Don Lander

Don Lander was Managing Director of Chrysler UK from 1974-76, and played a major role in DMC’s history where he was placed in charge of the Belfast plant in the fall of 1980, replacing Charles Bennington as Managing Director.

Mike Knepper recalls “Bennington kept everything wrapped in secrecy. Slowly the feeling that if there’s nothing to hide, why hide it? Was converted into strong suspicions, then accusations. Lander another ex-Chrysler executive was a 180- degree switch from Bennington, both personally and professionally, he brought a sense of order and direction to the operation that revived the enthusiasm”.

Lander was the head of operations in the Belfast plant when John DeLorean gave orders to increase production produce double the required output. Lander brought up to objection that the inexperienced work force could not cope with the new demands set by John.

None the less DeLorean had been given facts and figures by Dick Brown showing the demand for the new DMC-12. With this as a basis, and also the thought that the more the company employed, the more chance the whole project would be supported by the British Government, production was increased to 80 cars a day and Lander was left the task of making John DeLoreans requests into a reality, while at the same time making sure quality control was on a steady increase rather than a downward spiral.