DeLorean produced the DMC-12 for just two years between 1981 and 1983. The car is now celebrating its 40th Birthday. The DeLorean brand's founder was John Zachary DeLorean a Detroit-born inventor and engineer. He previously worked for General Motors and was pivotal in the development of the Pontiac GTO, a well-respected muscle car. As an ambitious and confident man, he became unsatisfied working for others and decided to start up the DeLorean Motor Company (DMC). The car was production-ready in a very short period, possibly the fastest of any car ever produced.

The car had a very brave and striking design featuring gullwing doors, being marketed as a premium sports car. The DMC-12 was not launched at a particularly good time, though, and stock market uncertainty and an oil crisis led to falling sales. In total, only around 9000 cars were produced before production ended and the company went bust.

Related: Here’s What We Love About The DeLorean DMC-12

9 Stainless Steel Body

1982-delorean-dmc-12-main
Via: Sportscarmarket.com

The bold stainless steel body was one of the original design essentials John DeLorean wished his vehicles to incorporate.

The stainless steel panels were mounted on a modified fiberglass chassis. Producing the panels from stainless steel proved challenging and problematic for the assembly workers, as they had not previously built cars using that material. All but three DMC-12s had a stainless steel finish, and these three were 24-carat gold plated. Damage to the panels can prove very expensive to rectify as filling and repair work is impossible to hide.

1981_DeLorean_DMC12-2-1536
Via: Supercars.net

Despite the body being produced from stainless steel, and consequently being rust-proof, the chassis was a whole different story. Mild steel was used and it was then coated with epoxy resin to protect against corrosion. Over time, the resin breaks down leaving the chassis vulnerable to expensive, destructive corrosion. That said, potential buyers need to budget for chassis repairs when considering purchasing this classic.

Given the rust-proof exterior, it is very hard to tell the chassis condition as corrosion occurs from the inside. The frame is similarly affected and buyers should enlist the help of an experienced DeLorean enthusiast to appraise a potential purchase.

Related: Tesla Announces Major Changes To Cybertruck's Powertrain

8 Engine Built In Collaboration With Multiple Manufacturers

1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Engine
Via: DeLorean

The DMC-12 was rear-engined as envisioned by John DeLorean himself. The 130-hp V6 engine was jointly produced by Renault, Peugeot, and Volvo. 0-60 was pretty slow for what was marketed as a performance car, at 9.6 seconds for the manual option, and even slower for the automatic version.

delorean g - via mecum.com
Via: Mecum.com

Despite being made of stainless steel, the body panels were laid over a fiberglass body, so the DeLorean was nowhere near as heavy as some would assume. In fact, the whole car weighs roughly 2700 lbs.

7 Suspension And Chassis Designed By Colin Chapman

1981-DeLorean-DMC-12-side--(1)-1
Via: DeLorean

Colin was a real motorsport legend, boss of Lotus, a 7-time F1 constructors champion. Lotus is world-renowned for producing great handling, nimble sports cars, hence why DeLorean wanted him on board.

DeLorean DMC-12
Via: Architectural Digest

The distinctive wedge design owes much of its styling features to Giorgetto Giugiaro, a renowned Italian car designer. He was responsible for the design of many iconic Italian cars such as the Ferrari 250GT SWB. He also designed the Lotus Esprit, which was released in 1972. More than a slight resemblance can be seen between the DMC-12 and the Esprit as they share a chassis. Related: Here's Why We Love The Lotus Esprit

6 Instantly Recognizable And Beloved In The U.S.

1981 DeLorean DMC-12 side
Via: DeLorean

In total, around 9000 DMC-12s were produced, many of the remaining examples can be found in the US, as they were so popular in that market. There are estimated to be around 6500 left. This is despite the fact, that quite surprisingly, the car was actually produced in a new purpose-built factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the time, a very politically unstable area.

Back-To-The-Future-DMC-1
Via: Wikipedia

However, anyone who sees your DeLorean will undoubtedly appreciate due to its iconic role in the 1985 blockbuster Back to the Future. This is not without good reason; the DMC-12 is more than likely the most famous movie car of all time.

The stainless steel body also helped enhance that space-age feel. The film was actually released after the car's production had ended. Had DeLorean still been producing the cars, they may still be in business today. Perhaps the only other iconic movie car to rival it, is the legendary Aston Martin DB5, of course from the James Bond films.

5 Rapidly Rising Value

DMC-12 interior
Via: @GingerlyCaptured

The DMC-12 has never been a cheap car, DeLorean originally intended the car to be an affordable/ ethical sports car, but that goal was never reached.

1981-DeLorean-DMC-12-008-1440
Via: Wsupercars

Values of these now-classic cars look certain to rise in the coming years. The car will remain forever desirable due to its role in Back to the Future, and spare part availability means they can be run and enjoyed.

There is also a large enthusiast community surrounding the DMC-12, as this continues to grow, more and more buyers will want to seek out an example, consequently pushing up values. Hagerty released an article back in 2019 explaining all about value trends surrounding the car.

4 It Uses Some Less-Desirable Parts

DMC shifter
Via: @GingerlyCaptured

The rush to build the car resulted in many pre-existing, non-bespoke parts being used. Some of these parts came from fairly inexpensive mainstream mass-market brands and some of the quality could have been better.

DMC-12 by Greg Gjerdingen
Via: Flikr

The brakes are Ford derived and could also be found on a Ford Cortina, a compact family sedan. The manual gear knob was borrowed from a Renault Fuego, which was a bland econobox, and the glovebox from a Volkswagen.

3 Spare Parts Are Easily Sourced

Delorean Engine
Via: @GingerlyCaptured

One of the biggest headaches and expenses associated with classic car ownership can be the sourcing of spare parts. Many hours were spent trawling the internet and salvage yards. This is not the case with the DMC-12, at factory closure many parts had been manufactured and these can now be purchased from the DeLorean Motor Company website.

1981 Delorean DMC-12
Via: Flikr

There are also several other third-party suppliers selling on original parts.

2 Surprisingly Decent Fuel Economy

1981 DeLorean DMC-12 2-Door Coupe
Via: YouTube

For what was designed as a sportscar, fuel economy is actually pretty decent. Average consumption is around 21 mpg (US), or 25 mpg (UK)

delorean and wife
via pinterest

The car's fuel tank capacity is just over 50 liters, and combined with the fuel economy, means the DMC-12 can get a range of 283 miles from a single tank. Probably more than enough for the type of usage many original and future buyers could need.

1 Aluminum Cooling Pipes Can Fail

DeLorean DMC-12 Rear Quarter
Via: Wsupercars

An article by Drives Today recommends one of the first things buyers should do is look for drips underneath the car. Aluminum cooling pipes run from the car's rear-engine to the radiator at the front.

1982 DeLorean DMC-12
Via: DeLorean

The pipes are routed along with the chassis, which as we have already discussed can itself corrode. Should they be badly corroded, the resultant coolant loss can result in overheating, something owners would want to avoid.