitely the underdog when compared to other auto manufacturers... But I see your point.

DMCH is not an "auto manufacturer". Just wanted to point that out.

[ed209]

DMCH is not an "auto manufacturer". Just wanted to point that out.

No, but that is the market that DMCH clearly wants to move into. Regardless, my point still stands: they are very much an underdog. Maybe not some random guy who wants to build a hovercraft in his garage, but at the same time not an entity with as much power or resources as they like to pretend (otherwise, for instance, there'd be DeLorean Solstices on the road right about now).

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Why is the natural progression for DMCH to start truly manufacturing a different car or a next generation D? Can't their business plan simply be to service and support the DMC network?

[uhhair]

No, but that is the market that DMCH clearly wants to move into. Regardless, my point still stands: they are very much an underdog. Maybe not some random guy who wants to build a hovercraft in his garage, but at the same time not an entity with as much power or resources as they like to pretend (otherwise, for instance, there'd be DeLorean Solstices on the road right about now).

DMCH does not want to be an auto manufacturer. They don't have near the capital to produce the necessary engineering, crash testing, safety engineering, manufacturing capacity, etc and so on, to be a real car company that would be licensed to produce cars with truly new VIN numbers. They're stuck doing what they can with the 9k or so original DeLorean VIN's in existence, and that's it.

That being said, they're not an underdog, because they don't exist in that game with even the smallest of real auto manufacturers. They are a Delorean Parts, Upgrade, and Restoration company, and nothing more.

[Rhsxo]

The recent DMC-branded matched-luggage venture got me thinking: Why hasn't DeLorean utilized Kickstarter to fund projects? While the car does have its haters, it also has a LOT of fans that I'm sure would be willing to support it, despite the fact that they can't (yet) afford it. Seriously, you'd be surprised what people are willing to pitch in for on Kickstarter; if some random guy from nowhere can get several thousand dollars of other people's money for a shoddy wooden DeLorean-shaped hovercraft (just ONE example of what people are paying for on that site), I'm sure DMC can get a buck or two to at least help fund their ambitions.

What do you guys think?

Kickstarter is suppose to be for people/companies that don't have the financial ability to produce their products, not companies that have millions of dollars in inventory and the financial ability to fund their projects.

[thirdmanj]

DMCH does not want to be an auto manufacturer. They don't have near the capital to produce the necessary engineering, crash testing, safety engineering, manufacturing capacity, etc and so on, to be a real car company that would be licensed to produce cars with truly new VIN numbers. They're stuck doing what they can with the 9k or so original DeLorean VIN's in existence, and that's it.

That being said, they're not an underdog, because they don't exist in that game with even the smallest of real auto manufacturers. They are a Delorean Parts, Upgrade, and Restoration company, and nothing more.

What he said.

It's an oooooold argument, and a dead joke. But this "company" can't even meet a (self imposed) deadline for a binnacle, what makes you think they have the desire/resources to truely become a manufacturer of automobiles. As to the whole "Solstice" debacle, that was just another clever ploy. If its one thing DMCH has demonstrated time and time again, it's that it can grab free publicity like a sonofabitch.