Born in Detroit today in 1925, remembered these days mainly for the DMC time machine in Zemeckis’ Back To The Future movies, DeLorean really was a giant and a maverick in the automotive industry and beyond. Cass Tech and Lawrence Institute grad. The Pontiac GTO was his. The 1969 redesign of the Pontiac Grand Prix…his. The Chevy Nova. The Chevy Vega. He was a wild man in the eyes of General Motors execs. And they, dinosaurs in his.

Then, DMC with all of the sharp (literal and figurative) design, bad timing and assorted unfortunate controversies.

Today Mr DeLorean would have celebrated his 99^th birthday. DeLorean died of a stroke in 2005, 80 years old. His ashes are interred at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy.