4 ms·

Some useful backstory on the government regulation to allow low-volume cars like this on the road: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the

Some useful backstory on the government regulation to allow low-volume cars like this on the road: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the-new-delorean/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the... And some history on DeLorean overall: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-future-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-delorean-motor-company/ https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-futu... …and it’s a pretty wild history.

EvanAnderson 6y ago
John DeLorean background - I don't much care for Alec Baldwin, and I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the film, but the 2019 "Framing John DeLorean"[1] was a fun watch. [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/
- linksnapzz 6y ago
  John Z's autobiography "On a Clear Day, You Can See General Motors" is an enormously fun read, both for what it says about GM in the 50s-70s, and what it doesn't say. My recollection is that most people writing an autobiography might use it as a way to acknowledge things they did wrong, or people they may have upset...not John Z.
- miguelmota 6y ago
  I remember watching that film and getting Elizabeth Holmes vibes from John DeLorean. He made many promises on what he was going to deliver but failed terribly on execution.
Daho0n 6y ago
Maybe I'm missing something or I'm too stupid to understand the article but I don't see why anyone should be allowed to sell a new car with old safety standards for road use? I'm not from the US so maybe it is yet "Another US Thing I Don't Understand" (sorry). Where I'm at (in Scandinavia) not only would this not be allowed on the roads but even if I buy an old car and want to upgrade it (modern brakes?) it wouldn't be allowed without a car inspection and it would no longer have a cheaper vintage car insurance, registration fees, etc. etc. It would be very costly if at all possible. AFAIK this is equally so in all of the EU. Seems to me this is a giant loophole. Like as if Coca Cola re-released an old recipe with real coke in it and everyone just went "Sure! It's authentic!" Could someone enlighten me?
- trhway 6y ago
  >Seems to me this is a giant loophole. the key for those loopholes is low volume and similar limits. It allows to start making cars, like Tesla had with original Roadster which otherwise wouldn't be let on the public roads. I think it is a great approach in US to have those limited loopholes in various domains which allow to start making things - such loopholes are absent in for example Russia (my old country) and through the Europe and that affects the entrepreneurship and innovation.
  - Daho0n 6y ago
    >that affects the entrepreneurship and innovation. It very likely does but it also saves a lot of peoples lives each day. I mean, not only niche cars, but not having good basic safety in general on the roads. Road fatalities per one billion vehicle km is at 7.3 in the US according to Wikipedia. The worst Scandinavian country is Denmark with 3.9. I guess it comes down to if you want Freedom To Do Stupid Things (like no helmets on a motorcycle). That said, I don't think you can compare a Tesla Roadster to a 1981 car in safety. I agree there should be some allowance for niche cars but 40 year old safety being sold as new?
    - trhway 6y ago
      >Freedom To Do Stupid Things something like this. Though those stupid things aren't niche cars or any other innovations. It is plain old stupidity - US has 10K/year DUI related deaths, Denmark - 75/year, 2x less per capita. Also bigger cars popular in US like trucks - while fully public road certified, they are conceptually and engineering wise are relatively behind the curve - resulting in more deadly accidents.
      - Daho0n 6y ago
        That is a bit surprising to me as Denmark in Scandinavia has a reputation for drinking a lot. I looked up the numbers on Wikipedia and "Pure alcohol consumption among persons (age 15+) in litres per capita per year" is 11.4 in Denmark and 9.2 in the US (same as Sweden). Of course DUI is something else entirely.. TIL.

EvanAnderson 6y ago

John DeLorean background - I don't much care for Alec Baldwin, and I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the film, but the 2019 "Framing John DeLorean"[1] was a fun watch. [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/

linksnapzz 6y ago
John Z's autobiography "On a Clear Day, You Can See General Motors" is an enormously fun read, both for what it says about GM in the 50s-70s, and what it doesn't say. My recollection is that most people writing an autobiography might use it as a way to acknowledge things they did wrong, or people they may have upset...not John Z.
miguelmota 6y ago
I remember watching that film and getting Elizabeth Holmes vibes from John DeLorean. He made many promises on what he was going to deliver but failed terribly on execution.

Daho0n 6y ago

Maybe I'm missing something or I'm too stupid to understand the article but I don't see why anyone should be allowed to sell a new car with old safety standards for road use? I'm not from the US so maybe it is yet "Another US Thing I Don't Understand" (sorry). Where I'm at (in Scandinavia) not only would this not be allowed on the roads but even if I buy an old car and want to upgrade it (modern brakes?) it wouldn't be allowed without a car inspection and it would no longer have a cheaper vintage car insurance, registration fees, etc. etc. It would be very costly if at all possible. AFAIK this is equally so in all of the EU. Seems to me this is a giant loophole. Like as if Coca Cola re-released an old recipe with real coke in it and everyone just went "Sure! It's authentic!" Could someone enlighten me?

trhway 6y ago
>Seems to me this is a giant loophole. the key for those loopholes is low volume and similar limits. It allows to start making cars, like Tesla had with original Roadster which otherwise wouldn't be let on the public roads. I think it is a great approach in US to have those limited loopholes in various domains which allow to start making things - such loopholes are absent in for example Russia (my old country) and through the Europe and that affects the entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Daho0n 6y ago
  >that affects the entrepreneurship and innovation. It very likely does but it also saves a lot of peoples lives each day. I mean, not only niche cars, but not having good basic safety in general on the roads. Road fatalities per one billion vehicle km is at 7.3 in the US according to Wikipedia. The worst Scandinavian country is Denmark with 3.9. I guess it comes down to if you want Freedom To Do Stupid Things (like no helmets on a motorcycle). That said, I don't think you can compare a Tesla Roadster to a 1981 car in safety. I agree there should be some allowance for niche cars but 40 year old safety being sold as new?
  - trhway 6y ago
    >Freedom To Do Stupid Things something like this. Though those stupid things aren't niche cars or any other innovations. It is plain old stupidity - US has 10K/year DUI related deaths, Denmark - 75/year, 2x less per capita. Also bigger cars popular in US like trucks - while fully public road certified, they are conceptually and engineering wise are relatively behind the curve - resulting in more deadly accidents.
    - Daho0n 6y ago
      That is a bit surprising to me as Denmark in Scandinavia has a reputation for drinking a lot. I looked up the numbers on Wikipedia and "Pure alcohol consumption among persons (age 15+) in litres per capita per year" is 11.4 in Denmark and 9.2 in the US (same as Sweden). Of course DUI is something else entirely.. TIL.