Kat DeLorean, daughter of legendary automotive engineer John DeLorean, is building a new sports car to honor her father’s memory, according to a blog on the car’s site published Oct. 25.
A Historic Endeavor
“This historic endeavor will be filled with some of the top automotive minds in the industry, alongside a portion of the original team that helped create the first iconic DeLorean more than 40 years ago. The car will be named the Model-JZD in honor of John Zachary DeLorean,” according to the blog.
The car will be built in Motor City in Detroit, MI, in January 2023 by DeLorean Next Generation Motors, a new company founded by John DeLorean’s daughter. The vehicle is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year.
“Kat was integral on countless engineering projects with her father, including the next cutting-edge sports car before his unexpected passing in 2005. Her engineering background, and direct involvement, make Kat the perfect successor to finish where John DeLorean left off. Kat is putting her father’s final business plan to work creating a car company based on the principles John DeLorean believed in such as quality, safety, longevity and affordability,” the blog said.
Hopefully the new company will not have the same fate as John DeLorean’s first attempt at creating his own firm. That endeavor lasted only about three years, went out of business 40 years ago, and only made 9,000 examples of a single car. Perhaps that is why Kat DeLorean is so intent on building a new and perhaps improved firm.
A New Journey
“Kat begins the journey of rebuilding the DeLorean name and brand into the ethical company her father always wanted it to be. This is a new kind of mobility company the industry has never seen before, one that focuses on people and gives back to society,” the blog said.
Kat DeLorean’s new project will not only build cars and create jobs; it will also deliver a new engineering program to public high schools that will provide a direct pathway to apprenticeships and engineering programs at major universities. She also plans to engage in partnerships with other manufacturing companies to help address some of the most pressing challenges faced by the automotive industry today.
Abby Andrews