The current DeLorean Motor Company was formed in 1995 and, like the original (though unrelated) firm, is US-based. As such, it is subject to regulation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In an update on its website, Delorean explains that up until recently the NHTSA had not adequately distinguished between companies producing millions of cars and smaller companies producing only a few.

"NHTSA's one-size-fits-all approach meant that these small companies were subject to the same regulations and paperwork burdens as the large automakers that mass-produce vehicles," the company writes.

It says the new Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act, however, passed in December last year, allows for a more liberal regulatory structure and one within which it can work.