Chip Foose is an automotive legend. He is arguably a peer to George Barris, of Batmobile fame, because Chip can conceptualize ideas and turn the wrench and bend the metal to make them real. In short, his automotive work is considered art. But, even the best of us have a bad day. Sadly, Mr. Foose just had a bad day trying to modernize a DeLorean.

Chip Foose is an automotive legend

I have followed Chip Foose for decades, but not in a stalker way. Mr. Foose often turns up at different car shows and on different television and internet shows. Why? He turns up because he gets invited to share his inspiration behind different pieces of rolling artwork. Keep in mind, the pieces are not just for show. They have plenty of go. The cars are fully functioning but always crafted in such a way to be jawdropping.

Mr. Foose is also very good at putting his thoughts on paper. His drawings help his teams get an idea of the proportion and color schemes for each job. So, the drawings themselves are artwork, too, not just the vehicles.

In a recent video uploaded by Hagerty, Chip Foose was invited to draw something. Mr. Foose decided to use the opportunity to modernize a DeLorean. The iconic Back-to-the-Future car had its final year of production in 1983. But the movie franchise has kept the car alive in the hearts and memories of auto enthusiasts worldwide. So, it was a good choice for a modern interpretation.

A DeLorean modernization

Mr. Foose took on the design concept with the same vigor he normally does. But, for the first time in my memory, the end result was… sad. Mr. Foose has more design talent than most of us have on the tip of our pinky finger. Also, I will not claim to be anywhere near as skilled as he is at drawing. But, this design was not reflective of the work he can do. He is much better than this DeLorean sketch.

In the end, even the best of us have a bad day. To be fair, he did say he was trying something he had never done before. He was trying to show the profile, as well as the detail from the front and the back of the car. Even still, the DeLorean drawing was awful.

Take a look at the new DeLorean interpretation. Let us know what you think. I will post this article on our Facebook page so you can sound off in the comments section.

DeLorean history

The DeLorean model years ran 1981-1983. The cars were the brainchild of John DeLorean, a former General Motors executive. Mr. DeLorean could not get his design ideas approved in GM, so he created his own car company. But, the pricey cars and the new company would be short-lived because of questionable financial and legal decisions made to keep the company from going bankrupt.

In the end, DeLoreans were on their way to obscurity until the Back-to-the-Future movie franchise brought them forward on the public consciousness. Maybe that is what needs to happen to this drawing. In this case, fading away into obscurity might be a good thing. I certainly don’t want to see the drawing again. Mr. Foose, I know you’re better than this. It was just a bad day, right?