1981 DeLorean
edited by David Barth, 30 January 2009.
Courtesy The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Photos were taken in January 2009.
Sponsor: Lube Stop
Sponsor statement:
"The DMC-12 embodies the 'go-go' attitudes of the 1980s. The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) produced 9,200 cars between 1981
and 1982 before closing amid a scandalous bankruptcy, including drug trafficking allegations against founder John DeLorean
(who was later acquitted of the charges).
"Shortly after DMC closed its doors, Cleveland-based Lube Stop opened for business. Founded in 1985, Lube Stop also
reflected the 'go-go' attitudes of the 1980s, offering the time and convenience of a 10-minute oil change without an
appointment. The idea took off and the company quickly became the largest quick oil change company in Northeast
Ohio.
"Unlike the DeLorean Motor Company, Lube Stop is still going strong, operating thirty-seven locations in Cleveland and
Akron, Ohio. Amazingly, twenty-five years after production approximately 6,500 DMC-12s are still in existence, perhaps
a testament to the importance of regular oil changes!"
John Z. DeLorean had a meteoric career in the automobile industry, moving from Chrysler to Packard to General Motors
(GM). At the age of forty-eight, he was a group vice-president of GM and was considered to be the next in line for the
GM presidency. In 1973, DeLorean left GM to make a car that Detroit would never produce: a safe, high-quality sports car
that would outlast any comparable car on the market. The body would be of brushed stainless steel plates bonded onto
plastic framing to reduce weight and prevent rust. It would have a sleek design with gull wing doors and would be
reasonably fuel-efficient car that would be priced to compete with GM's Corvette.
When the first DeLorean came off the line on January 21, 1981, it was two years behind schedule and nearly double the
original estimated cost. Reviews of the car were good, but not great. DeLorean went bankrupt after a brief period and
on October 19, 1982, the plant closed.
In 1981 and 1982, former Pontiac executive John DeLorean built a stylish, upscale sports car that retailed for
$26,175. Although a major selling point was the car's low-maintenance stainless steel finish, three were painted
for experimental purposes and three were gold-plated.
Built in 1981, the 24-karat gold-plated cars were created for an American Express promotion and listed in their Christmas
catalog for $85,000. This gold-plated DeLorean was displayed in the lobby of a Texas bank from the time it was purchased
in 1981 until it was donated to the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2003. It has traveled a mere 7.4 miles since new and
remains in entirely original condition.
Timeline for DeLorean DMC 12
- April 1973 - John Zachary DeLorean, vice president of car and truck production, resigned from General Motors
to start his own automobile company, DeLorean Motor Cars, Ltd. (DMC).
- 1974 - DeLorean makes a $500,000 deal with Allstate Insurance Company to call the car, "DeLorean Safety
Vehicle (DSV)."
- 1974 - A few months after making the deal with DeLorean, Allstate lost interest, and the car is to be
called "DMC."
- 1974 - Italian designer Giorgetto Giusiaro designed the DeLorean.
- 1974 - The DeLorean specifications include:
- Stainless steel body panels
- Gullwing doors
- 2.8 liter (171 cubic inches) Mid-engine V6
- 130 horsepower at 5,500 rpm
- October 1976 - Prototype DeLorean DMC completed.
- 1978 - Puerto Rico selected as the DMC factory following a $60 million grant offered by the United
States.
- 1978 - Factory location changed to Northern Ireland after a $117 million grant was offered by the United
Kingdom.
- 1978 - Factory built in Dunmurry, near Belfast, Ireland.
- 1978 - Lotus completed engineering the chassis:
- Similar to that of the Lotus Espirit
- Independent suspension
- Front, double wish bones
- Rear multiunit
- Rack and pinion steering geared to 2.65 turns, lock-to-lock
- Single overhead camshaft
- Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection
- Transmission options included 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic
- Disc brakes on all four wheels
- Car weight was 1,244 kilograms (2,742 pounds)
- January 21, 1981 - First DMC 12 rolled off the production line. The cost was $25,600 USD.
- December 1981 - American Express had three DeLoreans plated in 24 carat gold for sale in their 1981
Christmas Catalog. The cost for each car was $85,000 USD.
- Late 1981 - A world-wide recession began. DMC salesmen attempted to boost sales in Europe.
- February 19, 1982 - DMC went into receivership.
- October 19, 1982 - DeLorean was arrested by FBI for narcotics violations. His opponents said that DMC got
into the drug business to raise much-needed funds to keep DMC running.DeLorean was later cleared of all charges.
- October 23, 1982 - DMC production ceased after 9,500 cars had been produced.
- 1985 - A DeLorean was used in the movie, "Back to the Future."
- March 19, 2005 - John DeLorean died (January 6, 1925 - March 19, 2005).
Model: DMC-12
Body Style: Coupe
Original Factory Price: $26,175
Brake Horsepower: 130
Displacement: 174 cubic inches
Bore: 3.58 inches
Stroke: 2.87 inches
Cylinders: V-6
Wheelbase: 94.8 inches
Manufacturer: DeLorean Motor Cars, Ltd.
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Years of Production: 1981-1982
Donor: Jeffrey Abrams
