DMC DeLorean
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| De Lorean DMC-12 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | De Lorean Motor Company |
| Class: | Sports car |
| Body Styles: | 2-door coupe |
| Production: | 1981–1983 |
| Engine: | 2.8 L PRV6 V6 |
| Length: | 166 in. |
| Wheelbase: | 95 in. |
| Width: | 73.1 in. |
| Track: | 62.6 in. (front) 62.8 in. (rear) |
| Height: | 44.9 in. (doors closed) 77.2 in. (doors open) |
| Weight: | 2712 lbs |
| This article is part of the automobile series. | |
The De Lorean DMC-12 is a sports car made by De Lorean Motor Company from 1981 to 1983. The DMC-12 (also known simply as the De Lorean, as it was the only automobile produced by the company) featured gull-wing doors and a polished, unpainted stainless steel body. Approximately 9,200 DMC-12s were produced.
The DMC-12 was famously featured in the Back to the Future movies.
History
The DMC-12 story begins with the formation of the De Lorean Motor Company in 1975 by entrepreneur and sports-car enthusiast John De Lorean. The prototype DMC-12 was first completed in October of 1976 by chief engineer and designer William T. Collins. The original powerplant was a Citroën Wankel rotary engine but this was later replaced with the Douvrin PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) V6.
Construction of the Dunmurry, Northern Ireland factory began in October of 1978 and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to begin in 1979, engineering issues and budget overruns delayed production until 1981. The production personnel were also largely inexperienced and 1981 DMC-12s were sold without warranties. These problems were solved by 1982 and these models were sold with a 5-year, 50,000-mile warranty.
Although the De Lorean Motor Company went bust in late 1982 (following John De Lorean's October 1982 arrest), unassembled DMC-12s were completed by KAPAC.
See also
- DMC-News The DeLorean Mailing List is an enthusiast site for DMC-12 owners with extensive model information.