Carson's DeLorean to be Auctioned on eBay

 

(Canton)- Motorcar Portfolio, American's fastest growing classic car dealership, will play host to one of Hollywood's most famous celebrity cars, Johnny Carson's 1981 DeLorean.

For the past nine years Carson's DeLorean has been on loan to the Canton Classic Car Museum where it has been on display.  After owning the car for the past 17 years the owner has decided to auction it on eBay with the help of an eBay auction assistant.  The car will be available for inspection at the Motorcar Portfolio showroom during that time, but it will not be offered for sale by the dealership.  The 10-day auction on eBay will begin on April 18 and conclude on April 27.

Carson, originally an investor in the DeLorean Co., made this car famous in 1982 when he was arrested for drunk driving while piloting the 1981 DMC-12 Coupe.  Interestingly enough this was actually Carson's second Coupe.  The first was destroyed when the door malfunctioned and required the car to be cut apart with the jaws-of-life to rescue a trapped Carson inside.  Carson then continued to drive his second coupe through 1985 at which time it was seized by DeLorean bankruptcy trustees.  After being seized it was offered at a California auction where a Southern California collector purchased it.  The current owner then bought the car in 1988.

In addition to Carson's participation in the DeLorean legacy, the Coupes were also made famous by the trilogy of "Back to the Future" movies starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in the 1980s.  With its space-age design, "gull-wing" doors and brushed stainless steel body, it made for a most believable time machine fueled by garbage.  However, Carson's DeLorean does not boast a flux capacitor which made time travel possible in the movies.  Nonetheless it does feature a European V6 with Over-Head-Cam engine and a 5 speed manual transmission.  The glove box was signed by John DeLorean, it's creator, the last time it appeared at a national show in 2001, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The DeLorean will be on display for collectors and interested buyers in Motorcar Portfolio's showroom from now until the close of bidding on April 27, 2005.  The showroom is located in the lower level of the Marriott McKinley Grand in Canton, Ohio.  The DeLorean can be viewed during normal business hours:  Monday-Saturday 9A-5P, Thursdays 9A-9P, Sunday 12P-5P, or by an appointment.  For more information please contact Motorcar Portfolio at 330.453.8900 or visit their website at www.motorcarportfolio.com.