John Zachary DeLorean was an American engineer, inventor, and executive in the U.S. automobile industry, widely known for his work at General Motors and as the founder of the DeLorean Motor Company. In a blaze of publicity, the DeLorean dream arrived in Belfast in the summer of 1978. The challenge was to build a car and a factory in 18 months, with two prototypes and 72 acres of muddy fields in West Belfast as the basic ingredients. Money shortages and civil disturbances – the result of the IRA hunger strike campaign – caused major disruptions.John Zachary DeLorean was an American engineer, inventor, and executive in the U.S. automobile industry, widely known for his work at General Motors and as the founder of the DeLorean Motor Company. In a blaze of publicity, the DeLorean dream arrived in Belfast in the summer of 1978. The challenge was to build a car and a factory in 18 months, with two prototypes and 72 acres of muddy fields in West Belfast as the basic ingredients. Money shortages and civil disturbances – the result of the IRA hunger strike campaign – caused major disruptions.