CHRIS WILLIAMS

Long-term De Lorean owner Chris Williams has been a dedicated servant to the marque, as club secretary for The De Lorean Owners’ Club UK and penning a buyer’s guide. “The shape and timeless appeal drew me in,” he says. “Even coming up to 40 years old the design feels modern. Being made out of stainless steel, it just never seems to age.

“I owned a De Lorean about 20 years ago but I had to sell it: someone offered me a silly amount of money. It ended up in a collection in Germany but I knew I would have another.

“This had been off the road for about 15 years – the owner had partially dismantled it with the intention of doing some restoration, but work got in the way and it just sat there. I bought it and put it back together; it was very good mechanically, apart from an oil leak that I need to sort out – eight years later!

“They’re very sound, despite the poor reputation. Parts supply is surprisingly good: we’re very well catered for in the De Lorean community. We have good spares support in the UK and USA, and the ’box is Renault – some service parts you can get in Halfords. Trim tends to be the first thing that disappears, but even then we have a trimmer. They’re remarkably simple cars to work on.

“Owning one, you certainly can’t be shy – even going into a petrol station can draw a crowd. The odd person may mention the government funding, but most are very nice. Our NEC stand is always swamped with people, and Back to the Future brings in a younger generation. The average age of our club members is only 32 – we’ve got teenagers who own them, and I’ve known people to own the cars before they can even drive.”