DeLorean DMC-12 1

DeLorean DMC-12
DeLorean DMC-12

1981 DeLorean DMC-12

Manufacturer DeLorean Motor Company

Production 1981–1982
2008–present

Assembly Dunmurry, Northern Ireland

Houston, Texas

Class Sports car

Body style 2-door liftback

Layout RR layout

Engine 2849 cc PRV V6

Transmission 5-speed manual

3-speed automatic

Wheelbase 2413 mm (95.0 in)

Length 4216 mm (166.0 in)

Width 1857 mm (73.1 in)

Height 1140 mm (44.9 in) doors

closed
1961 mm (77.2 in) doors open

Curb weight 1230 kg (2712 lb)

Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro

The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car that was originally

manufactured in Dunmurry, a suburb of Belfast, Northern Ireland by
John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company for the American market
in 1981–1982. It is most commonly known simply as the DeLorean, as
it was the only model ever produced by the company. The DMC-12
featured gull-wing doors with a fiberglass "underbody", to which
non-structural brushed stainless steel panels were affixed. A modified
version of the car became iconic for its appearance as a time machine
in the Back to the Future film franchise. A DeLorean DMC-12 with the gull-wing doors
closed
The first prototype appeared in March 1976, and production officially
began in 1981 (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line on
January 21) at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.
DeLorean DMC-12 2

During its production, several features of the car were changed, such as
the bonnet (hood) style, wheels and interior. Approximately 9,000[1]
DMC-12s were made before production stopped in late 1982. Today,
about 6,500 DeLorean Motor Cars are believed to still exist.[2]
Texas entrepreneur Stephen Wynne started a separate company in 1995
using the "DeLorean Motor Company" name and shortly thereafter
acquired the trademark on the stylized "DMC" logo as well as the
remaining parts inventory of the original DeLorean Motor Company.
The company, at its suburban Houston, Texas location completes A DeLorean DMC-12 from the front with the
newly assembled cars from new original stock (NOS) parts, original gull-wing doors open

equipment manufacturer (OEM) and reproduction parts on a "made to

order" basis.[3]

History
In October 1976, the first prototype DeLorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer and
designer (formerly chief engineer at Pontiac). Originally, the car's rear-mounted power plant was to be a Citroën
Wankel rotary engine, but was replaced with a French-designed and produced PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) fuel
injected V6 because of the poor fuel economy of the rotary engine, an important consideration at a time of
worldwide fuel shortages. Collins and DeLorean envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untested
manufacturing technology known as Elastic Reservoir Moulding (ERM), which would lighten the car while
presumably lowering its production costs. This new technology, for which DeLorean had purchased patent rights,
was eventually found to be unsuitable.
These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to
require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer Colin Chapman, founder and owner of
Lotus. Chapman replaced most of the unproven material and manufacturing techniques with those then employed by
Lotus. The Backbone chassis is very similar to that of the Lotus Esprit. The original Giorgetto Giugiaro body design
was left mostly intact, as were the distinctive stainless steel outer skin panels and gull-wing doors.
In an interview with James Espey of the new incarnation of the DeLorean Motor Company of Texas, a drawing
surfaced showing that the car was potentially to be called Z Tavio. John DeLorean's middle name and his son's first
name were both Zachary while Tavio was his father's name and his son's middle name. Due to only sporadic
documentation, there is little more that is currently known about the Z Tavio name and why it was ultimately
rejected in favor of the DMC-12.[4]
DeLorean required $175 million to develop and build the motor company.[5] Convincing Hollywood celebrities such
as Johnny Carson and Sammy Davis Jr to invest in the firm,[6] [7] DeLorean eventually built the DMC-12 in a factory
in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, a neighborhood a few miles from Belfast city centre.
The company had originally intended to build the factory in Puerto Rico[8] [9] but changed their plans when the
Northern Ireland Development Agency offered £100 million towards it,[10] despite an assessment by consultants
hired by the NIDA that the business had only a 1-in-10 chance of success.[9]
Construction on the factory began in October 1978, and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to start
in 1979, engineering problems and budget overruns delayed production until early 1981.
By that time, the unemployment rate was high in Northern Ireland and local residents lined up to apply for jobs at the
factory. The workers were largely inexperienced, but were paid premium wages and supplied with the best
equipment available. Most quality issues were solved by 1982 and the cars were sold from dealers with a 12 month,
12000-mile (19300 km) warranty and an available five-year, 50,000-mile (80,000 km) service contract.
DeLorean DMC-12 3

The DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 following John DeLorean's arrest in October of that year
on drug trafficking charges. He was later found not guilty, but it was too late for the DMC-12 to remain in
production. Approximately 100 partially assembled DMC's on the production line were completed by Consolidated
International (now known as Big Lots). The remaining parts from the factory stock, the parts from the US Warranty
Parts Center, as well as parts from the original suppliers that had not yet been delivered to the factory were all
shipped to Columbus, Ohio in 1983–1984. A company called KAPAC sold these parts to retail and wholesale
customers via mail order. In 1997, DeLorean Motor Company of Texas acquired this inventory.[11] There has also
been a long-standing rumor that the body stamping dies were dumped into the ocean to prevent later manufacture.
More recently, evidence emerged that the dies were used as anchors for nets at a fish farm in Ards Bay,
Connemara.[12]
About 9,200 DMC-12s were produced between January 1981 and December 1982.[13] Almost a fifth of these were
produced in October 1981. About 1,000 1982 models were produced between February and May 1982, and all of
these cars had the VIN's changed after purchase by Consolidated International to make them appear as 1983 models.
There are the 15XXX, 16XXX, and 17XXX VINs which were originally 10XXX, 11XXX and 12XXX VINs. Only
twelve 12XXXX VIN cars still exist. These are the Wooler-Hodec right-hand drive cars (see below)

Construction
The DMC-12 features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steel
body panels, and a rear-mounted engine.

Body
The body design of the DMC-12 was a product of Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design and is panelled in brushed
SS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DMC-12s left the factory uncovered by paint
or clearcoat.[14] Painted DeLoreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from the
factory. Several hundred DMCs were produced without stainless panels, for training workers, and are referred to as
"black cars" or "mules", in reference to their black fiberglass panels instead of stainless, though these were never
marketed. Small scratches in the stainless steel body panels can be removed with a non-metallic scouring pad (since
metal pads can leave iron particles embedded in the stainless steel which can give the appearance of the stainless
"rusting"), or even sandpaper.[15] The stainless steel panels are fixed to a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, fiberglass)
monocoque underbody. The underbody is affixed to a double-Y frame chassis, derived from the Lotus Esprit
platform.
The unpainted stainless body creates challenges during restoration of the cars. In traditional automotive body repair,
the panel is repaired to be as original ("straight") as possible and imperfections are sculpted back to form with body
filler like Bondo or lead (body solder). This poses no problem (aside from originality) with most cars, as the filler
will be hidden by the car's paint (for example, most new cars have filler hiding the seam where the roof meets the
quarter panel). With an unpainted stainless body, the stainless steel must be reworked to exactly the original shape,
contour and grain—which is a tremendously difficult job on regular steel (a dented or bent panel is stretched and a
shrinking hammer or other techniques must be used to unstretch the metal) and even more difficult with stainless due
to its tendency to work-harden. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to paint stainless steel due to difficulties with
paint adhesion. DeLorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired; each
DeLorean service center today has at least one experienced body repair person on staff, and there are decades worth
of new stainless panels still available in most instances.
Another novel feature of the DMC-12 is its gull-wing doors. The common problem of supporting the weight of
gull-wing doors was solved by other manufacturers with lightweight doors in the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and an air
pump in the Bricklin SV-1, although these designs had structural or convenience disadvantages. The DMC-12
features heavy doors supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts.[16] These torsion bars
DeLorean DMC-12 4

were developed by Grumman Aerospace (and built by Unbrako in the UK, a division of SPS Technologies of
Jenkintown, PA) to withstand the stresses of supporting the doors.[17] A popular misconception of the DMC-12's
gull-wing doors is that they require far more side clearance to open relative to ordinary side-hinge doors, such as
when parked in a parking lot. In fact, the opposite is true: the DMC-12 requires far less clearance than side-hinge
doors, and this can be physically demonstrated. This misconception of side clearance may stem from a
misunderstood location of the hinge point of the doors by persons unfamiliar with DMC-12s. These doors, when
opening, only require 11 inches (264 mm) clearance outside the line of the car, making opening and closing the
doors in crowded spaces relatively easy. Much like the doors fitted to the Lamborghini Countach, the DMC-12 doors
featured small cutout windows, because full-sized windows would not be fully retractable within the short door
panels.[18] [19]

Suspension
The underbody and suspension of the DMC-12 were based largely on the Lotus Esprit, with a four-wheel
independent suspension, coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers. The front suspension used double wishbones,
while the rear was a multi-link setup. In its original development stages, the car is said to have handled quite well.
Considering that Lotus's reputation was built largely on the handling prowess of the cars the company produced, the
DMC-12's smooth ride wasn't a surprise. Unfortunately, changing U.S. government bumper height regulations
required modifications to the suspension system and an increase in the vehicle's factory ride height, both of which
had adverse effects on the car's handling capabilities. Many owners have subsequently replaced or modified the front
springs to return the front height to the original design specification.
Steering was rack and pinion, with an overall steering ratio of 14.9:1, giving 2.65 turns lock-to-lock and a 35 ft
(10.67 m) turning circle. DMC-12s were originally fitted with cast alloy wheels, measuring 14 in (356 mm) in
diameter by 6 in (152 mm) wide on the front and 15 in (381 mm) in diameter by 8 in (203 mm) wide on the rear.
These were fitted with Goodyear NCT steel-belted radial tires. Because the engine is mounted in the very rear of the
vehicle, the DMC-12 has a 35%/65% front/rear weight distribution.[20]
The DMC-12 features power-assisted disc brakes on all wheels, with 10 in (254 mm) rotors front and 10.5 in
(267 mm) rear.

Performance
John DeLorean had originally envisioned that the car would produce
somewhere around 200 horsepower (150 kW), but eventually settled
on a 170 horsepower (130 kW) output for the engine. However, United
States emissions regulations required that parts such as catalytic
converters be added to the vehicle before it could be sold there. This
caused a 40 horsepower (30 kW) reduction to the vehicle's power
output, a loss which seriously impeded the DMC-12's performance.
When this combined with the suspension system changes, the US
The grey interior and manual transmission in a
version was regarded as disappointing. DeLorean's comparison
DMC-12
literature noted that the DMC-12 could achieve 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h)
in 8.8 s, respectable for the early 1980s, but Road & Track magazine
clocked the car at 10.5 s. It is possible that the factory performance numbers were achieved using a European-spec
car with the 170 horsepower (130 kW) engine.[21]
DeLorean DMC-12 5

Pricing
The car was named the DMC-12 because of its original price of US$12,000. New DMC-12s had a suggested retail
price of $25,000 ($650 more when equipped with an automatic transmission); this is equivalent to approximately
$60371 in 2011.[22] There were extensive waiting lists of people willing to pay up to $10,000 above the list price;
however, after the collapse of the DeLorean Motor Company, unsold cars could be purchased for under the retail
price.[23]
The DMC-12 was only available with two factory options including a no-cost manual transmission or automatic
transmission and the choice of a grey or black interior. Several dealer options were available, including a car cover;
floor mats; black textured accent stripes; grey scotch-cal accent stripes); a luggage rack and a ski-rack adapter. The
standard feature list included stainless steel body panels; gull-wing doors with cryogenically-treated torsion bars;
leather seats/trim; air conditioning; an AM/FM cassette stereo system; power windows, locks and mirrors; a tilt and
telescopic steering wheel; tinted glass; body side mouldings; intermittent/constant windshield wipers; and an electric
rear window defogger.[24] [25]

Production changes
Although there were no typical "yearly" updates to the DeLorean, several changes were made to the DeLorean
during production. John DeLorean believed that model years were primarily a gimmick used by automobile
companies to sell more cars. Instead of making massive changes at the end of the model year, he implemented
changes mid-production. This resulted in no clear distinction between the 1981, 1982, and 1983 model years, but
with subtle changes taking place almost continuously throughout the life of the DeLorean. The most visible of these
changes related to the hood style.

Hood styles
The original hood of the DeLorean had grooves running down both sides. It included a gas flap to simplify fuel
filling. The gas flap was built so that the trunk could be added to the total cargo area of the DeLorean. These cars
typically had a locking gas cap to prevent siphoning. In 1981, the hood flap was removed from the hood of the cars
(although the hood creases stayed). This style was retained well into 1982. Based on production numbers for all three
years, this hood style is probably the most common. After the supply of locking gas caps was exhausted, the
company switched to a non-locking version (resulting in at least 500 cars with no gas flap, but with locking gas
caps). The final styling for the hood included the addition of a DeLorean logo and the removal of the grooves,
resulting in a completely flat hood. All changes to the hood were made not to alter the look of the car, but for a much
more practical reason: production of the grooveless design was faster and more reliable, as the stainless steel would
often crack in the process of forming the grooves.

Early 1981 Hood 1983 hood

DeLorean DMC-12 6

Other changes
John DeLorean was 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) tall, and he designed the car to
comfortably fit someone of his stature. For shorter people, the addition
of a pull strap made closing the doors much easier from the inside. Pull
straps were manufactured as an add-on for earlier vehicles in
November 1981. These attach to the existing door handle. Late-model
1981 cars, and all cars from 1982 and 1983, have doors with integrated
pull straps.
The side bolstering in the DeLorean was originally separate from the
main interior pieces. There is a tendency to place pressure on this piece
when entering and exiting the car. This will eventually cause the
bolstering to become separated from the trim panel. To help fix this
problem, cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece with
Early pull strap
the bolster permanently attached.

As an addition to later cars, a foot rest or "dead" pedal—in the form of

an unusable pedal—was added to the cars to help prevent fatigue while
driving. This is one of the few changes that is directly tied to a model
year. These were built in to only a few of the late 1981 vehicles, and
were added to all cars starting with 1982 production.
Although the styling of the DeLorean's wheels remained unchanged,
the wheels of early-model 1981 vehicles were painted grey. These
wheels sported matching grey center caps with an embossed DMC
logo. Early into the 1981 production run, these were changed to a
polished silver look, with a contrasting black center cap. The embossed Later style one-piece bolster
logo on the centre caps was painted silver to add contrast.
In 1981, the DeLorean came stocked with a Craig radio; this was a
standard 1980s tape radio with dual knob controls. Since the Craig did
not have a built-in clock, one was installed in front of the gear shift.
DeLorean switched to an ASI stereo in the middle of the 1982
production run. Since the ASI radio featured an on-board clock, the
standard DeLorean clock was removed at the same time.

The first 2,200 cars produced used a windshield-embedded antenna.

This type of antenna proved to be inadequate for most motoring needs,
so a standard whip antenna was added to the outside of the front right
quarter panel. While improving radio reception, this resulted in a hole
Mid 1981 silver wheel
in the stainless steel, and an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antenna
was again moved, this time to the rear of the car. Automatic antennas
were installed under the grills behind the rear driver's-side window. While giving the reception quality of a whip
antenna, these completely disappear from view when not in use.

The small sun visors on the DeLorean have vinyl on one side, and headliner fabric on the other side. Originally these
were installed such that the headliner side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981, they were
reversed so that the vinyl side would be on the bottom.
The original Ducellier alternator supplied with the early production DMC-12s could not provide enough current to
supply the car when all lights and electrical options were on; as a result, the battery would gradually discharge,
leaving the driver stranded on the road. This happened to DeLorean owner Johnny Carson shortly after he was
DeLorean DMC-12 7

presented with the vehicle. Later cars were fitted from the factory with a higher output Motorola alternator which
solved this problem. This also is believed to be the reason behind the improvement in the sound quality of the horn.
Earlier models emitted a weak sound, not loud or strong enough to be effective in normal traffic.

Right-hand drive models

DMC-12s were primarily intended for the American market despite being produced in Northern Ireland. All
production models were therefore left-hand drive. Evidence survives from as early as April 1981, however, which
indicates that the DeLorean Motor Company was aware of the need to produce a right-hand drive version to supply
to world markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
The company faced the choice of building right-hand drive models from scratch, or performing a post-production
conversion exercise. Given the cost of new body molds, tooling, and a host of specific parts that a factory build
right-hand drive configuration would require, the company opted to investigate the idea of a post-production
conversion using a company based in Hampshire called Wooler-Hodec Ltd.
Only 16 right-hand drive factory-authorised DeLoreans were ever produced.[26] These cars can be divided into two
distinct groups:
1. The first batch, known by enthusiasts as the "Wooler-Hodec cars", were converted by the UK company of that
name. Evidence still exists in the form of a DMC factory memo which orders 20 cars to be converted to
right-hand drive. Due to the factory's closure, this order was never completed and today a total of 13 cars survive,
carrying the VIN numbers: 510, 12171–12181 & 12199. VIN 510 is understood to be the first of this batch of cars
converted and was later sold at the factory auction in 1984. The other twelve cars were auctioned off by the
receivers in early 1983. As a result, several of these cars were registered at the same time and have the Northern
Irish registration (licence) number "SIJ xxxx". All of this first batch of cars had a black interior and all had
manual transmission except VIN 12175. This car is the world's only right-hand drive black interior automatic car
and is owned by Andrew Withers, former Editor of the UK DeLorean Owners Club.
2. The second batch were registered and used by the factory in Northern Ireland, with registration numbers (license
plates), AXI 1697, AXI 1698, AXI 1699 and are referred to by enthusiasts as the "AXI cars". These three cars
(VINs 5565, 5592 and 5638) differ from the first Wooler-Hodec cars in several ways. These three cars all had
roof mounted radio aerials, very small round front side marker lights, no rear side marker lights, white
forward-facing door lights, fog-light switch, and textured body rubstrips on the stainless panels. No catalytic
converters or Lambda equipment were fitted as British legislation did not require them. Vin number 5565 with the
registration number AXI 1697 was a fully UK homologated example which would have been shown at the British
motor show at Birmingham, UK in October 1982. It includes a unique rearward facing twin exhaust, no catalytic
converters and the UK specification engine as used by Volvo, but retaining the usual Renault anclillaries. The
transmission final drive was also set at 3.88:1 versus the standard 3.44:1. Attention was paid to other unique
details such as correctly offset wing mirrors.
Recent research has revealed that VINs 752 and 758, once thought to be factory authorized Wooler Hodec right-hand
drive cars, are post-factory conversions carried out by private individuals. Some of the right-hand drive cars have
speedometers reading to 140 mph (230 km/h), instead of the US-specification 85 mph (137 km/h).
A common misconception surrounding the factory-authorised right-hand drive DeLoreans is that they were all fitted
with different, so-called "Euro-spec", tail lights[27] as part of the right-hand drive conversion programme. This is not
the case. Due to the nature of these cars as prototypes, they were not officially type-approved for use in the UK.
Owners who bought these cars at auction in the early 1980s encountered difficulty in registering them as new
vehicles in the UK. At this point a former DeLorean Motor Cars executive offered to modify and register the cars so
that they could be used in the UK. These modifications included:
1. Different seat belt units fitted.[28]
DeLorean DMC-12 8

2. The fitting of Rubbolite tail light clusters with a built-in foglight function.[27] The foglight is a legal requirement
in the UK.
3. The fitting of a foglight switch to one of the centre console dummy switches.[28]
4. A custom-made tail light surround and number (licence) plate bezel.[29]
5. Swapping the front turn signal lenses for ones of a different, more rounded style.[30]
6. Swapping the rear side marker lenses for amber ones.[31]
Over half of the 16 right-hand drive cars had these modifications carried out. In recent years several owners of these
cars have replaced the Rubbolite lights with original federal style tail lights in an effort to return the cars to their
original specification. Some owners have also fitted federal style licence plate bezels on their cars.
There were a number of official alterations made to the right-hand drive cars' lights. The extent of these
modifications varies between the first batch of "Wooler-Hodec" cars and the later "AXI" cars:
All of the 13 Wooler-Hodec cars were modified to the OEM front turn signal lens fixing method in order to make
them fit flush with the front fascia.[32] The cars' headlights were also changed for right-hand drive spec lights that
incorporate a UK sidelight feature. The rest of the lights appear to have been left untouched by Wooler-Hodec during
the conversion process.
By contrast, the 3 "AXI" cars had further modifications to the amber front door lights, which were exchanged for
clear lenses of the same style.[33] Perhaps the most significant alteration on the "AXI" cars is the deletion of the front
and rear side markers. These are replaced by a single small round European style indicator side repeater, situated on
the front wing (fender). The body rubstrips are also of a different configuration in order to cover the areas which
would otherwise have had federal side marker lenses fitted.[34]
As of 2008, these cars are valued in the region of £25,000 – £30,000.

Special DMC-12s
Several special-edition DMC-12 cars have been produced over the years, and the car is most notably featured as the
time machine in the Back to the Future trilogy. The PRV engines of the cars were dubbed over with recorded V8
sounds. Six DeLorean chassis were used during the production, along with one manufactured out of fiberglass for
scenes where a full-size DeLorean was needed to "fly" on-screen; only three of the cars currently exist, with one
having been destroyed at the end of Back to the Future III, two additional cars left to rot, and the fiberglass replica
being torn apart for scrap. Universal Studios owns two of the remaining cars occasionally putting them on display or
using them for other productions, and the last resides in a private collection after having been extensively
restored.[35]
One of several DeLorean prototypes is still in existence, and is currently for sale after undergoing a complete
restoration at DeLorean Motor Company of Florida (DMCFL). There have also been major finds in the last few
years of "pilot cars". These cars, used for testing of the DeLorean, had been thought destroyed. The test car featured
on the front cover of Autocar in 1981 announcing the DeLorean to the world was found in 2003 in a barn in
Northern Ireland; it is currently undergoing restoration. Production of the DeLorean started at VIN 500. VINs 502
and 530 were used by Legend Industries as a proof of concept for a twin-turbo version of the standard DeLorean
PRV-V6 engine. Only one other twin-turbo engine is known to exist: it was purchased in the late 1990s by an
individual owner.
VIN 500, notable for being the first production DeLorean to roll off the line in 1981, is on display in the Crawford
Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.[36]
DeLorean DMC-12 9

For Christmas 1981, A DeLorean/American Express promotion

planned to sell one hundred 24k-Karat Gold Plated DMC-12s [37] for
$85,000 each to its gold card members, but only two were sold. One of
these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National
Bank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20
years before being loaned to the Petersen Automotive Museum of Los
Angeles. It has a black interior, and an automatic transmission.

The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 is located at the

A gold plated DeLorean in Reno, Nevada William F. Harrah Foundation/National Automobile Museum in Reno,
Nevada. This car, VIN #4300, is the only one of the three existing
gold-plated examples to be equipped with a manual transmission. This car has a tan interior. Like its golden siblings,
it is a low-mileage vehicle with only 1,442 miles (2,307 km) on the odometer.[38]
A third gold-plated car exists with 636 miles (1,018 km) clocked up; it carries the VIN plate for the last DeLorean,
#20105, though final assembly was actually completed in Columbus, Ohio in 1983.[39] This car was assembled with
spare parts that were required by American Express in case one of the other two that were built were damaged. All
necessary gold-plated parts were on hand, with the exception of one door. The car was assembled after another door
was gold-plated, though the added door does not precisely match the rest of the car in color and grain. The car was
first acquired by the winner of a Big Lots store raffle. Consolidated International, which owned the department store,
had purchased 1,374 DMC-12s during the DeLorean Company's financial troubles, acquiring the remaining stock
after the company went into receivership. Now held by a private owner in La Vale, Maryland, the third and last
gold-plated DeLorean is currently for sale at the price of $250,000. This car and the example in Reno have
saddle-brown leather interiors, a color scheme which was intended to become an option on later production cars.
However, these two cars were the only DeLoreans to be thus equipped from factory parts.

DMC Texas' New Build Cars

DMC Texas (Based in Humble, Texas) announced on July 30, 2007 that the car would be returning into very limited
production (about 20 cars per year) in 2008.[40] The newly produced cars would have a base price of $57,500 and
have new stainless steel frames; with optional extras such as GPS, an enhanced "Stage 2" engine, and possibly a new
modern interior. The cars would be made with 80% old parts and the rest new.[41] This project was featured in an
episode of Modern Marvels. Although the term "return to production" is something of a misnomer, as the cars are
built on an original DeLorean underbody that was built by the original company in the '80's and retains its VIN. The
cars' title will show the respective year of the underbody's manufacture. They are not, in fact, creating "new"
DeLoreans, but performing complete rebuilds of the car from the underbody with the aforementioned enhancements.
As a result, there have been no DeLoreans produced since the factory closed down and all "New Build" cars are
refurbished '80's originals.
DeLorean DMC-12 10

Back to the Future

The DMC-12 was featured and mentioned in many films and
on television, most notably as the time machine in the Back to
the Future trilogy. The DeLorean time machine has been
considered an iconic feature in American film history and
American pop culture as a whole.

Notes
[1] "DeLorean Motor Company FAQ's" (http:/ / www. delorean. com/ q& a.
asp#whereparts). Delorean.com. . Retrieved May 4, 2009.
[2] "LA Times story- For the DeLorean, it's back to the present – retrieved
July 29, 2007" (http:/ / www. latimes. com/ business/ A modified DeLorean, as it appeared in Back to the Future
la-fi-garage28jul28,0,7786124. story?coll=la-home-center). Los Angeles
Times. July 28, 2007. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.
[3] "New build cars" (http:/ / www. delorean. com/ index-5. html). DeLorean Motor Company. . Retrieved May 26, 2010.
[4] "Interview with James Espy of DMCH" (http:/ / www. myride. com/ content/ shared/ articles/ templates/ index. cfm/ article_id_int/ 6244/
page/ page1/ id/ 27821). Myride.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.
[5] "10. The Rise and Fall of John DeLorean" (http:/ / eightiesclub. tripod. com/ id305. htm). Eightiesclub.tripod.com. . Retrieved May 4, 2009.
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[16] U.S. Patent 4,378,658 (http:/ / www. google. com/ patents?vid=4,378,658)
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DeLorean DMC-12 11

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References
• John Z. DeLorean, Ted Schwarz, DeLorean, Zondervan (September 1985), ISBN 0-310-37940-7
• J Lamm, DeLorean Stainless Steel Illusion, 2nd edition (2003), ISBN 0-9744141-0-7
• R. M. Clarke, DeLorean 1977–1995 Gold Portfolio (December 28, 1995), ISBN 1-85520-331-6

External links
• Inside the DeLorean factory: Where new DMC-12s are made – one at a time. (http://www.motortopia.com/
car-blogs/inside-the-delorean-factory-where-new-dmc-12s-are-made-one-at-a-time-9122)
• DeLorean Motor Company (http://www.delorean.com)
• DeLorean DMC-12 (http://www.dmoz.org/Recreation/Autos/Makes_and_Models/DeLorean//) at the Open
Directory Project
• DeLorean DMC 12 (http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-De+Lorean_model-DMC+12&sortBy=4.html) at
the Internet Movie Cars Database
Article Sources and Contributors 12

Article Sources and Contributors

DeLorean DMC-12  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=422296126  Contributors: 293.xx.xxx.xx, 32X, ACupOfCoffee, Aaron of Mpls, Abbeyvet, Achmelvic, Addict 2006,
AdmiralSenn, Agnte, Ahruman, Aktron, Alanobrien, Alansohn, Aleron235, Alexwcovington, Algae, And003, Andicat, Andrija Domitrović, Andy Dingley, Angelic Wraith, AntóineO'Connor,
ApolloBoy, Aquila9, Areaseven, ArgentLA, ArmadilloFromHell, Ashley Pomeroy, Astronautics, Avogadro94, Ayecee, BD2412, BabuBhatt, Badmachine, Barnstarbob, Bazza 7, Belovedfreak,
BenFrantzDale, Bengal Spider, Betabarn, Bevo, Bhadani, Bhoeble, BickyBy, Biker Biker, Bk0, Bluehuffy, Bobblewik, Bobio93, Bobrayner, Bradarproductions, Brian Kendig, Brian the Editor,
Brian0918, Brighterorange, BrokenSegue, BrotherEstapol, Brownmouse, Brutaldeluxe, Btphelps, Buddyholly4, Bull-Doser, Bunchofgrapes, CLW, CZmarlin, Can't sleep, clown will eat me,
Canterbury Tail, Cantthinkofausername, Captain Occam, Ccscott, Ceoil, Charles01, Chavando, Chexmix53, Chris Von Bron, Chris.V, Chuck Sirloin, Cleared as filed, Clerks, Cliffb,
Cliphwinters, Closedmouth, Cmpxchg8b, Codezephyr, CommonsDelinker, Compuboks, Connerthecat, Conormcgill, Cornellrockey, Csztybel, Czyrko, D6, DMC88, DMCer, DMage, Daedalus-,
Dale Arnett, Dan100, Daniel J. Leivick, DannyBoy7783, Dark Shikari, Darkfrog24, Darth Mike, Davemcarlson, Davetibbs, Davidkevin, Dawnseeker2000, DeLorean Club, Delorean121,
Deloreanguy, Denzell393, DerHexer, Derek.cashman, Detriment, Dharmabum420, DiogenesNY, Dispenser, Donreed, Doovinator, Dramabob, Drb713, Drdelorean, Dream out loud, Drhlajos,
Dspradau, Editore99, Edwinrich, Ekwos, Eleland, EmilyJaneMckelvey, EmperorCato, Ericd, ErisDiscord, Ewlyahoocom, F4280, FCStaehle, Fabien1309, Fde;gjer;lguyh;b, Fieldday-sunday,
Firedemon727, FlauntyToaster, Flcelloguy, Fluence, Fourthords, Friday, Fritz Saalfeld, Frosted14, Fvw, Gaius Cornelius, GeorgeStepanek, GlobalWarmingSkeptic, Globe199, Gnomeselby,
Gnrvr1, Gothbag, Greg the White Falcon, Gregmcdougall, Grenex, Groink, Grouse, Gun it to 88, Gws57, Gzuckier, Hailey C. Shannon, Hamilton burr, Happywaffle, Heegoop, Hegria66, Hektor,
Highway99, Hnsampat, Hobartimus, Hoight, Horkana, HornColumbia, Howcheng, Hurricane Devon, Iamtheari, Infrogmation, Interlingua, Inzy, Isopropyl, Istewart, J2THAROME, JMCFORD,
JQF, Janetmegee, Janizary, Jasongill, Jax184, Jaydec, Jbanks, Jbattersby, Jbcrary, Jedi94, Jedimaster1214, Jeffw57, Jim tucker, Jll, Jogers, JohnDBuell, Jon Harald Søby, JonGwynne, Jonrev,
Jorge Stolfi, Juliancolton, Jvcdude, Jwissick, Jwplumley, KCNeece, Kari marie, Karrmann, Kasreyn, Kchishol1970, Kickstart70, Kierant, Killdevil, Kitch, KittenKlub, Klausner, Konstantin,
Kpsi355, Krashlandon, Krinkle, Kurisu, Kushboy, Kwekubo, Kylet, KyraVixen, LOL, Laboobala, LafinJack, Lawrence Agin, Lee Vonce, Leithp, LessHeard vanU, Lexi Marie, Liftarn,
Lightmouse, Local yokel, Luigi30, Luna Santin, Lvtalon, Lyght, M.C. Brown Shoes, MBisanz, MJBoa, MONGO, Magister Mathematicae, Magjak, Maikeru Go, Malber, Malcolma, Man It's So
Loud In Here, Marek69, MarkSutton, MartijnLo, MartinezMD, Martydmc12, Massic80, Max W. Gore, Mazdapickup89, McA, Miami33139, MichaelWheeley, Mickcullen, Mikebabb, Mikeblas,
Milkmandan, Million Little Gods, MisfitToys, Mitaphane, Mj23dmc, Mlk320i, Mojo-chan, Monk127, Morven, Mquin, Mr Pie 2006, Mr minifig, Mr50bmg, MrWhipple, Mrdmc, Mstroeck,
Mtjaws, NCase, Nae'blis, Nard the Bard, NawlinWiki, Ndteegarden, Neuromusic, Nick Graves, Nickin, Nihiltres, Ninju777, Nixeagle, Norm mit, Nsaa, Nsmith4658, NuclearVacuum, Nukles,
Null0, Num1dgen, OSX, ObiWanBillKenobi, Ocrancher, Ogemry, Ohconfucius, OlEnglish, Oneboy, Onionmon, Online55, Orthografer, Oscar, PLawrence99cx, PSPro1337, PZ, Paradox CT,
Pastyman, PatCheng, Pava, Pgk, Phaedriel, Philipdw, Philippe, Pipermike, Pismo, Platypus222, Prede, Prestonmcconkie, ProhibitOnions, Project Platinum, Quaestor23, Quiddity,
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Firefly, Rob hook, Robbierotten, Robert, RobertG, Robertb-dc, Rodrigur.14, Ronz, Rory096, Rubbernecked6216, Rwh, Ryancolm, SAMAS, SNIyer12, Sacularamacal13, Sam Korn, Savidan,
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Zchris87v, Zedmelon, Zero1328, Zomno, Zsinj, 花田, 898 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Delorean dmc12 front.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Delorean_dmc12_front.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: User:LSDSL
File:DeLorean DMC-12 (9979).jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DeLorean_DMC-12_(9979).jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.5
 Contributors: Original uploader was Grenex at en.wikipedia
File:DeLorean_DMC-12_with_doors_open.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DeLorean_DMC-12_with_doors_open.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License
 Contributors: CarolSpears, Jafeluv, MB-one, Takoradee
File:Passenger1.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Passenger1.JPG  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: CarolSpears, Liftarn, MB-one, Mattes,
Milkmandan, Morio, Pil56
Image:Early 1981 De Lorean hood.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Early_1981_De_Lorean_hood.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors:
Mikebabb
Image:1983 De Lorean hood.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:1983_De_Lorean_hood.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: User Mikebabb
on en.wikipedia
File:De Lorean add-on Pull strap.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:De_Lorean_add-on_Pull_strap.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors:
Original uploader was Mikebabb at en.wikipedia
File:Delorean dmc-12 later style side bolster.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Delorean_dmc-12_later_style_side_bolster.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation
License  Contributors: Original uploader was Mikebabb at en.wikipedia
File:mid 1981 De Lorean silver wheel.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mid_1981_De_Lorean_silver_wheel.JPG  License: GNU Free Documentation License
 Contributors: Original uploader was Mikebabb at en.wikipedia
File:gold-D.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gold-D.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Original uploader was Lvtalon at en.wikipedia
Later versions were uploaded by Chisholm4 at en.wikipedia.
File:Delorean5.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Delorean5.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: ADC

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/