DELOREAN DMC-12 (1981-1983) - Model history

DELOREAN DMC-12

In the history of motoring, De Lorean will remain one of the most controversial automobile brands in the world. The rumors, rumors and truths that intertwined around the factory and the car itself promoted the DMC-12 to a classic and a collectible item during the production of this model.

The key man in the whole story was John Z. De Lorean, once one of the most famous and influential figures in the American and world car industry. Born in Detroit, De Lorean grew up with cars. Having got a job at General Motors, more precisely at Pontiac, he soon became the leading man of that company. He became famous with many wise moves, and certainly the most famous is the presentation of the famous GTO model, which was initially developed without the knowledge of the company's management. As he progressed, he became president of Chevrolet and even vice president of the entire GM group, but constant misunderstandings led him to leave the post. Shortly after leaving, De Lorean decided to dedicate himself to his old dream, the production of a sports car under his own name, and after so many years of incredible success in the automotive industry, he was sure that he would easily find support for the project.

Therefore, in 1975, De Lorean Motor Company was founded with the aim of designing and making a sports car that would be safe, reliable, comfortable, with excellent performance and lying on the road. De Lorean brought together some of the best engineers of the time, most from General Motors. Soon, the team went to Italy and commissioned the famous Giorgett Giugiar to design the whole vehicle, which according to their guidelines should necessarily have a gullwing door and engine mounted back. The next phase of the plan was the creation of manufacturing plants and after much consideration, the choice fell to Dunmurry in Northern Ireland, where a factory began to sprout in the muddy field. The move was welcomed by the British government and has invested an unknown amount of money to date. No matter what, the car was virtually non-existent, because apart from the design, everything else was unknown. Seeing that development is too slow, De Lorean decides to seek help. After a misunderstanding with the BMW and Porsche factories, he made a deal with Lotus in 1978, which Colin Chapman opposed, and which he was forced to agree to because of the difficult financial situation.

DELOREAN DMC-12

With the support of Lotus, the DMC-12 slowly took shape, while the car was promoted through specialized printing. The originally announced price of 12.000 dollars would make it fantastically competitive, but even then it was clear that there was nothing of that. The bodywork has remained virtually unchanged with the characteristic gullwing door and engine behind the driver, made entirely of stainless steel. Originally planned as a 2 + 2 coupe, the car became a two-seater with a small space behind the passenger and a symbolic trunk in front. After a long test, Renault's V6 engine (co-produced by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo) was chosen for the drive, with four valves per cylinder, a volume of 2,8 liters and a power of about 145 hp. Power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission, the same factory. To secure prestige, the vehicle was loaded with Lucas electronics, known for unreliability. The interior is covered with leather and air conditioning and electric windows are installed. The factory did not offer the possibility of painting the body and all but three of the specimens used for testing were metallic gray.

DELOREAN DMC-12

In early 1981, the car was finally finished after three years of delays from its original date, which cost investors tremendously. The world premiere was at the Geneva Motor Show and the factory was immediately flooded with orders. The public impact was just what De Lorean wanted and the DMC-12 was completely different from the competition. Many buyers of the first specimens from '81. they gave $ 1000 each as a deposit without knowing the full price of about $ 28.000, very far from the promised twelve, three years before. With such a high price, the De Lorean DMC-12 has entered the realm of dangerous and established competition such as, Porsche 911, Mercedes SL 450 or Chevrolet Corvette. In the first year of sales, 1981 even managed to outperform Porsche in sales in the US market, but problems quickly arrived.

DELOREAN DMC-12

As early as 1982, sales were dropping as rumors of extremely poor vehicle quality spread. Namely, most of the complaints were addressed by Renault's, that is, Volvo's engine, which with 145bhp just wasn't powerful enough and the factory 210mph was highly doubtful. Cars sold in the US market were even weaker, due to engine modifications and exhaust for environmental reasons. Some models feature too soft dampers, which completely kills the feel of a sporty ride and is only suitable for light cruising. The interior was cramped and the electronics unreliable.

DELOREAN DMC-12

In addition, many dealers had to refinish at their own expense cars that came virtually unfinished from Ireland. Encouraged by excellent initial sales, De Lorean increased its monthly production to 400 copies and, due to a sudden drop in sales, during 1982, these cars failed to find a buyer.

DELOREAN DMC-12

DELOREAN DMC-12

Because of all this, the company is in serious financial trouble and De Lorean is seeking help from the British Government. With the decline in sales, the factory is somehow functioning, but the disruption of financial aid leads to bankruptcy. Then tax authorities come to the scene, noting De Lorean's extremely expensive lifestyle and the huge sums of money that went through the company. It turned out that John was spending the company's assets, given by the UK and guaranteed after meeting Margaret Tacher, on yachts, harem models, expensive hotels and gallons of champagne. As soon as this became known, De Lorean fled England and until his death, there was a warrant for his arrest.

DELOREAN DMC-12

Little is still known about this most murky period of the factory, but it is certain that De Lorean came to America trying to somehow secure financing for further production. After unsuccessful meetings with bankers and investment fund representatives who all knew of his reputation as a lewd spender, he turned to “alternative ways” to make money. Namely, on October 26, 1982, the FBI arrested DeLorean after his attempt to finance the smuggling of 1.8 kg of cocaine for $ 100 million, which would have an estimated value of $ 24 million. It has long been suspected that DeLorean has something to do with drugs or that he is close to the people who deal with it, so the FBI surrounded him with inserted agents who offered him dirty jobs. However, despite the great media dust that has been raised around this arrest, the existence of a video and the admission of guilt by DeLorean ("tried to make money for my factory"), He remained at large and lived retired until his death in 2005.

In any case, production was discontinued in early 1983, but a number of copies were assembled and delivered to customers who had already paid for the car. The exact number of copies produced is unknown, but according to official data, 6539 pieces (1981), 1126 pieces (1982), 918 pieces (1983) were made. Factory employees, on the other hand, claim that more than 10 cars were manufactured, but after the bankruptcy, all technical and financial documentation was gone, and it is certain that De Lorean himself did not have the correct information.

DELOREAN DMC-12

Probably the DMC-12 would be quickly forgotten and remain in the memory of only avid automotive experts if it weren't for the famous movie series "Back to the Futre" that created a star from Michael J. Fox and saved DeLorean from a fate of flaws and bad reputations. Of course, the movie can't change the history, weak engine and John DeLorean's rogue-dealer ventures, but it can make the memory of this car positive through the story of Doc Brown and Marty and their journey through time in three blockbuster sequels. So today, when you talk about DMC-12 people, it's easiest to explain that this is a "Back to the Future" car and everyone knows what you're talking about.

DELOREAN DMC-12

No matter what, it is today DMC-12 a kind of cult car with a large circle of fans. The price on the old timer market is stable and not great, especially knowing how interesting and extravagant the car is. Today, opinions about this car are still divided. On the one hand, they consider it a worthless product of a demagogue that has no value. For others, it is a masterpiece of a car genius who was a victim of bad circumstances. However, there is no doubt that this is one car that stands out in the sea of ​​various others, with its appearance, strange prestige and incredible history that make it a legend of modern motoring. And it can travel through time…

Text: V.Herbez
Photo by Newsweek, autowp.ru
Retrieved from: autocaffe.net