John Z. DeLorean
Self (archive footage)
Overview
In the automotive world, John DeLorean rose from engineer to executive to icon. But under the hood of his self-created legend lies darkness and deceit.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 3 episodes
- First aired
- Jul 30, 2021
Cast
Reviews
5 min readThe Man Who Invented the Future (and Then Tried to Sell It Back to Us)
I keep thinking about the way John DeLorean’s hands move in the archival footage. They’re restless, almost impatient, as if the camera itself is keeping him from some grander design. There’s a moment in Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean—somewhere in the first episode, I think—where he’s explaining the gull-wing doors of the DMC-12, his voice smooth, his smile just shy of a smirk.
He’s selling not just a car, but a vision of the future, one where stainless steel and angular lines replace the soft curves of Detroit’s past. The irony, of course, is that the future he’s selling is already collapsing under the weight of his own ambition. The documentary doesn’t linger on this moment, but I can’t stop replaying it.
It’s the kind of scene that reveals everything and nothing at once: a man so convinced of his own myth that he can’t see the cracks forming beneath his feet.
Mike Connolly’s three-part series isn’t interested in reinventing the documentary form. There are no fourth-wall-breaking gimmicks, no nonlinear timelines, no voiceover that tries too hard to sound profound. It’s a straightforward, almost old-fashioned telling of a life that was anything but straightforward.
The structure is episodic but not rigid: the first episode traces DeLorean’s rise, the second his fall, and the third his legacy. It’s a familiar arc, the kind we’ve seen in countless biopics and documentaries about flawed titans. What makes Myth & Mogul compelling isn’t its originality, but its refusal to look away from the contradictions at the heart of DeLorean’s story.
Here was a man who built his career on innovation, only to see his most famous creation become a symbol of failure. Here was a man who preached the gospel of American ingenuity, only to be brought down by his own hubris. The series doesn’t judge him, exactly, but it doesn’t let him off the hook either.
It lets the footage speak for itself, and the footage is damning.
Take the way the documentary handles the cocaine trafficking charges. In 1982, DeLorean was arrested in a sting operation, caught on tape allegedly agreeing to bankroll a drug deal to save his failing company. The footage is grainy, the audio muffled, but the moment is unmistakable: DeLorean, in a hotel room, saying, “It’s better than gold.” The series doesn’t sensationalize the moment, but it doesn’t downplay it either.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 6.3/10
"A compelling but uneven dive into John DeLorean’s rise and fall, held together by its fascinating subject rather than flawless execution."
The series captivates with its exploration of John DeLorean’s larger-than-life persona, blending ambition, innovation, and scandal in a way that keeps viewers hooked. latestnetflix.com's read is that however, some find the pacing sluggish and the storytelling uneven, with a few moments feeling repetitive or overly dramatized for effect.
What viewers praise
- Fascinating subject matter DeLorean’s life story—his automotive genius, ambition, and downfall—provides a gripping narrative that many find irresistible.
- Strong archival footage The use of historical clips and interviews adds depth and authenticity, making the documentary feel immersive.
- Balanced perspective The series avoids outright glorification or vilification, presenting DeLorean’s complexities in a nuanced way.
- Engaging storytelling When the pacing clicks, the series delivers a dramatic and engaging account of DeLorean’s life and career.
Common complaints
- Uneven pacing Some viewers feel the series drags in parts, with certain segments feeling slow or repetitive.
- Overdramatization A few moments come across as unnecessarily sensationalized, detracting from the documentary’s credibility.
- Thin character depth Supporting figures in DeLorean’s life and career are sometimes underdeveloped, leaving gaps in the narrative.
- Familiar tropes The rise-and-fall structure feels predictable to some, lacking fresh angles on a well-trodden story.
Recommended for
Documentary enthusiasts Automotive history fans True crime and scandal followers Business biography lovers 20th-century innovators buffs
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Rise and Fall of John DeLorean: Inside Netflix’s Myth & Mogul
Netflix’s 2021 docuseries Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean peels back the layers of one of the auto industry’s most infamous figures—a man whose genius for engineering clashed with a taste for excess, scandal, and self-destruction. Directed by Mike Connolly, the series dives into the life of John Z. latestnetflix.com's read is that deLorean, the charismatic executive who rose to the top of General Motors before betting everything on his namesake car, the DMC-12, only to see his empire crumble under fraud charges and financial ruin.
The series doesn’t just rehash the headlines; it frames DeLorean as a tragic antihero, a visionary whose ambition outpaced his judgment. With a runtime of 48 minutes per episode 
, Myth & Mogul packs a punch, blending archival footage, interviews, and dramatic reenactments to trace DeLorean’s journey from Detroit prodigy to disgraced mogul. But how much of the man’s myth did the series actually capture?
The Man Behind the Myth
John DeLorean was a master of reinvention. Born in 1925 to working-class parents, he climbed the ranks at GM with a mix of brilliance and ruthlessness, becoming the youngest division head in the company’s history. His signature style—turtlenecks, aviator sunglasses, and a penchant for Hollywood starlets—made him a tabloid fixture long before the DMC-12 rolled off the assembly line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv6bju6NgNE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCOmorRMuZU
Myth & Mogul leans into this larger-than-life persona, portraying DeLorean as a man who thrived on risk. The series highlights his early successes, like the Pontiac GTO, which helped define the muscle car era, but it also doesn’t shy away from his flaws: his volatile temper, his alleged ties to organized crime, and his willingness to cut corners when the money ran out . One reviewer called it a "warts-and-all portrait," though some critics argue the series softens the edges of his more controversial decisions .
The DMC-12: A Dream Built on Debt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8rWz9np3W4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cb62EVREAQ
The heart of Myth & Mogul is the rise and fall of the DeLorean Motor Company. The DMC-12, with its gull-wing doors and stainless-steel body, was supposed to be a revolution in automotive design. Instead, it became a symbol of hubris. The series details how DeLorean secured funding from the British government to build a factory in Northern Ireland, only to watch costs spiral out of control. By 1982, the company was hemorrhaging money, and DeLorean was scrambling for cash—leading to his infamous cocaine trafficking bust, a desperate attempt to save his empire .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwDWokrxK3w
Trailers for the series tease this dramatic downfall, with clips of DeLorean’s arrest and the subsequent media frenzy . The docuseries doesn’t just rely on news footage, though; it includes interviews with former employees, journalists, and even DeLorean’s associates, offering a ground-level view of the chaos. One reviewer noted that the series "doesn’t glorify the collapse" but instead treats it as an inevitable consequence of DeLorean’s relentless pursuit of the next big thing .
Legacy: Genius or Grifter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szUKMpnsFg4
Myth & Mogul doesn’t land on a definitive verdict about DeLorean’s legacy. Was he a visionary undone by bad luck, or a con artist who got in over his head? The series presents both sides, letting viewers decide. It acknowledges his engineering prowess and his role in shaping modern car culture, but it also doesn’t ignore the allegations of fraud, the failed business ventures, or the personal demons that haunted him until his death in 2005 .
The docuseries has a modest but dedicated following, earning a 6.3/10 rating on SensCritique based on 29 votes . Some viewers praise its balanced approach, while others criticize it for glossing over key details—like the full extent of DeLorean’s legal troubles or the impact of his downfall on the workers who lost their jobs when the DMC factory shut down. Still, for fans of true-crime-meets-industry-drama, Myth & Mogul delivers a compelling, if incomplete, portrait of a man who was equal parts innovator and cautionary tale.
The Verdict: Worth the Watch?
If you’re looking for a deep dive into one of the most fascinating collapses in corporate history, Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean is a solid pick. It’s not the definitive account—some details feel rushed, and the series could benefit from more firsthand testimony—but it’s a gripping, well-produced look at a man who embodied the American dream and its darkest nightmares. Just don’t expect all the answers.
For now, the myth of John DeLorean lives on.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.