DeLorean DMC-12 Classic Car
DeLorean: Time Machine and Lifestyle - The Story of a Classic Car, of Which Only Approximately 9,000 Were Built
DeLorean DMC-12: Gullwing Doors in Stainless Steel (Deutsch, Italiano, English, Français)
Classic Car - Garage Treasure - DeLorean. After all, it had the starring role in the film "Back to the Future" by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis (screenplay). The DeLorean. It could fly across all time boundaries and fascinated science fiction fans worldwide. Michael J. Fox traveled through time in it, and Doc Brown made it possible. The vehicle was named after John Zachary DeLorean of General Motors. Only about 9,000 were built between 1981 and 1982. The body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and the chassis came from Lotus. Production of the sports car at the DeLorean Motor Company LTD in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, ceased entirely after the first two years. Designed for the US market, the sports car found no buyers. Today, as a classic car: a dream vehicle that commands high collector value and—when a DeLorean does come up for sale—can be had for mid- to high five-figure sums.
By Helga Waess
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| DeLorean DMC-12 at the classic car meeting on the Theresienwiese in April, Munich, Photo: Helga Waess, Press Photo Archive |
Technical Specifications for the DeLorean DMC-12
The DeLorean with the production code "DMC-12" has a water-cooled, longitudinally mounted, 6-cylinder V-engine. Its displacement is 2849 cc, producing a respectable 132 hp. The car sits low and long on the road, an impression confirmed by its dimensions. At 4.27 m long and 1.99 m wide (with the gullwing doors closed), it's only 1.14 m high. Anyone sitting inside is more like lying down – at eye level with a German Shepherd and other small dogs. The total weight of this stainless steel, fiberglass-reinforced gullwing is a mere 1268 kg. Only the doors are made of pure stainless steel; all other parts are polyurethane. Only two small windows can be opened slightly. A standard kitchen stainless steel cleaner should suffice to maintain the brushed stainless steel body.
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| DeLorean gathering at Theresienwiese, Munich - Photo: Helga Waess, Press Photo Archive |
DeLorean fans were able to admire eight gullwing models at the classic car meet.
This car was supposed to be virtually rust-free, as evidenced by the matte-polished exterior body panels—built on a fiberglass base. Die-hard DeLorean fans are also familiar with the underbody, which was once preserved with epoxy resin. But even that can age, with all the associated problems: cracks, flaking, and more.
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| DeLorean DMC-12 at the classic car meet on the Theresienwiese, Munich, Photo: Helga Waess, Press Photo Archive |
Unfortunately, the road-legal original doesn't have a flux capacitor and isn't exactly a time machine
And the rear-wheel drive isn't exactly fast either. But for those who enjoy tinkering and driving on country roads, the DeLorean bug can easily bite. There's a reason the DeLorean World Tour exists. And at least 8 drivable examples arrived in Munich.
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| DeLorean DMC-12 at the classic car meet on the Theresienwiese, Munich, Photo: Helga Waess, Press Photo Archive - Classic Car Meet Theresienwiese in April |
DeLorean World Tour
More about the DeLorean can be found on the club websites of its dedicated fans:
- www.delorean.com from the DeLorean Motor Company
- www.delorean.eu
- At www.deloreans.de, the motto is "live the dream," and that's exactly what DeLorean owners seem to do, because for them, this wedge-shaped, matte silver car is a way of life.
- DeLorean clubs exist worldwide, including in its country of origin, where it's simply called DOC The DeLorean Owners Club UK.
