Back to the future: Orlando DeLorean shop maintains, sells rare iconic cars

Seeing a DeLorean in the wild is like encountering a unicorn, a moment that undoubtedly brings up feelings of wonder and awe for “Back to the Future” fanatics and car enthusiasts alike.

Nestled away in a lot just off U.S. 441 in Orlando, there are more than 40 DeLorean cars, living examples of the iconic cinematic time machine that lives in the minds of many. DeLorean Motor Company Florida is only one of three shops in the United States specializing in restoring, servicing and selling these classic cars.

“We basically handle the entire East Coast for DeLorean Motor Company,” said Tony Ierardi, owner of DMC Florida. “That’s the company that purchased all the remaining parts when DeLorean went out of business in 1982, so they have their 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Houston.”

This is especially relevant news during “Back to the Future” Day (Oct. 21), a nod to a significant date in the second of three films in the franchise.

While the original 1985 film helped cement the legacy of the DeLorean, other enthusiasts latched onto the brand for the love of the vehicle itself.

“When the car came out, I was 12. I was a kid and loved looking at these cars. The movie didn’t come out until three or four years later,” Ierardi said. “It’s the shape, the Italian design. It’s the overall look of the car and especially the doors that grabbed me as a kid.”

‘It’s timeless’

Around 9,000 DeLorean DMC-12 models were manufactured beginning in 1981 just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland. When the sleek, stainless steel sports car first emerged on the market, it perhaps felt ahead of its time or maybe a little unorthodox.

The rear-engined car features gull-wing doors, different-sized front and rear wheels, a storage compartment in the front of the car and small electric “tollbooth” windows within the glass of the two doors.

For all the fanfare and eager buyers waiting for the car’s release, production stopped within two years of starting. John DeLorean, who founded DMC after a stint at General Motors, faced headwinds from production delays, inflation, shipping and financial woes.

“The DMC-12 was $12,000 but it inflated to $30,000 by the time the car was done because of shipping, parts and everything else,” said Robert Gadocha, general manager of DMC Florida.

John DeLorean, the original company’s founder, was also caught up in an FBI sting and charged with cocaine trafficking but was later acquitted on all charges. Ambitions of bigger, four-door models and turbocharged cars went out the door.

Business owner Stephen Wynne started the DeLorean Motor Company and purchased all the remaining parts inventory from the original company in 1995. In 2005, Ierardi opened his DeLorean shop in Bonita Springs after connecting with Wynne at a show.

Around 6,500 cars are thought to still exist, a remarkable figure considering the original company has been out of business for 40 years.

“It’s timeless. It doesn’t go out of style. It’s sleek, low and stainless,” Robert “When you drive the car, you get that magic. Now we have upgrades to the fuel system, electrical upgrades and power steering. That makes it so much more fun to drive.”

Rock Soldiers drive DeLoreans

As one of just three remaining DeLorean shops in the country, Ierardi and Gadocha both have their own four-wheeled claims to fame.

Ierardi bought what is considered the last new DeLorean ever sold more than a decade after the company went out of business.

“The car was 13 years old, but it was still new with the window sticker sitting in the show room. This car turned into my relationship with the company,” he said. “It took four years of persistence to finally get the dealer to sell it to me.”

That car now sits in the showroom at DMC Florida.

Some have criticized the DeLorean as slow, especially compared with the high-output sportscars of the 21st century, with a mere 130 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of eight or nine seconds. But former Kiss rocker Ace Frehley once used his DeLorean in a 90-mph police chase, which is the subject of his song, “Rock Soldiers.”

After years of research, Gadocha tracked down the car, bought it and painstakingly restored it.

“I was on the hunt for it since about 2012. About two years ago, I went full force at it. With the company’s help, I found the owner,” he said. “I wound up buying it and did a frame-off restoration to it. Ace found out the car still exists and wants to come see it.”

Back to the future

With the support of these small but passionate DeLorean shops scattered across the U.S., Ierardi and fellow enthusiasts are bringing these classic cars back to the future.

The Orlando shop has six cars for sale, ranging from about $60,000-$100,00, and new parts are available to help restore old cars.

“We probably have about a year backlog for restoration. Service cars we can get in and out a little faster,” he said. “There’s a lot more support for these cars than any other car company that’s been out of business, which is now 40 years.”

Due to a change in legislation, the company also has the potential to manufacture a small number of new cars that resemble the original DMC-12, a project that’s still in the works.

“What we’re nicknaming the ‘continuation car’ will have different bumpers, different wheels, different drivetrain and interior,” Gadocha said. “But it will have the same stainless steel panels and will look just like this.”

Another division of the DeLorean company is also working on a brand-new electric model, the Alpha5, and is now taking reservations.

In the meantime, DMC Florida is happy to help support the market of enthusiasts who are eager to show off their drivable pieces of history.

“You cannot go anywhere without someone stopping you for a picture,” Gadocha said. “It doesn’t matter if they have a million dollars or one dollar. It brings everyone back to their childhood or when they saw the movie.”

Celebrate the DeLorean

• DMC Florida is open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at 11144 Satellite Blvd. in Orlando; appointments are recommended.

• RockPit Brewing hosts “Pints for Parkinson’s,” the Foxiest Beer in Orlando Brewfest from 1-7 p.m. Oct. 22 at 10 W. Illiana St. in Orlando with several DeLoreans expected on-site. Funds raised benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which supports Parkinson’s research.

• Two DeLorean cars are also found in the Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Action Park, which is open 1-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 1-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday at 5250 International Drive in Orlando.

Find me @PConnPie on Twitter and Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter