DeLorean DMC-12 1

DeLorean DMC-12

DeLorean DMC-12

1981 DeLorean DMC-12Manufacturer DeLorean Motor Company

Production 1981–19822008–present

Assembly Dunmurry, Northern IrelandHouston, Texas

Class Sports car

Body style 2-door liftback

Layout RR layout

Engine 2849 cc PRV V6

Transmission 5-speed manual3-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) doorsclosed1961 mm (77.2 in) doors open

Curb weight 1230 kg (2712 lb)

Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro

A DeLorean DMC-12 with the gull-wing doorsclosed

The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car that was originallymanufactured in Dunmurry, a suburb of Belfast, Northern Ireland byJohn DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company for the American marketin 1981–1982. It is most commonly known simply as the DeLorean, asit was the only model ever produced by the company. The DMC-12featured gull-wing doors with a fiberglass "underbody", to whichnon-structural brushed stainless steel panels were affixed. A modifiedversion of the car became iconic for its appearance as a time machinein the Back to the Future film franchise.

The first prototype appeared in March 1976, and production officiallybegan in 1981 (with the first DMC-12 rolling off the production line onJanuary 21) at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.

DeLorean DMC-12 2

A DeLorean DMC-12 from the front with thegull-wing doors open

During its production, several features of the car were changed, such asthe 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 1995using the "DeLorean Motor Company" name and shortly thereafteracquired the trademark on the stylized "DMC" logo as well as theremaining parts inventory of the original DeLorean Motor Company.The company, at its suburban Houston, Texas location completesnewly assembled cars from new original stock (NOS) parts, originalequipment manufacturer (OEM) and reproduction parts on a "made toorder" basis.[3]

HistoryIn October 1976, the first prototype DeLorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer anddesigner (formerly chief engineer at Pontiac). Originally, the car's rear-mounted power plant was to be a CitroënWankel rotary engine, but was replaced with a French-designed and produced PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) fuelinjected V6 because of the poor fuel economy of the rotary engine, an important consideration at a time ofworldwide fuel shortages. Collins and DeLorean envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untestedmanufacturing technology known as Elastic Reservoir Moulding (ERM), which would lighten the car whilepresumably 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 torequire almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer Colin Chapman, founder and owner ofLotus. Chapman replaced most of the unproven material and manufacturing techniques with those then employed byLotus. The Backbone chassis is very similar to that of the Lotus Esprit. The original Giorgetto Giugiaro body designwas 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 drawingsurfaced showing that the car was potentially to be called Z Tavio. John DeLorean's middle name and his son's firstname were both Zachary while Tavio was his father's name and his son's middle name. Due to only sporadicdocumentation, there is little more that is currently known about the Z Tavio name and why it was ultimatelyrejected in favor of the DMC-12.[4]

DeLorean required $175 million to develop and build the motor company.[5] Convincing Hollywood celebrities suchas Johnny Carson and Sammy Davis Jr to invest in the firm,[6] [7] DeLorean eventually built the DMC-12 in a factoryin 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 theNorthern Ireland Development Agency offered £100 million towards it,[10] despite an assessment by consultantshired 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 startin 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 thefactory. The workers were largely inexperienced, but were paid premium wages and supplied with the bestequipment 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.

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The DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 following John DeLorean's arrest in October of that yearon drug trafficking charges. He was later found not guilty, but it was too late for the DMC-12 to remain inproduction. Approximately 100 partially assembled DMC's on the production line were completed by ConsolidatedInternational (now known as Big Lots). The remaining parts from the factory stock, the parts from the US WarrantyParts Center, as well as parts from the original suppliers that had not yet been delivered to the factory were allshipped to Columbus, Ohio in 1983–1984. A company called KAPAC sold these parts to retail and wholesalecustomers via mail order. In 1997, DeLorean Motor Company of Texas acquired this inventory.[11] There has alsobeen 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 wereproduced in October 1981. About 1,000 1982 models were produced between February and May 1982, and all ofthese 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. Onlytwelve 12XXXX VIN cars still exist. These are the Wooler-Hodec right-hand drive cars (see below)

ConstructionThe DMC-12 features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steelbody panels, and a rear-mounted engine.

BodyThe body design of the DMC-12 was a product of Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design and is panelled in brushedSS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DMC-12s left the factory uncovered by paintor clearcoat.[14] Painted DeLoreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from thefactory. 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 nevermarketed. Small scratches in the stainless steel body panels can be removed with a non-metallic scouring pad (sincemetal 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 Espritplatform.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 bodyfiller like Bondo or lead (body solder). This poses no problem (aside from originality) with most cars, as the fillerwill be hidden by the car's paint (for example, most new cars have filler hiding the seam where the roof meets thequarter 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 ashrinking hammer or other techniques must be used to unstretch the metal) and even more difficult with stainless dueto its tendency to work-harden. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to paint stainless steel due to difficulties withpaint adhesion. DeLorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired; eachDeLorean service center today has at least one experienced body repair person on staff, and there are decades worthof 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

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

SuspensionThe underbody and suspension of the DMC-12 were based largely on the Lotus Esprit, with a four-wheelindependent 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, theDMC-12's smooth ride wasn't a surprise. Unfortunately, changing U.S. government bumper height regulationsrequired modifications to the suspension system and an increase in the vehicle's factory ride height, both of whichhad adverse effects on the car's handling capabilities. Many owners have subsequently replaced or modified the frontsprings 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) indiameter 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 thevehicle, 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

The grey interior and manual transmission in aDMC-12

John DeLorean had originally envisioned that the car would producesomewhere around 200 horsepower (150 kW), but eventually settledon a 170 horsepower (130 kW) output for the engine. However, UnitedStates emissions regulations required that parts such as catalyticconverters be added to the vehicle before it could be sold there. Thiscaused a 40 horsepower (30 kW) reduction to the vehicle's poweroutput, a loss which seriously impeded the DMC-12's performance.When this combined with the suspension system changes, the USversion was regarded as disappointing. DeLorean's comparisonliterature 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 magazineclocked the car at 10.5 s. It is possible that the factory performance numbers were achieved using a European-speccar with the 170 horsepower (130 kW) engine.[21]

DeLorean DMC-12 5

PricingThe car was named the DMC-12 because of its original price of US$12,000. New DMC-12s had a suggested retailprice 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 retailprice.[23]

The DMC-12 was only available with two factory options including a no-cost manual transmission or automatictransmission 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. Thestandard 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 andtelescopic steering wheel; tinted glass; body side mouldings; intermittent/constant windshield wipers; and an electricrear window defogger.[24] [25]

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

Hood stylesThe original hood of the DeLorean had grooves running down both sides. It included a gas flap to simplify fuelfilling. The gas flap was built so that the trunk could be added to the total cargo area of the DeLorean. These carstypically 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 threeyears, this hood style is probably the most common. After the supply of locking gas caps was exhausted, thecompany switched to a non-locking version (resulting in at least 500 cars with no gas flap, but with locking gascaps). 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 muchmore practical reason: production of the grooveless design was faster and more reliable, as the stainless steel wouldoften crack in the process of forming the grooves.

Early 1981 Hood 1983 hood

DeLorean DMC-12 6

Other changes

Early pull strap

Later style one-piece bolster

Mid 1981 silver wheel

John DeLorean was 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) tall, and he designed the car tocomfortably fit someone of his stature. For shorter people, the additionof a pull strap made closing the doors much easier from the inside. Pullstraps were manufactured as an add-on for earlier vehicles inNovember 1981. These attach to the existing door handle. Late-model1981 cars, and all cars from 1982 and 1983, have doors with integratedpull straps.The side bolstering in the DeLorean was originally separate from themain interior pieces. There is a tendency to place pressure on this piecewhen entering and exiting the car. This will eventually cause thebolstering to become separated from the trim panel. To help fix thisproblem, cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece withthe bolster permanently attached.

As an addition to later cars, a foot rest or "dead" pedal—in the form ofan unusable pedal—was added to the cars to help prevent fatigue whiledriving. This is one of the few changes that is directly tied to a modelyear. These were built in to only a few of the late 1981 vehicles, andwere 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. Thesewheels sported matching grey center caps with an embossed DMClogo. Early into the 1981 production run, these were changed to apolished silver look, with a contrasting black center cap. The embossedlogo on the centre caps was painted silver to add contrast.In 1981, the DeLorean came stocked with a Craig radio; this was astandard 1980s tape radio with dual knob controls. Since the Craig didnot 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 1982production run. Since the ASI radio featured an on-board clock, thestandard 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 rightquarter panel. While improving radio reception, this resulted in a holein the stainless steel, and an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antennawas again moved, this time to the rear of the car. Automatic antennaswere installed under the grills behind the rear driver's-side window. While giving the reception quality of a whipantenna, 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 thesewere installed such that the headliner side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981, they werereversed 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 whichsolved 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 modelsDMC-12s were primarily intended for the American market despite being produced in Northern Ireland. Allproduction models were therefore left-hand drive. Evidence survives from as early as April 1981, however, whichindicates that the DeLorean Motor Company was aware of the need to produce a right-hand drive version to supplyto 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-productionconversion exercise. Given the cost of new body molds, tooling, and a host of specific parts that a factory buildright-hand drive configuration would require, the company opted to investigate the idea of a post-productionconversion 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 twodistinct 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 toright-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 carsconverted and was later sold at the factory auction in 1984. The other twelve cars were auctioned off by thereceivers in early 1983. As a result, several of these cars were registered at the same time and have the NorthernIrish registration (licence) number "SIJ xxxx". All of this first batch of cars had a black interior and all hadmanual transmission except VIN 12175. This car is the world's only right-hand drive black interior automatic carand 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 (licenseplates), 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 hadroof mounted radio aerials, very small round front side marker lights, no rear side marker lights, whiteforward-facing door lights, fog-light switch, and textured body rubstrips on the stainless panels. No catalyticconverters or Lambda equipment were fitted as British legislation did not require them. Vin number 5565 with theregistration number AXI 1697 was a fully UK homologated example which would have been shown at the Britishmotor show at Birmingham, UK in October 1982. It includes a unique rearward facing twin exhaust, no catalyticconverters and the UK specification engine as used by Volvo, but retaining the usual Renault anclillaries. Thetransmission final drive was also set at 3.88:1 versus the standard 3.44:1. Attention was paid to other uniquedetails such as correctly offset wing mirrors.

Recent research has revealed that VINs 752 and 758, once thought to be factory authorized Wooler Hodec right-handdrive cars, are post-factory conversions carried out by private individuals. Some of the right-hand drive cars havespeedometers 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 fittedwith different, so-called "Euro-spec", tail lights[27] as part of the right-hand drive conversion programme. This is notthe 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 newvehicles in the UK. At this point a former DeLorean Motor Cars executive offered to modify and register the cars sothat 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 requirementin 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 thesecars have replaced the Rubbolite lights with original federal style tail lights in an effort to return the cars to theiroriginal 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 thesemodifications 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 makethem fit flush with the front fascia.[32] The cars' headlights were also changed for right-hand drive spec lights thatincorporate a UK sidelight feature. The rest of the lights appear to have been left untouched by Wooler-Hodec duringthe conversion process.By contrast, the 3 "AXI" cars had further modifications to the amber front door lights, which were exchanged forclear lenses of the same style.[33] Perhaps the most significant alteration on the "AXI" cars is the deletion of the frontand rear side markers. These are replaced by a single small round European style indicator side repeater, situated onthe front wing (fender). The body rubstrips are also of a different configuration in order to cover the areas whichwould 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-12sSeveral special-edition DMC-12 cars have been produced over the years, and the car is most notably featured as thetime machine in the Back to the Future trilogy. The PRV engines of the cars were dubbed over with recorded V8sounds. Six DeLorean chassis were used during the production, along with one manufactured out of fiberglass forscenes where a full-size DeLorean was needed to "fly" on-screen; only three of the cars currently exist, with onehaving been destroyed at the end of Back to the Future III, two additional cars left to rot, and the fiberglass replicabeing torn apart for scrap. Universal Studios owns two of the remaining cars occasionally putting them on display orusing them for other productions, and the last resides in a private collection after having been extensivelyrestored.[35]

One of several DeLorean prototypes is still in existence, and is currently for sale after undergoing a completerestoration at DeLorean Motor Company of Florida (DMCFL). There have also been major finds in the last fewyears of "pilot cars". These cars, used for testing of the DeLorean, had been thought destroyed. The test car featuredon the front cover of Autocar in 1981 announcing the DeLorean to the world was found in 2003 in a barn inNorthern Ireland; it is currently undergoing restoration. Production of the DeLorean started at VIN 500. VINs 502and 530 were used by Legend Industries as a proof of concept for a twin-turbo version of the standard DeLoreanPRV-V6 engine. Only one other twin-turbo engine is known to exist: it was purchased in the late 1990s by anindividual owner.VIN 500, notable for being the first production DeLorean to roll off the line in 1981, is on display in the CrawfordAuto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.[36]

DeLorean DMC-12 9

A gold plated DeLorean in Reno, Nevada

For Christmas 1981, A DeLorean/American Express promotionplanned 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 ofthese was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder NationalBank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20years before being loaned to the Petersen Automotive Museum of LosAngeles. It has a black interior, and an automatic transmission.

The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 is located at theWilliam 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 withspare parts that were required by American Express in case one of the other two that were built were damaged. Allnecessary gold-plated parts were on hand, with the exception of one door. The car was assembled after another doorwas gold-plated, though the added door does not precisely match the rest of the car in color and grain. The car wasfirst 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 stockafter the company went into receivership. Now held by a private owner in La Vale, Maryland, the third and lastgold-plated DeLorean is currently for sale at the price of $250,000. This car and the example in Reno havesaddle-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 CarsDMC Texas (Based in Humble, Texas) announced on July 30, 2007 that the car would be returning into very limitedproduction (about 20 cars per year) in 2008.[40] The newly produced cars would have a base price of $57,500 andhave new stainless steel frames; with optional extras such as GPS, an enhanced "Stage 2" engine, and possibly a newmodern interior. The cars would be made with 80% old parts and the rest new.[41] This project was featured in anepisode of Modern Marvels. Although the term "return to production" is something of a misnomer, as the cars arebuilt on an original DeLorean underbody that was built by the original company in the '80's and retains its VIN. Thecars' 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 arerefurbished '80's originals.

DeLorean DMC-12 10

Back to the Future

A modified DeLorean, as it appeared in Back to the Future

The DMC-12 was featured and mentioned in many films andon television, most notably as the time machine in the Back tothe Future trilogy. The DeLorean time machine has beenconsidered an iconic feature in American film history andAmerican 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/la-fi-garage28jul28,0,7786124. story?coll=la-home-center). Los AngelesTimes. 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.[6] Hakim, Danny (March 21, 2005). "John Z. DeLorean, Father of Glamour Car, Dies at 80" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 03/ 21/

business/ 21delorean. html). The New York Times. . Retrieved May 1, 2010.[7] "Avanti Celebrity Owners – Johnny Carson" (http:/ / www. theavanti. com/ carson. htm). Theavanti.com. May 22, 1992. . Retrieved May 4,

2009.[8] "Delorean" (http:/ / www. cartype. com/ pages/ 1145/ delorean). Cartype. .[9] "Failure of Design Management" (http:/ / www. tech. plym. ac. uk/ sme/ interactive_resources/ tutorials/ failurecases/ fd1. html). Failure as a

design criterion. .[10] "The man" (http:/ / www. deloreanmuseum. org/ man. html). The DeLorean Museum. .[11] "DeLorean Motor Company FAQ" (http:/ / www. delorean. com/ q& a. asp#whereparts). Delorean.com. November 6, 2007. . Retrieved

December 4, 2010.[12] "Body Dies Pt 1" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ Resource/ bodydies/ bodydies. html). Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved May 4, 2009.[13] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ, Historic Information – DeLorean Production Numbers" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ h_vins. htm).

Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[14] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ – Body Finish and Composition from Owners Manual" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ t_finish. htm).

Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[15] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ – Care & Feeding – Stainless Steel Body Maintenance" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ c_body. htm).

Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[16] U.S. Patent 4,378,658 (http:/ / www. google. com/ patents?vid=4,378,658)[17] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ – Exotic Technology" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ t_tech1. htm). Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved

December 4, 2010.[18] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ – Vehicle Dimensions from Technical Manual, Workshop Manual" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/

t_dims. htm). Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[19] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ – Historic Information – Door Design" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ h_doors. htm). Dmcnews.com.

. Retrieved December 4, 2010.[20] Knut Grimsrud. "DeLorean FAQ – Weight and Balance from Technical manual" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ t_weight. htm).

Dmcnews.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[21] "DeLorean Motor Company – Physical Characteristics of Competitive Cars" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ img/ docs/ doc_11f. gif). .

Retrieved December 4, 2010.[22] "What is a dollar worth?" (http:/ / www. minneapolisfed. org/ research/ data/ us/ calc/ ). The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. .

Retrieved May 9, 2008.[23] "DeLorean FAQ – Historic Information – Sales and Dealer Experiences" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ h_sales. htm). .[24] "DeLorean FAQ – Dealer Installed Accessories" (http:/ / www. dmcnews. com/ faq/ d_broc2. htm). June 20, 1981. .[25] "DeLorean Owners Association – DeLorean specifications table" (http:/ / www. delorean-owners. org/ legend/ specs. html). .[26] "DeLorean: Euro Spec DeLoreans" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co. uk/ rhd-euro/ index. html). Deloreans.co.uk. . Retrieved May 4, 2009.[27] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating so-called "Euro-spec" tail light unit" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co. uk/ features/

eurospec/ big_pics/ rubberlight02. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

DeLorean DMC-12 11

[28] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating modified seat belt unit in right-hand drive car" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co. uk/features/ eurospec/ big_pics/ fogswitch01. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[29] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating custom fabricated tail light and number (licence) plate bezel fitted on an officialright-hand drive car" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co. uk/ features/ eurospec/ big_pics/ rubberlight01. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[30] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating rounded turn signal lens on an official right-hand drive car" (http:/ / www.deloreans. co. uk/ features/ eurospec/ big_pics/ frontrepeater02. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[31] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating amber rear side marker lens fitted on an official right-hand drive car" (http:/ /www. deloreans. co. uk/ features/ eurospec/ big_pics/ rearmarker01. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[32] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating modified front turn signal lens" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co. uk/ features/eurospec/ big_pics/ frontrepeater01. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[33] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating clear door light lens" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co. uk/ features/ eurospec/big_pics/ whitedoorlight01. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[34] "DeLorean Owners Club UK – Reference image illustrating modified rubstrips and single round marker light" (http:/ / www. deloreans. co.uk/ features/ eurospec/ big_pics/ flasherrepeater02. jpg). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

[35] "BTTF3 DeLorean: Where Are They?" (http:/ / bttf3delorean. com/ Where_are_they. html). . Retrieved Jaunary 1, 2011.[36] "Crawford Auto Collection – 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe (first DeLorean produced)" (http:/ / www. wrhs. org/ cfm/ auto/ autoimage.

cfm?auto_id=173). . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[37] http:/ / www. bigtexas. com/ dmc/[38] "National Automobile Museum" (http:/ / www. automuseum. org). Automuseum.org. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[39] "Gold DeLorean for sale in LaVale, Maryland" (http:/ / bigtexas. com/ dmc/ gold/ ). Bigtexas.com. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[40] "For the DeLorean, it's back to the present" (http:/ / www. latimes. com/ business/ la-fi-garage28jul28,1,6560463. story). LA Times. July 28,

2007. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.[41] "Texas Entrepreneur Set to Start Building DeLorean Cars" (http:/ / www. foxnews. com/ story/ 0,2933,293814,00. html). Fox News. August

21, 2007. . Retrieved December 4, 2010.

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 ContributorsDeLorean 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. 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Brown Shoes, MBisanz, MJBoa, MONGO, Magister Mathematicae, Magjak, Maikeru Go, Malber, Malcolma, Man It's SoLoud 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,Qwertyuiopognj, RJL Hartmans, RJaguar3, Rama, Randy G, Raybechard, Raymondluxuryacht, Redlock, Regushee, Rettetast, Rich Farmbrough, Richi, Richjkl, Rjwilmsi, Rmrfstar, Rob TFirefly, Rob hook, Robbierotten, Robert, RobertG, Robertb-dc, Rodrigur.14, Ronz, Rory096, Rubbernecked6216, Rwh, Ryancolm, SAMAS, SNIyer12, Sacularamacal13, Sam Korn, Savidan,Sbowers3, Scarecroe, SchirmerPower, SchuminWeb, SeaFox, Seaphoto, Sebvdv, Seemeel, Septegram, Sexy Back 16, Sfoskett, Shinmawa, Sidewinder468, Silverxxx, Simon80, Singerboi22,Skeejay, Slakr, Slider10, Sonett72, Sovxx, Stannered, Stedder, Stephantom, Stevage, Svick, Swaq, TBustah, TMC1982, Tang Wenlong, Tbhotch, TeaDrinker, TexasDex, Thatwerks, The GiantPuffin, TheChrisD, ThePaper, TheParanoidOne, TheProject, Thingg, Thingymajig, Thiseye, Thumperward, Tide rolls, Timc, Tony1, Tooki, Totakeke423, Tragedy89, Trevor MacInnis,TrufflesTheLamb, Tygrrr, Typ932, Ukdoceditor, Unimath, Val42, Vanished user 39948282, Vipinhari, Visor, VoxLuna, Voyagerfan5761, Wackelpudding, Wackymacs, Wavy G, Wayward,WiiKiBoyz, Wiki alf, Willirennen, Winterheart, Woohookitty, Xaosflux, Xen 1986, Xmk1132, Y2kcrazyjoker4, Yiddophile, Yorkshire Phoenix, ZS, Zach4636, Zahid Abdassabur, ZakuSage,Zchris87v, Zedmelon, Zero1328, Zomno, Zsinj, 花田, 898 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile: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:LSDSLFile: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.wikipediaFile: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, TakoradeeFile: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, Pil56Image: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:MikebabbImage: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 Mikebabbon en.wikipediaFile: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.wikipediaFile: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 DocumentationLicense  Contributors: Original uploader was Mikebabb at en.wikipediaFile: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.wikipediaFile: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.wikipediaLater 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

LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unportedhttp:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/