Did John DeLorean want to kill the Corvette? He never said so. But twice in his career as a fast-rising General Motors executive he began projects that would have damaged — maybe destroyed — GM's hallowed sports car.
DeLorean and the Corvette first crossed paths in 1964. The dispute centered on a Pontiac concept car called the Banshee.
As a top Pontiac engineering executive, DeLorean had breathed life into the stuffy Pontiac Division with the GTO version of the Tempest, a small vehicle with a high-output engine that is considered by many to be the first muscle car.