Though the price didn't stick, the name did. Despite the name, when the car eventually launched in January of 1981, it actually came with a $29,825 price tag. This desired price-point became integral to the name of the vehicle offered to the public, the DMC-12. Delorian wanted to sell the car for $12,000. These adjustments would end up harming the vehicle's handling, which many still criticize today.Īfter sealing a deal to produce the car in Northern Ireland, Mr. DeLorean moved the engine to the rear, so the vehicle could incorporate a V6 powertrain motor into it. The Final Productīy the time the vehicle hit the road in a model available to the public, the fiberglass technology had ended up being disregarded for a more conventional chassis. DeLorean also designed the vehicle to be mid-engined. To give the vehicle extra speed and power, Mr. The car originally featured a fiberglass chassis that was extremely resistant in a crash. DeLorean finished work on a prototype of the DMC-12 in 1976. The wedge-shape, stainless steel body and gull-wing doors would prove to be a stunning design, captivating the imaginations of consumers and "Back to the Future" audiences for years to come. Drawing on a past 1970 concept car that he had done for Porsche, Giugiaro brought the DeLorean to life. DeLorean went to a prominent Italian designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, for help with the car's shape. To get the design of the car just right, Mr. DeLorean himself, Wynne reports that the man was a maverick, dedicated to blazing trails on his own terms. Stephen Wynne, currently CEO of the recently resurrected DMC and owner of the DeLorean inventory, thinks of the DeLorean as the Tesla of the past. In his vision for the car, he saw himself building an ethical sports car that would be durable, fuel-efficient and safe. DeLorean knew he had designed something unique. From the rear-mounted engine to the gull-wing doors and stainless steel, unpainted body, Mr. DeLorean had high hopes that the DMC-12 would be a sports car that put DMC at the top of the auto industry. This new company would end up creating the DMC-12, more casually known as the DeLorean. Instead of continuing to make cars for General Motors, he left his division head position and created the DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) to bring his dreams to life. DeLorean knew the power of well-designed cars. Who Made the DeLorean From "Back to the Future"?īefore the DeLorean became synonymous with the "Back to the Future" trilogy in the 1980s, it was the brainchild of John DeLorean who dreamed of putting his stamp on the auto industry.Īs the youngest division head in General Motors' history, Mr.
From the vehicle's initial design and early struggles to its inclusion in "Back to the Future " and its resurgence in the popular imagination of movie watchers, there's a lot to know about the DeLorean's journey. The DeLorean has a long, iconic history that predates the "Back to the Future" trilogy.