Tech Malfunctions That Changed The Course Of History

In the early ’80s, humanity was treated to perhaps the most iconic car ever made, the DeLorean DMC-12. With its sleek design (for the time) and gullwing doors, it should have been a breakout hit, but it was pretty much dead on arrival.

As explained by Britannica, the DeLorean manufacturing plant was staffed by people who were largely inexperienced, resulting in cars which looked good on the outside but had lots of interior problems. Roughly a year after the first DeLorean rolled off the factory floor, the company was bust.

The car might have been entirely lost to history if not for an iconic role as Doc Brown’s time machine in the immortal “Back to the Future” franchise. The car failed to gain enough market share to survive but it has, nonetheless, become a pop culture touchstone, keeping the car alive on the secondary market decades after the last one should have been rusting in a junkyard.

While it not might have happened the way John DeLorean intended, his car did end up changing history, even if only on the sliver screen. Despite all odds, it will have a second bite at the apple shortly. The word on the street (or in the future, where we don’t need roads) is the DeLorean is making a triumphant return as an updated electric vehicle, (per IGN).