In the 80s there was a paradigm shift in the design of cars, and various manufacturers were trying to leave their mark on history and created some of the best cars. But nothing denoted uniqueness like the DeLorean DMC-12, which enjoys its cult status today. The prototype appeared in October 1986, and it was named DSV-1 but eventually, it was called DMC-12.
DMC (DeLorean Motor Company) was an American automobile manufacturer founded in 1975. The company gained fame from its sports car called the DeLorean. It is a 2-door coupe, rear-engine mounted, sports car with gull-wing doors. This car made its debut on 19 January 1981 but production did not last long. In December 1982, the company went bankrupt and only 9,000 DeLorean units were produced. Even though the DeLorean was popular, it lacked good build quality and an engaging driving experience. Still, this car played a role in many movies thanks to its looks and the most notable appearance was in the Back to the Future franchise, where the car was built as a time machine.
Fasten your seatbelt as we go back to the past to look at this unique sports car in detail.
Performance Of The DeLorean DMC 12
The DeLorean featured a PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) 2.8-liter SOHC V6 engine. This engine produced 130 HP at 5,500 rpm and 153 lb-ft of torque at 2,750 rpm, which was quite impressive. To cool the engine, the car had a front-mounted radiator with twin electric cooling fans. The DeLorean was able to sprint from 0-60 MPH in 8.8 seconds with the 5-speed manual transmission model, and 10.5 seconds with the automatic. The maximum speed of this so-called sports car was 109 MPH which could be considered to be not fast enough for a sports car.
All four wheels had independent suspension with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, and power-assisted disc brakes.
Exterior Of The DeLorean DMC 12
DeLorean was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. The long hood, wide-body, and gull-wing doors gave a dramatic look to this car. There were no color options available as it was covered with stainless steel. Interestingly, three out of the 9,000 units were 24-karat gold platted on buyer requests.
There weren’t many cars with a gull-wing door when the DeLorean launched in the market. These doors were hefty, operated by cryogenically present torsion bar suspension and nitrogen-charged struts. They also had small cut windows in place of full windows, which operated electronically.
Inspired by Lotus Esprit, the underbody is attached to a steel double-Y frame. The 1981 model hood came with groves going down both sides and also had a fuel filler flap. The model got modified in the 1983 model, and the metal emblem of DeLorean was placed on the right corner of the hood.
Cost alloy wheels were used in this car, the wheels and center cap was painted gray, and the DMC logo was embossed on the center cap. Later these were painted with polished silver and the center cap was colored black for better contrast.
The DeLorean also weighs around 2,718 lbs, which is fairly light.
Interiors Of The DeLorean DMC 12
The seats were known to be quite comfortable, covered with leather, and behind them was a small storage area. It also featured a speed proportional rack and pinion steering wheel. Interior trim was available in two colors only: black and gray. The car came with air conditioning and a sporty instrument cluster. It surely wasn’t the most impressive cabin layout, but it certainly was unique.
The DeLorean DMC 12 Price
The cost of a 1981 DeLorean was $25,000 when it was launched, while the 1982 model was priced at $29,825. The 1983 model was priced at $34,000 because of all the added features and design changes. There are unique models of the DeLorean around the globe, such as the gold-plated ones, right-hand drive models, and many others. At present, 6,500 DeLorean are still on the road. The price to power ratio was considered a little uncanny, ​​​​​​but people enjoyed the mild driving experience. Even after all its shortcomings, there are many enthusiasts who continue to look for available versions of the DeLorean DMC 12, and thanks to its starring role in a cult movie, it became a cult car that is worth collecting.
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