HUMBLE, Texas – The DeLorean is going back to the future and into production.
We first saw the time machine three decades ago in the movie, "Back to the Future." But the last time a DeLorean was built was about 35 years ago. Soon that will change at the DeLorean Motor Company in Humble.
"It's fantastic. It is a game-changer for us. We've been wanting this to happen," DeLorean CEO Stephen Wynne said. "That was a green light to go back into production. That was prohibited. It was against the law to do it."
Wynne brought the DeLorean Motor Company to the Houston area in 1987. For the first time, the DeLorean will be manufactured on American soil.
Dozens of DeLoreans are at the Humble facility. Some are owned by the company but many are shipped there from around the world to be refurbished.
Wynne said the company will build replica 1982 DeLoreans under a low-volume manufacturing bill approved by the federal government. He estimates he has enough supplies in stock to build about 300 cars. He hopes to go from building one a month to one a week.
"It's huge for us. It means we're back as a car company again," Wynne said.
You can buy a refurbished model for $45,000 to $55,000. Wynne hoped to sell the new ones for less than $100,000. The price will depend what modern engine he chooses.
"There's no reason to change the appearance of the car. As we go into the program, we'll decide what areas need to be freshened up," Wynne said.
Wynne hoped to have the first car completed in early 2017.