DeLorean restarts car production at Humble plant near Houston

Back to the Future car John DeLorean was the subject of a famous drug trafficking case during the 1980s.

Keep clicking to learn more about the trials and what got DeLorean in trouble. The creator of thecar John DeLorean was the subject of a famous drug trafficking case during the 1980s.Keep clicking to learn more about the trials and what got DeLorean in trouble. Source: Thomsonreuters.com less Back to the Future car John DeLorean was the subject of a famous drug trafficking case during the 1980s.

Keep clicking to learn more about the trials and what got DeLorean in trouble. The creator of thecar John DeLorean was the subject of a famous drug trafficking case during the 1980s.Keep clicking to learn more about the trials and what got DeLorean in trouble. ... more Photo: Getty Photo: Getty Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close DeLorean restarts car production at Humble plant near Houston 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

Soon new DeLorean cars will be coming off the line in Humble, igniting the fires of nostalgia for people who grew up watching the “Back to the Future” series on a loop.

The DeLorean Motor Company in Humble has long held a torch for the unique brand that first gained prominence in the “me” decade, supplying parts for those cars still on the road and helping fans with enough cash purchase one of their own.

RELATED: Texas company center of legal battle over DeLorean name rights

DeLorean CEO Stephen Wynne brought the brand to Houston in the late ‘80s but new cars have not been manufactured at the site in Humble. The company does brisk business on the refurbishing end though.

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Replica 1982 DeLoreans will begin production soon, according to KPRC-TV this week, noting that they could make as many as 300 of them with the parts they have. They’d like to have the first new DeLorean by early next year.

The price tag will all depend on the engine installed but it doesn’t appear that they will be more than $100,000. Refurbished cars can be had for around $50,000 at the moment when in stock.

"There's no reason to change the appearance of the car. As we go into the program, we'll decide what areas need to be freshened up," Wynne told KPRC-TV.

RELATED: Ronald Reagan loved 'Back to the Future' and once posed with the film's stars

The federal government is allowing the company and others to pursue similar undertakings under the recently passed Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015, which among other things exempts low-volume carmakers from crash-test standards which opens the gull doors for turn-key replicas of older vehicles to be made.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation still needs to make some final bureaucratic decisions by the end of the year before we could see new DeLoreans on the road in the first quarter of 2017.

Tech blog The Verge notes that the new cars will have more powerful engines and larger wheels.

The back story of the DeLorean brand and the journey to where the company is fascinating.

RELATED: Humble company drives DeLorean enthusiasts

The DMC-12, or the DeLorean, was designed in the 70's after John DeLorean left his job at General Motors to start his own automobile company. The company went bankrupt in 1982. The company's assets were sold, but DeLorean purchased the company's intellectual property, including trademark rights and any designs or images of the sports car.

The DeLorean gained international recognition after its appearance in "Back to the Future" in 1985 as a time machine built by the eccentric Doc Brown. The car's stainless steel exterior and gull-wing doors give it a distinctive look that seems to lend itself well to time travel across three movies in the trilogy.

Wynne’s DMC-Texas, which is not affiliated with the original DeLorean Motor Company, started to produce "newly assembled" DeLoreans in 2008. The company started to acquire DeLorean parts from the original suppliers, enough to start building its own DeLoreans.

RELATED: 30 years ago: Houston newspapers review 'Back to the Future'

The widow of John DeLorean – he died in 2005 – sued DMC-Texas in Feb. 2014 saying that Wynne and company were using the brand name illegally.

DeLorean, alleged that DMC-Texas never purchased or licensed the right to use any intellectual property related to the original DeLorean Motor Company. The complaint, alleges DMC-Texas has licensed the use of the name DeLorean and rented images of the car to various companies without legal authority to do so. The company denies the allegations.

The parties agreed to a settlement last October. Sally DeLorean will receive an undisclosed sum while allowing the Texas company to retain rights to use the DeLorean Motor Company name, trademarks and logo.

The estate will retain rights to John DeLorean’s name, aspects of his personal life and depictions of his likeness that aren’t public property or purchased from legitimate rights holders.