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

Name: De Lorean DMC-12 1981
Brand: De Lorean

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Created on September 21, 2021

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Universal International Pictures

Italdesign

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Universal International Pictures

Italdesign

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - with lights switched on and daytime running lights retouched away

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - it ran 198 km/h in the ams test in 1982

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - however, it is advisable to drive with the doors closed

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - as if it had just landed from the future or the past ....

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - still looks futuristic 40 years after it was built

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - ready for the future

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - you can also drive with the doors open

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - two meters wide in combination with a height of 1.14 meters result in a dynamic stature

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the acceleration capacity of the 132 hp version did not quite meet the expectations of sports car enthusiasts

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - with so much gray, lighting is of course also recommended during the day

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - arrived in the year 2021

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Gullwing doors are always attractive

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - this DMC-12 probably left the factory in December 1981, but without stripes

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - a whopping 1.98 meters wide

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the daytime running lights came much later, of course

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Interior with many leather applications

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the interior certainly looks high-quality

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - complete and easy to read instrumentation

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - a warning light warns of open gullwing doors

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - only a small part of the side windows can be opened

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - air conditioning as standard

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the leather loop helps to pull down the door

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - two-tone leather interior

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - various stickers

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the rear blind was fitted as standard

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the engine is double-shielded

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - longitudinally mounted PRV six-cylinder engine

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - reference to the engine optimization

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - another matching sticker

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - View through the rear doors into the cockpit

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - DMC stands for DeLorean Motor Company

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - twin headlights

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - some lettering has only been added over the years

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - another De Lorean lettering

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - fine aluminum wheels

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - open gullwing doors

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Giorgetto Giugiaro was responsible for the lines

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the fan cult knows no bounds

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - Lettering for the designer

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the matching adhesive on the side window

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - large, divided rear lights

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - pre-production prototype seen from the side - the windows in the doors reach even further down than in the series

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - pre-production prototype - the stainless steel surface is clearly visible

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - pre-production prototype seen from diagonally behind - continuous light strip at the rear

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - pre-production prototype with open gullwing doors

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - pre-production prototype from the front with open gullwing doors

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1979) - Interior of the pre-production prototype

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1980) - in front of an imposing building backdrop

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De Lorean DMC - The gullwing is an eye-catcher at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - Interior with leather seats

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1982) - like a UFO from another planet

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - rear view with closed gullwing doors

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1981) - rear view of the Gullwing

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - photo from the 1982 sales brochure

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De Lorean DMC-12 (1982) - Chassis design

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - John De Lorean taking a test drive behind the wheel of his sports car

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - as a time machine, the DeLorean almost became the main character in the Back-to-the-Future trilogy

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - in part 1 of the "Back to the Future" trilogy

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - in part 2 of the "Back to the Future" trilogy

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1982) - in part 3 of the "Back to the Future" trilogy

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DeLorean DMC12 (1982) - with stainless steel bodywork

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - with the right dampers, the doors stay up

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - seems to be about to fly away

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DeLorean DMC-12 (1981) - the stripes were applied by a later owner

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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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