THE CAR THAT SCAMMED THE GOVERNMENT! The Story of the DeLorean Scandal (1982)

Colin Chapman was questioned by police not long after his business partner, John DeLorean, was arrested in Los Angeles for selling cocaine to undercover DEA and FBI agents. Before he could be put before a jury, he was dead. And the conspiracies began.
But what was the scandal about? Let's have a look.
Enjoy! And remember to like and subscribe for more!
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[@herrerasauro7429]

Well, Ronald Biggs, one the conspirators of the Great Train Robbery of 1963, did indeed run away to Brazil and lived most of his life as a free man, as Brazil had no extradition treaty with the UK. The big difference is, well, Biggs was somewhat of a local celebrity being interviewed a few times for local televisions and famously "charging to dine" with famous people, his son was in a very famous band and he even was visited by Stanley Matthews.

[@mets137781]

Great stuff, I knew about the Delorean Scandal but didn't realize Colin Chapman's place in it.

[@RACECAR]

Same here, crazy thing to find out about. Would've never made that connection.

[@aaronaaronsen3360]

"oh good, the DeLorean story, I know this one but it'll be fun to hear about it with Aidan's jokes". And then I learned a TON of stuff, 80% I didn't knew about. Awesome video !

[@scottpeters371]

Fun fact, the drug charges against Delorean ended up getting tossed as a classic (and talked about case in criminal law classes) of entrapment.

[@LuminalSpoon]

Great video, I highly recommend an episode of The Dollop where they talk about John Delorean

[@patrickracer43]

I saw a Delorean when I was walking home from work by the Bolero in Wildwood, NJ and it's still one of the coolest cars I've ever seen, and I knew that it wasn't the fastest car I've ever seen, but still cool af (but seriously, a 2000 Chevrolet Venture minivan with a V6 is probably faster to 60 than the Delorean DMC-12) Edit: also John Delorean and Colin Chapman managed to finesse Margaret Thatcher for millions, so, they were absolute GOATs... also, the drug trafficking charges against John Delorean were total bs

[@AidanMillward]

I’ve seen one of the BTTF ones at a motor industry trade show. They’re conversation starters but Jesus Christ they’re badly made.

[@danielhenderson8316]

Give them credit, a non BTTF DeLorean is amazingly roomy and comfy. The current Stage 2 DeLoreans wouldn't be too bad if they weren't about $70,000 now. But the 3 speed automatic will always be trash.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Thanks for this, Aidan, it took me back to my teenage years! Weirdly, I remember pretty much everything about the Delorean "scam" side of things that you mentioned (though not the drugs. If pushed I'd have said he'd have been sent down for financial shenanigans in the USA), but I don't think I could have ever heard about the Chapman side of things because that wouldn't be the sort of thing to slip my mind. I remember the news breaking of him dying, and that it was of a heart attack, and there was some doubts regarding the future the team, but the majority of the news surrounding him was a bunch of retrospectives. And given that I'd been watching F1 (when possible - that's tv scheduling back then for you) for about 10 years (give or take), my interest was of the sporting variety. I have the vaguest notion of his company being involved in the design - that would most likely have been at the start of the hype regarding it being built in Belfast. On this side of the Irish Sea, it seemed like a hopeful venture which would benefit N Ireland, maybe bringing in other companies to the country. Because despite/because of all the awfulness of the time, we wanted N Ireland to be a peaceful success. Bear in mind I was 17 when Chapman died, so I wasn't as into watching the news as I might otherwise have been, but that was because of Thatcher, me growing up in a steelworking/mining area in Wales (Dad being a steelworker, we had our own views about her and her vicious hatred of heavy industries, especially in Wales). Our attention towards anything other than our own problems (and those of our neighbours'/union "brothers and sisters" around the country, of course) was often disrupted by yet more Tory dirty tricks, taking us straight back to our own problems. Like Kielty said about the mood in Belfast, the mood in at least half of the UK was much the same. The biggest memory I have of the scandal was laughing at how bad it made her and her ministers look! But no matter how hard I wrack my brains, I can't remember anything about Chapman's postmortem (possible) scandal. So thanks for telling this story! I'd really love to hear all the details from those involved now. It would make a great documentary ...

[@danielhenderson8316]

Wasn't DeLorean given the money by the previous government and then started to get scrutinized by Thatcher? Everything that I've heard was she was against it at all times.

[@AidanMillward]

@@danielhenderson8316 Ted Heath’s (Conservative) government gave him the initial money in 74, then Wilson’s and Callaghan’s(Labour) government gave him more, then Thatcher’s starting in 1979.

[@yodaslovetoy]

I remember this well. My dad was one of the workers that lost their jobs

[@gdogg3710]

Been following F1 for 30 years. Never occurred to me that all might not be as it seems with Colin Chapman’s death…

[@mustang6172]

The DeLorean was about as reliable as it's competitors. People tend to forget that all cars were terrible in the 80's.

[@stephenfasick5839]

On the contrary. My Uncle bought one. It was a Shit Box! It leaked like a sive the electric system was a mess from day one. I could elaborate further. He couldn't wait to dump it!

[@alexnaismith351]

Yes because the Mercedes SL and Porsche 911 are unreliable cars

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

Team Lotus, and its associated companies were basically only kept afloat by Fred Bushell's financial shenanigans. Many stories about invoices and cash whizzing between TL, Lotus Cars and Lotus Components to minimise tax liabilities. With the DeLorean thing, Chapman had finally bitten off more than he could chew. Quite probably it was the stress of being found out, plus his prodigious upper and downer intake that killed him.

[@charamia9402]

This was new to me. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by all the strange tales in the nooks and crannys of F1 history. I find this part of motorsports as fascinating as the racing itself. Thank you for sharing these tales. You have a way of relaying information that makes it really easy to listen, understand and remember.

[@DonWan47]

Bravo Aidan, where did this come from? Was never expecting to see you do something like this. Great video.

[@LucasOliveira-tt2ll]

crime in motorsports also has an italian character who was one of the many drivers who funded their careers as a way for money laudering. His name is Giovanni Bonanno and he even managed to test Benetton sometime in early 90's thanks to connections to Mr Flavio Briatore, the con man himself. Too bad there aren't too much info to make a feature video on his story

[@bloqk16]

A major issue with the stainless steel body of the DeLorean was with the aesthetics of the metal, as the streaking stain marks from water on the body made the vehicle look shabby. One workaround that I saw to resolve the aesthetics of the stains on the stainless steel: Acid-etch the steel body, then put a coating of paint over the stainless steel. In one case that I saw in Silicon Valley (California) in the 1980s, the DeLorean was painted red to resemble a Ferrari. It looked great!

[@stemartin6671]

They've said they're bringing out a new model lol

[@AeroGuy07]

Have you watched Driven? It's an independent film about DeLorean. It's pretty good.

[@areasquirrel]

Didn't know about the Chapman connection, and neither do others here, it seems. I had heard whispers about drugs, but it seemed to me as if that was urban legend tacked on because of those letters FBI. The DeLorean car marks the difference in the generations in NI. Those over a certain age associate it with the financial collapse the scandal wrought on the region at a time when they really didn't need it, because DeLorean himself was one of the very few willing to invest here while the Troubles were still taking place as opposed to the big marketing push to get people to invest nowadays. Those my age and younger, of course, associate it with said movie franchise. A few years ago I was going to see Dara O'Briain live, and a comic book store near the theatre had a DeLorean parked outside that day, so loads of selfies were being taken with it. Someone who worked there was in the audience, so the car got discussed, and O'Briain did point out how funny it would have been to see the contrast. "Imagine all the young people standing around it going 'Woohoo, Back to the Future, yeah!', but then some poor old woman walks past and sees it and shouts 'I HATE that fucking car!', and confuses the hell out of them!"

[@markclarke317]

Blew my mind! Thanks Aiden.

[@Batters56]

Thanks for the whole story on this one, I swear I’ve watched whole documentaries on this where the story is just: wacky American + rubbish car + rubbish cos government involvement (that’s the line right) = big waste of money for the taxpayer.

[@minibus9]

awesome video

[@VonBlade]

Working back through, video #60 (from the most recent) and I've finally learnt a ton. Not saying that for "ooh I'm a nerdy spod know-it-all" points, but motorsport and its machinations are something about which I know far more than I ought, so kudos for consistently digging deep enough that even an anorak like me goes "blimey".

[@davidlopez2363]

God, I didn't have a clue about any of this stuff before watching this... Thank you, Mr. Millward, I guess... Now re-watching BttF films and watching old F1 clips won't be the same anymore

[@XxTonto98xX]

I live half a mile away from the DeLorean factory, not much of it remains. There is a small oval test track that is still there, but it’s heavily overgrown

[@robcardwell9529]

I remember going past the factory on the train and seeing hundreds of the things parked there. The little test track was cool (it's still visible on google maps).

[@joe5boost]

Good vid

[@stephenfasick5839]

I miss the good old days seeing the JPLs at the Glen Emmo, Ronnie Mario!

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

You are back in Technicolour Baby! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@seankennedy131]

John Delorean selling cocaine is way less questionable or damaging to humanity than the Volkswagen diesel scandal lol.

[@kevinbarry71]

When I was in junior high school one of the kids in high school got a DeLorean from his parents. It didn't last long and later he had a Corvette.

[@baddrivingsouthwales4789]

A video about Tom Walkinshaw might dig up some surprisingly interesting stories.

[@MrPrajitura]

I know your focus was more on Chapman and the F1 side of things, but you should’ve mentioned DeLorean’s trial ended in a non guilty verdict as he was able to defend himself with the procedural defense of police entrapment. The dude was a genius, the youngest GM exec. I 100% believe he was done dirty by GM, they couldn’t stand him having the balls to leave and build his own company. Another case of GM being the shitty company they were/are

[@AGB_HDV]

Good one this... ❤️💪🏾

[@arthurbretas2003]

This would make one hell of a movie

[@adamstewart1458]

Funnily enough, I got a bad review from Top Gear, specifically Classic TG, as an ad while watching this video…

[@smithp573]

OK, its still a good tale I'll admit, but you omitted the fact that the concept of the car was already sold to the investors waaaay before Chapman came on the scene. DeLorean had to get someone to engineer his concept for production and in the end only Porsche and Lotus were in the frame. Porsche wanted many many millions and several years to do it which wasn't a good sell to the DMC investors who - as investors do - wanted quick returns. Chapman sold the promise that Lotus (aka resourceful men in sheds) could do it in under 15 minutes for £5.50 (and a bar of chocolate) by pillaging Esprit tech and reverse engineering it to fit the basic Giugiaro shell, because hey, we're selling a dream here guys.

[@BungleBare]

It was probably much more logical for DeLorean to choose Lotus over Porsche. Both companies were highly regarded, but Lotus had a proven history of producing low-volume glass fibre bodied cars* with a backbone chassis, using many components from volume manufacturers. Porsche produced monocoque sports cars with their own componentry, or bought in components from one volume manufacturer (VAG). Lotus were just a better fit, and far more likely to quickly bring a car like the DMC-12 to production. * The DMC-12 had stainless steel panels, but these were applied to glass fibre panels as a cosmetic measure. The car had much in common, materials-wise, with current Lotus models such as the Esprit.

[@AidanMillward]

And after DMC went under it was all sold to a Toyota and became the MR2

[@smithp573]

@@AidanMillward errrrrr. That statement has broken my Matsui FactChecker2000 that I’ve had since 1985.

[@Professor_GonZo]

Nostalgia made me click this video.

[@turismo-2way996]

The Brazil theory should made into a movie! Would be wicked!

[@de-fault_de-fault]

I knew almost nothing of the Chapman dimension to the DeLorean story. I guess the way it’s told in the US minimizes Chapman and focuses on John DeLorean because muscle car guy from his days at Pontiac.

[@plisskenationbackfromthede3657]

70s-80s america was wild. The sky was the limit for anyone with a ton of money, a dream, and a mountain of cocaine lol

[@JustinAH]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! First I've heard of this but you make a good argument. DeLorean: Hey Colin, I got busted in L.A. with 200 pounds of blow Chapman: I must go now

[@CrunchyMotorsport]

I have seen a Delorean car in the flesh and it has a weird awe around it. Brilliant looking car as well

[@mets137781]

Yeah it is definitely in running for best half baked automobile of the last 50 years. If only they had addressed the lack of power, rusting, and reliability.

[@RanFire]

the 9,000 Delorens produced cost the UK taxpayer £9,000 (15,000 USD) each in 1983, with inflation that's around £33,000 (60,000 USD) today

[@f1help613]

Imagine DeLorean in the WRC...

[@chrisdavidson911]

For its time it wasn't a bad car. Nothing back then was brilliantly built or completely reliable, and no way does a Delorean handle worse than a 911 from the same era! It desperately needed development, but instead they were working on a 4 seater and trying but failing to turbocharge it. They didn't have enough money to get through the sales dying during a bad winter. An unopened management buyout proposal was on John's office desk when he was being entrapped by the FBI.

[@shaggyego]

The only speed associated with the dmc-12 was piled on John's desk.

[@christopherwall2121]

I've always been partial to jokes that the REAL reason Doc Brown needed that nuclear reactor, later a fusion reactor, was to even generate enough power to move that thing 88mph.

[@shaggyego]

@@christopherwall2121 or the most realistic time the car actually made 88 it was being push by a steam loco lol

[@AidanMillward]

@@shaggyego “the fastest speed a Delorean achieved was 115mph. Although that speed was measured at a level crossing 🤔”

[@mickcompagnoni1114]

That's info I didn't know, but it fits the Chapman aura. I still think the biggest F1 fraud/money laundering was when the FIA stole $100 million off McLaren. (yes I know it wasn't Dollars, but I don't know how to make a Pound symbol with my keyboard)

[@chrisdavidson911]

Alt 3 ?

[@Glassjar34]

There is a great thing on Netflix about DeLorean. He was a narcissistic scam artist who ended up getting scammed by Chapman and both of them were on the fiddle.

[@jsquared1013]

DeLorean was also a real car guy, though. One of the key figures for the Pontiac GTO and the invention of the muscle car.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

never knew a DeLorean was a sports car... not a cool (but flawed) sedan...

[@mrterp04]

I once had five DeLoreans speed by me on the highway in Delaware. They really did look odd up close.

[@AidanMillward]

Did it have flaming skid marks behind it?

[@mrterp04]

@@AidanMillward ha I wish! Btw speaking of bizarre road cars tied to racing, would love to see you do a vid on the Aero Warriors (like the Superbird) of the late-60s in Nascar

[@UrMomsChauffer]

Delaware the state?

[@mrterp04]

@@UrMomsChauffer yep

[@UrMomsChauffer]

@@mrterp04 there are a few scattered around the state. I used to know I guy that had one for a daily driver.

[@matzemunz2827]

The Alberto Tombs quote almost made me choke

[@kevinbarry71]

DeLorean's wife was Christina Ferrari. No relation but you have to love it.

[@BOABModels]

Did you know Ford offered Universal $75,000 to make the time machine a Mustang? The filmmakers were quite happy with the DeLorean scandal as it just raised the profile of the film. I'm making a scale replica on my channel right now.

[@MartinBennett12]

I wonder if conspiracy theories are going round about the 2021 season

[@UnnamedThe]

Brits being like: "I don't care how many taxes were burned as long as I can kick Thatcher's arse with it!"

[@baddrivingsouthwales4789]

If you want Turbo Irony involving hearts; my cousin died of a heart attack on his way home from taking part in a British Heart Foundation sponsored fun-run. 🙈

[@nobody-wk6ej]

Even Doc made fun of it in the movie.

[@Lukeywoodsey]

People love this car, but as someone who doesn't like Back to the Future I can see this car for how bad it actually is

[@Slikx666]

So if Colin Chapman is still alive then it means that I still have a chance to get his autograph. 😀👍

[@ianyoung1106]

Good god, it Alberto Tomba couldn’t ski down the blow involved, it begs the question of whether the funds were being used to traffic…..”innovation dust”……which were then washed for or even by Lotus. I can’t imagine that JPS sponsorship was super lucrative after all that time but after the twin chassis debacle I suppose they needed more money.

[@chrisdavidson911]

Delorean did no drugs dealing or trafficking.

[@hallo_welt_ag]

Interesting

[@UncleKennysPlace]

These cars are horrible, BTW.

[@Ultegra10SPD]

Before I watch this I’m gonna try not laugh at how he says ‘Bushel’. 12yo or what 6th form in the UK but somehow i always laugh at his name. -U10

[@stephenfasick5839]

My Uncle bought one. I was a shit box!

[@the80hdgaming]

Wasn't John Delorean and epic cocaine user at that time as well?

[@AidanMillward]

It was the 80s so most likely.

[@eamonahern7495]

I knew Chapman had a part in the delorean scandal but didn't know to what extent. My question now is: if Chapman faked his death, when did he ACTUALLY die?

[@BungleBare]

If he had faked his death, was he somehow still involved in keeping Team Lotus (his beloved F1 team) afloat? Once they hit the financial skids in the early ‘90s was that a sign that Colin’s involvement and/or money had run out? If so, could that be a pointer to the time he actually passed away? Having said all that, I don’t think he did fake his death. The general consensus in the motorsport press has consistently been that the stress of his “inventive” business dealings connected to DeLorean, his workaholic tendencies, and the worry about the fall-out from DeLorean’s downfall all culminated in a fatal heart attack.

[@AidanMillward]

He’d be 94, so there’s a chance he’d still be alive.

[@eamonahern7495]

@@BungleBare yeah I believe so. Especially since it was pointed out that he was doing drugs.

[@eamonahern7495]

@@AidanMillward 🤔 interesting. Although I'm more inclined to believe he actually died when he was supposed to have since you pointed out he was doing methamphetamine.

[@Espersontheone]

Speaking of Wankel engines. It would be interesting to hear about the history of racing with rotarys. It is a cool concept for sure.

[@LadyAnuB]

IMSA GTU class, freaking loud ass RX-7s buzzing around racetracks. (My ears still hurt from hearing them at Sears Point.)

[@samduncan3143]

It’s funny because I was reminded about Chapman’s involvement with Delorean from Regular Car Reviews story on John Delorean. (Great 1hr story by the way.) It does touch upon Chapman’s consulting in regards to the DMC-12, but it also touches upon the aforementioned court cases, Both of which Delorean was found not guilty on. Could Chapman have pulled it off? I mean if Lord Lucan could just disappear 8 or so years prior to this then anything’s remotely possible. But I reckon even if he did, I don’t think he’d be around anyway, not with all the stuff he took back then. Great video on the other side of Chapman’s involvement in Delorean.

[@LadyAnuB]

It's nice to be a connected white guy, no need to serve time in prison for cocaine trafficking

[@rickybuhl3176]

Chapman aside, I'm kinda with Patrick Kielty albeit the mortals who got caught up in it, lost their jobs or businesses were owed money that was never paid, won't necessarily see him as any hero, just another Snake Oil salesman..

[@kevinprior3549]

Are you trying to say Chapman killed himself?

[@AidanMillward]

He might have done. Intentionally or not.

[@Draco_Alpha]

hot damn, this story is hilarious. so Lotus and DeLorean both milked the globalists and pissed the money away? that's too good! lmao i know of at least one good cause John DeLorean contributed to during the shenanigans though, which is admirable for sure.

[@AidanMillward]

Milked the UK government and supposedly washed the money. But bit off more than they could chew.

[@cutl00senc]

Great video….check out the Netflix documentary about Delorean with Alec Baldwin in the lead role. Very interesting stuff. His son has some words to add as well. As with all things with mega dollars involved, if you dig deep enough, you’ll surely uncover some dirt.

[@JerryCrow]

I just googled earlier today; "back to the future on demand", and via vpn on netflix in the states. But still, uncanny. I believe this phenomenon to be the result of cognitive bias, as i did google more things, and thought about a few more, or is back to the future in the news for some else reason, so that id seen it unconsciously, and youve seen it consciously, then make this video; idk, like the subject :D Wankel XD

[@seankennedy131]

Also as an American but also holding Irish citizenship I have to say if you resent the concept of Belfast resembling Baghdad maybe you guys should have just let Northern Ireland go..... I know that's going to go over like a lead balloon, but zero empathy here bud.

[@AidanMillward]

I don’t resent the fact that Belfast resembled downtown Baghdad. Patrick Kielty said that it resembled Baghdad because of The Troubles. I have no clue how you got all that from a quote from a guy who lived there at the time.

[@zanemurcha9742]

Ah the DeLorean the most over rated car of all time.

[@AidanMillward]

Along with the 787B

[@jsquared1013]

@@AidanMillward but the 787B sounded good 😂