DeLorean lives on in Houston company

John DeLorean may be dead as a beaver hat, but his cars live on in the Bayou City, thanks to a local entrepreneur:

In 1997, Stephen Wynne, then a DeLorean mechanic based in Houston, purchased the inventory. Sixty-five tractor-trailers drove the goods from Ohio. Wynne bought the rights to the DeLorean name and logo, and the original engineering drawings, and thus the DeLorean Motor Company was reinvented, with Wynne as the new president. "Half of our business comes from selling parts, and the other half comes from repairing and restoring old DeLoreans," Espey says. He says they service 30 or 40 cars at a time in the 40,000-square-foot facility. DeLorean owners ship their cars from all over the country for work. The Houston company has no relation to the original founder other than haggling over patent rights and forwarding media requests. It has outgrown the reputation of its notorious predecessor, Espey says. "Ten years ago I'd pull up to a gas station and people would ask if there was coke in the trunk," he says. He's heard all the cocaine humor imaginable, he admits. ("Nothing sucks up the white lines on the highway like a DeLorean!")

That last joke is pretty funny. If any of you are interested in buying a DeLorean or restoring your old one, stop by the refurbished DeLorean Motor Company. Mr. Fusion not included.