Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

[Neal Walker]

I have recently purchased a '69 Corvette Stingray T-Top Coupe in LeMans Blue. The VIN Number is 194379S718367. I am led to believe that this car was initially owned by John DeLorean when he was GM of Chevrolet. Unfortunately, as this car has had several owners since then the documentation and, I believe there were photos of him taken with the car, have been either misplaced or lost.
I have a copy of the window sticker which contains the above VIN number along with the Ident Number from the order, which is 314143. There is another number just above the Final Assembly Point section and that is AYK187. The delivery address is Chevrolet Motor Company, 1800 Avenue of the Stars, 20000 Los Angeles, California.
On the sheet below the list of Options & Accessories is the phrase " PUBLIC RELATIONS".
CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH INFO ON THIS CAR OR SUGGEST WHERE I MAY BE ABLE TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION?
It would appear, from info already gleaned, that Chevrolet haven't had offices on Avenue of the Stars and that it may have been for a promo film, or that John was living at Century Plaza. I have also been informed that John is still serving time for past transgressions (!)...anyone know where so that I may contact him directly?
Grateful for any assistance in my quest for my 'old girls' provenance!!

[Duke W.]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

When I was a Pontiac engineer in 1968, DeLorean was the General Manager, and his "company car" was a Maserati Ghibli Coupe. The car was owned by General Motors. He had a designated parking spot in the engineering garage, and I saw him and the car often.

The So Cal Pontiac zone office was in Hollywood at that time as I stopped by to pick up a car when I was at the Van Nuys plant to oversee the '69 Firebird pilot build in August. Don't know where the Chevrolet zone office was then, but it was probably nearby. The address you gave is known as "Century City", and, like Hollywood, it is within the incorporated city limits of Los Angeles and is not far from Hollywood.

Chances are your car was a COPO for the So Cal Chevrolet zone, and I doubt that DeLorean was ever the "owner" other than in his capacity as Chevrolet GM. The So Cal zone offices loaned out a lot of cars for movie and TV production, so maybe your car is in some '69 vintage movie or TV production.

DeLorean spent a lot of time in So Cal in that era because his GF was Kelly Harmon. She is Tom Harmon's daughter, Mark Harmon's sister - a very attractive doe-eyed blond. The last I saw of her was in "Tic-Tak" breathe mint TV commercials about ten years ago. She's about my age, so back then she was in her early twenties and and DeLorean was in his forties. A plausible scenario with a DeLorean connection is that the car was ordered and kept available in the So Cal Chevrolet zone office for when DeLorean was hobnobbing around with the Hollywood crowd. It could have an interesting history!

I probably shouldn't be so crass, but maybe you should have the interior checked for cocaine residue. Maybe there's some other forensic evidence... nah, I don't wanna go there.

Maybe if someone could get a hold of Ms.Harmon she might have a recollection of the car. I don't think DeLorean talks much, and he probably can't remember much, either Need any help?

Duke

P.S. Pardon my indulgence. I couldn't resist

[Michael H.]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

Duke,

Wasn't John DeLorien eventually acquitted of all charges? I seem to remember that he was but not sure.

[Jim T.]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

John Delorean was acquitted on the federal charges for the drug sting by the government. After losing his 300+ acre estate in NJ, reportedly sill resides in NJ.

[Duke W.]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

The Feds had a video tape of him doing a cocaine deal, but his lawyer managed to convince the judge that he was "entrapped", so he got off on a technicality, His indictment and trial was in the 1985/6 time frame.

I think he's still fighting civil suits (and/or has judgments) that stem from the DeLorean Motor Car Company escapade.

Kelly Harmon lives in Malibu and is an interior designer, married, with two children who are probably young adults by now. She was born in 1948, so she will turn 57 this year. DeLorean met her when she was 19 or 20 and they married in 1969, but divorced in '72. DeLorean divorced his first wife, which raised a lot of eyebrows on the Fourteenth Floor, but I don't know if he started the liaison with Harmon before or after he was divorced. He later married Christina Ferrari, who was a model and sometime TV personality, but she left him and filed for divorce after he was indicted for the cocaine deal.

DeLorean was born in 1925, so he turns 80 this year.

Duke

[Chuck S.]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

John`s attorney for this episode was Vince Bartolata. Vince currently lives in Del Mar, CA in a home formerly owned by DeLorean. I believe his law practice is in Del Mar or in San Diego.

[Neal Walker]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

Hi Duke

No real developments since my original post...am meeting up with Chuck Berge (NCRS Team Leader - '68-'72 C3's )..he is over in UK judging NCRS UK Chapter show March4-6...am hoping he will be able to help in my quest.
With reference to your reply....can you tell me what the abbreviation 'COPO' stands for? Presumably 'So Cal' is short for Southern California is it?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards

[Duke W.]

Re: Did my '69 Stingray belong to John DeLorean

"Central Office Production Order". All cars built for Chevrolet internal use were COPOs, and it was the only way a car could be built without and authentic order from a Chevrolet dealer processed through a zone office.

There were also some special limited production vehicles such as 427 Camaros that were COPOs. Many think that COPOs are special - somehow magical. A few COPOs were "special" such at the 427 Camaros and a small handful of COPOs featured some non-regular production items, like paint color, but the vast, vast majority of COPOs were just production line cars with various RPOs, and no different from any other production car.

The ONLY thing unique about ALL COPOs is how they were ordered.

Duke