I've seen a pink one before way back in the day.

I heard somewhere a while ago that DeLorean originally designed the Trans Am to be the body shape and style that began the third generation. That GM scrapped his project and he got so upset that he was out to prove that it can be done, and with great success. So he started DMC. Eventually GM used some of his ideas to come out with the third gen.



Is there any validity to this?

 

That was part of it, but the main thing, as I remember it, was that he just had a big ego and wanted to be his own boss. And some of that ego was justified.....He snuck through the original Pontiac GTO into production in 1963-64 (essentially an ordinary Pontiac Tempest with a big 348/389 V8s) over rejection of the car from top GM management. The car was so successful, and made so much money for Pontiac and GM, that his superiors forgave him for disobeying their orders and didn't fire him.

As far as DeLorean designing the 3Gen Firebird/Trans-Am, that is doubtful, considering that he left GM in 1973, and that the 3Gen model did not debut until 1982. The Firebird, of course, also shared most of its F-body platform and design with the sister Chevy Camaro.

 

That's what I meant, though. That GM eventually used some or part of his design later on. DeLorean had the design for the Firebird/Trans Am long before the 80's. It's almost like they kept the idea. Granted they probably own it BECAUSE he designed it while under their payroll but it was said that the SS DeLoreans were what the Trans Ams were supposed to be.