Minnesota widow overcome with emotion after seeing her late husband's DeLorean cleaned for the first time in 30 years
Published on Dec 11, 2025 at 8:08 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Dec 10, 2025 at 8:51 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
WD Detailing gave a DeLorean its first wash in 30 years, and it left the owner’s widow overcome with emotion when she saw it.
This is an iconic car, there’s no doubt about that.
But Great Scott! This car wasn’t looking too snazzy after decades in a garage.
No flux capacitors were going to save this car – it’d have to be a special cleaning by the WD Detailing team.
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What sort of state was this DeLorean in?
WD Detailing is no stranger to a deep clean of a car in desperate need of some TLC.
Previous videos have seen them taking on Ferraris, Chevy Corvettes, and Dodge Vipers, with varying levels of difficulty.
Nevertheless, at the end of each video, they have a sparkling new car to give back to the owner or the owner’s family.
It’s not uncommon for this moment to elicit an emotional response.
In this more recent video, the WD Detailing got to work on a DeLorean that had spent 30 years in a garage.
To be fair, this car wasn’t looking too bad considering.
Let’s face it – YouTube car cleaners have seen some seriously gross cars in their time.
One need only look at the ‘world’s dirtiest Tesla’ for proof of how bad things can get.
The owner’s widow had a big reaction to the clean car
The car was cleaned up at Downtown Detail in Rochester, Minnesota.
Every part of the car was attended to, including the frunk, the interior, and the stainless steel exterior.
And the job was done with so many Back to the Future references that you would swear Doc Brown and Marty McFly were actually in the room.
At last, the moment arrived for the owner’s widow to get a look at the new and improved car.
“It was a beast to drive – you couldn’t change lanes because everyone would pull up next to you,” she recalled.
“I couldn’t get it up to 88mph [142km/h].”
Those who get it, get it.
She got emotional thinking of her late husband and what his reaction would have been.
“Do you think he’s smiling [up in Heaven]?” the host asked.
“I can feel it,” she replied, holding back tears.
“I’m too old to get into it anymore.
“That car needs to be driven by someone who loves it, but I can’t fold up enough to get into it.”
DeLorean timeline:
1975: DeLorean Motor Company is founded
1976: First design concepts for the DeLorean sports car are created
1978: Construction begins on the factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland
January 12, 1981: The first production DeLorean DMC-12 rolls off the assembly line, going on sale in the US later that year
Late 1982: After John DeLorean is arrested, the company goes bankrupt, and the factory shuts down
July 3, 1985: The DeLorean becomes a pop-culture icon when Back to the Future premieres
1989 & 1990: The car’s iconic status is further cemented by its appearances in the second and third films
1995: A new company, also called DeLorean Motor Company, emerges
2007: The revived DMC begins building ‘new’ DeLoreans
2022: DMC announces the Alpha5, an electric re-imagining of the car
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