One of those stories you probably didn't know about but are totally cool...
In 1979, Johnny Carson made a significant contribution of $500,000 to John Z. DeLorean's project and was officially given a DMC-12 in recognition of his support. DeLorean spoke to the New York Times in October of that year, revealing that Carson's contribution was meant to showcase that free enterprise could still work in the auto industry.
Unfortunately, history would prove Carson's investment to be a disappointment. His experience with the DMC-12 was riddled with drama, which even Jay Leno, Carson's successor on The Tonight Show, would remember. On his very first outing in the DeLorean, the car's battery died on a stretch of highway, leaving Carson stranded inside the car with no functioning door locks.
Despite the initial setback, Carson continued to enjoy his time with the car, taking it on various road trips and even featuring it on The Tonight Show. However, the DMC-12 would go down in history as a commercial failure, and DeLorean himself would later face legal troubles for his involvement in a drug trafficking scheme.
Looking back, Carson's investment in the DeLorean project may not have been the wisest choice, but it did serve as a testament to his belief in the power of free enterprise.