Bexar County commissioners on Tuesday terminated a county tax break for DeLorean Motor Company based at Port San Antonio.
The company requested the termination of the $1 million tax break after its previous pledge to create 450 well-paying jobs in the near future could not be met, county officials said.
Commissioners approved the termination as part of the consent agenda and without debate.
Commissioners had high hopes for DeLorean when they approved a 10-year, 100% tax break on county ad valorem taxes on qualified personal property in December 2022 during the last meeting presided over by longtime County Judge Nelson Wolff.
The county and city have been waving the checkered flag over vehicle manufacturing victories since landing Toyota Tundra and Tacoma truck production in 2003 and its suppliers during the years that followed. Then came Navistar commercial truck production in 2023.
DeLorean's plans were driven off course in part by a lawsuit. Karma Automotives accused former employees — including DeLorean Motors Reimagined CEO Joost de Vries — of stealing trade secrets during their time at Karma that they then used to establish DeLorean Motors Reimagined in San Antonio.
The lawsuit between Karma Automotives and DeLorean Motors Reimagined was dismissed after the two parties came to an agreement out of court.
Neither DeLorean Motors Reimagined nor Karma Automotives responded to TPR's request for comment at the time.
In a statement to the San Antonio Express-News after the case was dismissed, de Vries said, “I’m happy for Karma, and I’m happy for us.”
DeVries left DeLorean as CEO in October 2023 and was replaced by Alan Yuan.
Despite the latest developments, DeLorean's website was still welcoming members into its Alphas Club for $88 for a lifetime membership.
An entire cult following developed around the winged-door DeLorean after its starring role in the 1980s hit movie Back to the Future.
Correction: A previous version of this story included the incorrect location of the DeLorean Motor Company in Bexar County. It is at Port San Antonio.
