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DeLorean DMC-12 - the sporty long-term automobile from the past

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Created on September 21, 2021

Reading time 9min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Universal International Pictures

Italdesign

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Universal International Pictures

Italdesign

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

75 1

DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - mit eingeschalteter Beleuchtung und wegretouchierter Tagfahrlampen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - 198 km/h lief er im ams-Test im Jahr 1982

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - es empfiehlt sich allerdings, mit geschlossenen Türen zu fahren

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - als sei er gerade aus der Zukunft oder der Vergangenheit gelandet ....

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - wirkt auch 40 Jahre nach dem Bau futuristisch

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - bereit für die Zukunft

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - man kann auch mit offenen Türen fahren

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - zwei Meter Breite in Kombination mit 1,14 Meter Höhe ergeben eine dynamische Statur

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - das Beschleunigungsvermögen der 132-PS-Version erfüllte die Erwartungen von Sportwagen-Freunden nicht ganz

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - bei soviel Grau empfiehlt sich natürlich eine Beleuchtung auch am Tag

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - angekommen im Jahr 2021

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Flügeltüren sind immer attraktiv

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - so ungefähr, aber ohne Streifen, dürfte dieser DMC-12 im Dezember 1981 das Werk verlassen haben

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - satte 1,98 Meter breit

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - die Tagfahrlichter kamen natürlich viel später

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Interieur mit vielen Lederanwendungen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - der Innenraum wirkt durchaus wertig

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - komplette und gut ablesbare Instrumentierung

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - eine Warnleuchte warnt vor offenen Flügeltüren

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - nur ein kleiner Teil der Seitenfenster sind zum Öffnen vorgesehen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - serienmässige Klimaanlage

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - die Lederschlaufe hilft, die Türe herunterzuziehen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - zweifarbiges Lederinterieur

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - diverse Aufkleber

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Chassis-Plakette

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - die Heckjalousie ware serienmässig vorhanden

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - der Motor ist doppelt abgeschirmt

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - längs eingebauter PRV-Sechszylinder

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Hinweis auf die Motor-Optimierung

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - noch ein passender Aufkleber

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Blick durch die Heckstoren ins Cockpit

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - DMC steht für DeLorean Motor Company

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Doppelscheinwerfer

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - einige Schriftzüge sind erst über die Jahre dazugekommen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - ein weiterer De-Lorean-Schriftzug

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - feingliedrige Alu-Räder

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - geöffnete Flügeltüre

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - für die Linienführung zeichnete Giorgetto Giugiaro verantwortlich

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - der Fan-Kult kennt keine Grenzen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Schriftzug für den Designer

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - der passende Kleber auf der Seitenscheibe

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Heckleuchten und Markenschriftzug

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - grossflächige, unterteilte Heckleuchten

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Vorserienprototyp von der Seite gesehen - die Fenster in den Türen reichen noch weiter herunter als in der Serie

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Vorserienprototyp - gut sichtbar die Edelstahloberfläche

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Vorserienprototyp von schräg hinten gesehen - durchgängiges Leuchtband hinten

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Vorserienprototyp mit offenen Flügeltüren

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Vorserienprototyp von vorne mit offenen Flügeltüren

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Interieur des Vorserienprototyps

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1980) - vor imposanter Gebäudekulisse

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De Lorean DMC - Ein Blickfang ist der Flügeltürer am Genfer Autosalon 1981

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - Profilansicht - Vorserienversion mit Schiebefenstern in den kleineren Seitenscheiben

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - Interieur mit Ledersitzen

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1982) - wie ein Ufo von einem anderen Stern

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - Heckansicht mit geschlossenen Flügeltüren

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - Heckansicht des Flügeltürers

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - Aufnahme aus dem Verkaufsprospekt von 1982

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1982) - Chassis-Design

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - John De Lorean beim Probesitzen am Steuer seines Sportwagens

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - der DeLorean wurde als Zeitmaschine fast zum Hauptdarsteller der Back-to-the-Future-Trilogie

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - im Teil 1 der Trilogie "Back to the Future"

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - im Teil 2 der Trilogie "Back to the Future"

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - im Teil 3 der Trilogie "Back to the Future"

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DeLorean DMC12 (1982) - mit Edelstahlkarosserie

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - mit den richtigen Dämpfern bleiben die Türen oben

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - scheint gleich wegzufliegen zu wollen

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - die Streifen hat ein späterer Besitzer aufgeklebt

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Summary

After less than two years of production, the supposed success story of the DeLorean DMC-12 was already over, at least for the time being. Gullwing doors and a stainless steel body could not compensate for the lack of financial strength of the young car company, which manufactured its cars in Northern Ireland. Then came bankruptcy and thousands of cars were left on the scrapheap. It is not least thanks to a movie that they are in increasing demand today. And so the DeLorean finally became a long-term automobile after all. This report tells the story of the DMC-12, describes driving impressions and shows a specimen in many pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

The beginnings of the DeLorean sports car
From prototype to production vehicle
Milk tooth problems
How good was it back then?
How good can it be today?
Why is it truly a long-term automobile?

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

John Zachary DeLorean - he once spelled himself in two words, i.e. De Lorean - certainly had a feel for trends. He already proved this when he climbed the career ladder at General Motors, giving young drivers what they dreamed of: affordable but powerful everyday cars with that certain something. John was born in Detroit in 1925, the son of Romanian immigrants. As a trained automotive engineer, he first worked for Chrysler, then for the Packard Motor Company and from 1956 for General Motors. The Pontiac GTO was created on his initiative, and if he had been allowed to do so, DeLorean would have countered the Ford Mustang with a scaled-down version of the Pontiac Banshee show car.

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