John Zachary DeLorean (1925 - 2005)

Born 6 Jan 1925 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States

Died 19 Mar 2005 at age 80 in Summit, Union, New Jersey, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Russell Butler [send private message]

Biography

John DeLorean is Notable.

Automotive engineer and executive in the automobile industry including at General Motors and the DeLorean Motor Company. His DMC DeLorean vehicle was the "time machine" in the "Back to the Future" movies.

John was born in 1925. He is the son of Zachary R DeLorean and Katherine Pribak. ^[1] He served three years in the U.S. Army in Word War II and in 1948 he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering.

After working at Chrysler and Packard Motor Company, he worked for General Motors starting in 1956 where he eventually managed the development of a number of vehicles in his career, including the Pontiac GTO muscle car, the Pontiac Firebird, Pontiac Grand Prix, and the Chevrolet Cosworth Vega. He was the youngest division chief in General Motors' history.

He General Motors in 1973 to form his own company, the DeLorean Motor Company. He built the DMC DeLorean sports car, which was featured in the 1985 film Back to the Future. In the Back to the Future franchise, the DeLorean time machine is a time travel device made by retrofitting a DMC DeLorean vehicle with a flux capacitor. ^[2]

He (age 44) married Kelly J Harmon on 31 May 1969 in Los Angeles City, California, United States.^[3]

He was charged with cocaine trafficking after being solicited to serve as a financier in a scheme to sell cocaine. He was found not guilty of the charges under the defense of entrapment.

He died on 19 March 2005 and was buried in Troy, Oakland County, Michigan, United States.^[4]

Census Information

• In the 1930 census John (age 5) was the son of Zack Delorean at 17199 Marx Street, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States.^[5]
• In the 1940 census John (age 15) was the single son of Zack Delorian in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.^[6]
• In the 1950 census John (age 25), Sales Engineer, was the never married son of Katherine Delorean in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Social Security: "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007"
   Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007
   Ancestry Record 60901 #36257893 (accessed 30 December 2022)
   Name: John Delorean [John Zachary DE Lorean]; Gender: Male; Race: White; Birth Date: 6 Jan 1925; Birth Place: Detroit, Michigan; Death Date: 19 Mar 2005; Father: Zachary R De Lorean; Mother: Katherine Pribak; Notes: 05 Dec 1983: Name listed as JOHN DELOREAN; 24 Feb 1993: Name listed as JOHN ZACHARY DE LOREAN; 29 Mar 2005: Name listed as JOHN Z DELOREAN.
2. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_time_machine (accessed January 1, 2023)
3. ↑ Marriage: "California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985"
   State of California. California Marriage Index, 1960-1985. Microfiche. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1144 #2229740 (accessed 1 January 2023)
   John Z Delorean (44) marriage to Kelly J Harmon on 31 May 1969 in Los Angeles City, California, USA.
4. ↑ Burial: "U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current"
   URL: Find A Grave: Memorial #10645202
   Ancestry Record 60525 #96061102 (accessed 1 January 2023)
   John Zachary DeLorean burial (died on 19 Mar 2005) in Troy, Oakland County, Michigan, United States of America.
5. ↑ 1930 Census: "1930 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1930; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0276; FHL microfilm: 2340777
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6224 #12191788 (accessed 1 January 2023)
   John Delorean (5), single son, in household of Zack Delorean (36) at 17199 Marx Street, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA. Born in Michigan.
6. ↑ 1940 Census: "1940 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1940; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: m-t0627-01855; Page: 22B; Enumeration District: 84-478
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2442 #82901322 (accessed 1 January 2023)
   John Delorian (15), single son, in household of Zack Delorian (45) in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Born in Michigan.
7. ↑ 1950 Census: "1950 United States Federal Census"
   United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: 3654; Sheet Number: 72; Enumeration District: 85-680
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #176805203 (accessed 1 January 2023)
   John Delorean (25), single son, Sales Engineer, in household of Katherine Delorean (45) in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA. Born in Michigan.

See also:

• Wikipedia: John DeLorean
• Wikidata: Item Q558510, en:Wikipedia

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile.