DMC DeLorean

The DMC DeLorean (often referred to simply as the "DeLorean") is a sports car manufactured by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) for the American market from 1981 to 1983. The car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and stood out for its gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel outer body panels. It became widely known for its disappointing lack of power and performance, which did not match the expectations created by its looks and price tag, but it became iconic for its appearances as the time machine in the Back to the Future media franchise after 1985.

DMC DeLorean
1983 DeLorean
Overview
ManufacturerDeLorean Motor Company (DMC)
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, US
Production9,080[1] (disputed)
Model years1981–1983
AssemblyDeLorean Motor Cars, Ltd. (DMCL) Dunmurry, Belfast, Northern Ireland
DesignerGiorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign[2]
Body and chassis
ClassSports car
Body style2-door coupé
LayoutRear-engine, rear-wheel-drive[3]
DoorsGull-wing doors
Powertrain
Engine2.85 L (174 cu in) V6 PRV engine ZMJ-159[4]
Power output130 hp (132 PS; 97 kW) and 207 N⋅m (153 lb⋅ft) of torque[5]
Transmission5-speed manual
3-speed automatic[6]
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,413 mm (95.0 in)[7]
Length4,267 mm (168.0 in)[8]
Width1,988 mm (78.3 in)[9]
Height1,140 mm (44.9 in) doors closed
1,962 mm (77.2 in) doors open[10]
Curb weight1,233 kg (2,718 lb)[11]

Throughout production, the car was generally unchanged, although minor modifications were made to such parts as the hood and wheels. The first production car was completed on January 21, 1981. About 9,000 DeLoreans were made before production halted in late December 1982 shortly after DMC had filed for bankruptcy.

History
A DeLorean with the gull-wing doors closed
A DeLorean from the front with the gull-wing doors open

In October 1976, the first prototype DeLorean was completed by American automotive chief engineer William T. Collins, formerly chief engineer at Pontiac. Originally, the car was intended to have a centrally-mounted Wankel rotary engine. The engine selection was reconsidered when Comotor production ended, and the favored engine became the Ford Cologne V6 engine. Eventually the French/Swedish fuel-injected V6 PRV engine (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) was selected. Also the engine location moved from the mid-engined location in the prototype to a rear-engined installation in the production car. The chassis was initially planned to be produced from a new and untested manufacturing technology known as elastic reservoir moulding (ERM), which would lighten the car while presumably lowering its production costs. This new technology, for which DeLorean had purchased patent rights, was eventually found to be unsuitable.[12]

These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars. Chapman replaced most of the unproven material and manufacturing techniques with those then employed by Lotus, like the steel backbone chassis.[13]

The first prototype appeared in October 1976 and was known as the DSV-1, or DeLorean Safety Vehicle.[14] As development continued, the model was referred to as the DSV-12[15] and later the DMC-12 since DMC was targeting a list price of $12,000 upon release.[16][17]

In an interview with James Espey of the new incarnation of the DeLorean Motor Company of Texas, a drawing surfaced showing that the car originally had the potential to be named "Z Tavio". John DeLorean's middle name and his son's first name were both Zachary, while Tavio was his father's name and his son's middle name. Due to only sporadic documentation, there is little more that is currently known about the Z Tavio name and why it was ultimately rejected in favor of the DeLorean.[18]

Although there were numerous rumors during development that the DeLorean have would advanced features, such as ERM, a unit construction plastic chassis, a mid-engine layout, airbags, 10-mph bumpers and Pirelli P7 tires, none of them materialized in the production vehicle.[19]

After several delays and cost overruns, production finally began in late 1980. Around this time DMC officially dropped the name DMC-12 on its now $25,000 car in favor of the model name DeLorean. The DeLorean sports car, as it was described in advertisements, began production in December 1980 with the first production car rolling off the assembly line on January 21, 1981.[20][21]

The DeLorean Motor Company was placed into receivership in February 1982 and filed bankruptcy in October 1982.[22] Approximately 100 partially assembled DeLoreans on the production line were completed by Consolidated International. About 9,000 DeLoreans were produced in total.

Sales and production

Sales

Prior to the release of the DeLorean, there was a waiting list of anxious buyers, many of whom paid over MSRP, however that exuberance subsided very quickly and production output soon far exceeded sales volume. October 1981 was the highest month of sales for DMC with 720 vehicles sold but by December, the US was falling into recession and interest rates were rising which further negatively impacted sales. Despite this, instead of reducing production, John DeLorean doubled production output, further adding to the backlog of unsold cars. By the end of 1981, DMC had produced 7,500 cars but had only sold 3,000. By this point, DMC was in a financial hardship and in February 1982, DMC was placed into receivership. [23]

In February 1982, unsold 1981 model year cars were “priced for immediate clearance” in hopes to make room for the more expensive 1982 model year cars. In March, telegrams were sent to all 343 dealerships requesting each buy six cars to help save the company; none of the dealers responded with a sales order. By this point, dealers were sitting on unsold inventory as were the quality assurance centers and hundreds more sitting on the docks in Long Beach, California. By the end of May 1982, production at the factory was shut down. Another attempt in July 1982 was made to revive sales by offering discounts to dealerships and offering a 5-year/50,000-mile (80,000 km) warranty with the first year or 12,000-mile (19,000 km) portion secured by a major insurance carrier but this was not successful.

Bruce McWilliams, VP of Marketing for DMC and later acting President for DMC America, after resigning his position said, “The car could never be sold in the numbers John DeLorean predicted…”.[24]

Production

Production information was lost or scattered upon the shutdown of DMC and production figures for the DeLorean have never been verified based on official factory records. Despite some unexplained VIN gaps, based upon VIN information, owners have been able to piece together the approximate quantity of DeLoreans produced.

In February 1982, DMC was placed into receivership and the factory continued to operate at a reduced production rate until the end of May. When Consolidated International acquired the unsold and partially assembled cars in November 1982, it brought back workers to complete the cars remaining on the assembly line. It was decided to make the remaining completed 1982 model year cars into 1983 models. The remaining cars VINs were re-VINed into 1983 cars by taking the original VIN number and adding 5000 to it and changing the "CD" in the middle of the VIN to "DD" thus making a 1983 model.

For the 1981 model year, there were 6,700 DeLoreans produced (VIN 500-7199). For the 1982 model year, there were 1,999 DeLoreans produced (VIN 10001-11999). For the 1983 model year, there were 276 DeLoreans (VIN 17000-17170 and 20001-20105) bringing the total estimated production to 8,975 cars.[25]

As of 2007, about 6,500 DeLorean cars were thought to still exist.[26]

Construction

The DeLorean features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steel body panels, and a rear-mounted engine.

Body
The gull-wing doors on the DeLorean were a distinctive feature.

The body design of the DeLorean was a product of Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign and is paneled in brushed SS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DeLoreans left the factory uncovered by paint or clearcoat.[27] Painted DeLoreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from the factory.[28] In order to train the workforce, a small number of DeLoreans were produced without the costly stainless steel panels and are referred to as "black cars" or mules in reference to their black fiberglass bodies. These cars were never intended to be sold.[29]

Small scratches in the stainless-steel body panels can be removed with a non-metallic scouring pad (since metal pads can leave iron particles embedded in the stainless steel, which can give the appearance of the stainless "rusting"), or even sandpaper.[30] The stainless-steel panels are fixed to a fiberglass underbody. The underbody is affixed to a steel double-Y frame chassis, inspired by the Lotus Esprit platform.[13]

The unpainted stainless body creates challenges during restoration of the cars. In traditional automotive body repair, the panel is repaired to be as original ("straight") as possible, and imperfections are sculpted back to form with polyester body filler like Bondo or lead (body solder). This poses no problem (aside from originality) with most cars, as the filler will be hidden by the car's paint. With an unpainted stainless body, the stainless steel must be reworked to exactly the original shape, contour, and grain, which is a tremendously difficult job on regular steel (a dented or bent panel is stretched, and a shrinking hammer or other techniques must be used to unstretch the metal) and even more difficult with stainless due to its tendency to work-harden. John DeLorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired.

Another distinctive feature of the DeLorean is its gull-wing doors. The common problem of supporting the weight of gull-wing doors was solved by other manufacturers with lightweight doors in the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and a hydraulic pump in the Bricklin SV-1, although these designs had structural or convenience disadvantages. The DeLorean features heavy doors supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts.[31] These torsion bars were developed by Grumman Aerospace to withstand the stresses of supporting the doors.[32] The DeLorean doors featured small cutout windows, because full-sized windows would not be fully retractable within the short door panels.

Engine and drivetrain

The engine is a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo (PRV) 2.85 L (174 cu in) V6, rated at 130 hp (132 PS; 97 kW) at 5500 rpm and torque of 153 lb⋅ft (207 N⋅m) at 2750 rpm.[33][34] that was designed and built under special contract with the DeLorean Motor Company. These PRVs were a development of the 2.7-litre V6 in the Renault 30 and were built in the PRV Factory in Douvrin, Northern France. The 5-speed manual transmission, also designed by PRV, was built at the Renault facility near Caen in Normandy.

Suspension

The suspension is a four-wheel independent suspension, coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers. The front suspension uses double wishbones, while the rear is a multi-link setup.

When the DeLorean first arrived in the US, the car had a higher than expected wheel gap in the front suspension. The nose-high appearance is the result of poor quality coil springs. Despite having significantly less weight in the front, the front and rear springs had the same spring rate and also used lower quality steel which resulted in the nose-high look.[35] Some people have erroneously cited a last minute change in US bumper height requirements led DMC to raise the vehicle just prior to delivery, however this is not true. Design drawings clearly show that the design met NHTSA minimum bumper and headlight heights of the time.[36][37] Many owners have subsequently replaced or modified the front springs to return the front height to the original design specification.[38]

Steering is rack and pinion, with an overall steering ratio of 14.9:1, giving 2.65 turns lock-to-lock and a 35-foot (11 m) turning circle. DeLoreans are fitted with cast alloy wheels, measuring 14 inches (360 mm) in diameter by 6 inches (150 mm) wide on the front and 15 inches (380 mm) in diameter by 8 inches (200 mm) wide on the rear. These were fitted with Goodyear NCT steel-belted radial tires. The DeLorean is a rear-engine vehicle with a 35%–65% front–rear weight distribution.[39]

The DeLorean features power-assisted disc brakes on all wheels, with 10-inch (250 mm) rotors front and 10.5-inch (270 mm) rear.[40]

Reception

At the time of release, the automotive press was generally complimentary towards the DeLorean. Motor Trend[41], Car and Driver [42] and Road & Track[43] had mostly positive remarks about the car. All of them noted disappointing performance, especially those that performed comparative tests against other vehicles but were otherwise impressed with the car noting commendable gas mileage and most of them noting that the DeLorean is more of a GT car rather than a sports car or racecar.

However, more recent reviews of the car have been much more harsh. In 2017, Time Magazine included the DeLorean on its list of 50 worst cars of all time.[44] In his book Naff Motors: 101 Automotive Lemons, Tony Davis described the build quality as "woeful". Top Gear writer Richard Porter included it in his book Crap Cars, calling it "dismal",[45]

Performance

DMC's comparison literature noted that the DeLorean could achieve 0–60 miles per hour (0–97 km/h) in 8.8 seconds, when equipped with a manual transmission. When equipped with an automatic transmission, the DeLorean would accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 km/h) in 10.5 seconds as tested by Road & Track magazine. The car's top speed is 109 miles per hour (175 km/h).[46] Road and Track called the car: ".. not quick for a sports/GT car in this price category ..".

Problems and issues

DeLoreans, early production models in particular, suffered from poor build quality as well as mechanical issues with the vehicle. Early production cars needed as much as 140-200 hours of work at DMC Quality Assurance Centers prior to being shipped to dealerships for delivery. DMC eventually sent 30 factory workers to the quality centers in the US to learn about the issues and how to fix them. Quality issues did improve over time and by 1982 many of the quality issues had been resolved.[47]

A total of four recalls were issued by the factory to correct issues such as a sticking throttle, front suspension issues and an inertia switch. [48]

Other quality issues that plagued the car included other issues surrounding the front suspension, clutch pedal adjustment (or lack thereof), brake rotors, instruments; in particular the speedometer, power door locks and weak alternators. Many early DeLoreans were delivered with an incorrect alignment with the toe-in incorrectly set leading to premature tire wear.

In addition, many dealers were reluctant to perform warranty work on DeLoreans since DMC owed them money for past warranty claims that were still unpaid. Some dealerships were not able to perform repair work properly as DMC never issued a proper service manual. The lack of quality service at dealerships was a point of frustration for many DeLorean owners at the time, particularly those who paid over sticker price to purchase one of the first cars.[49]

Pricing and options

Pricing

Upon release in 1981, a DeLorean had a suggested retail price of US$25,000 ($650 more when equipped with an automatic transmission); this is equivalent to approximately US$70,306 in 2019.[50]. MSRP would increase in 1982 to $29,825[51] and again in 1983 to $34,000.[52] At the outset, there were extensive waiting lists of people willing to pay up to $10,000 above the list price; however, after the collapse of the DeLorean Motor Company, unsold cars could be purchased for less than the retail price.[53]

  • 1982 Monroney sticker
  • DeLorean clearance advertisement

Options

The DeLorean was only available with two factory options; a no-cost manual transmission or automatic transmission and the choice of a grey or black interior (grey interior became available mid 1981 model year).[54] The standard feature list included stainless-steel body panels; gull-wing doors with cryogenically treated torsion bars; leather seats; air conditioning; an AM/FM cassette stereo system; power windows, locks and mirrors; a tilt and telescopic steering wheel; tinted glass; body side moldings; intermittent/constant windshield wipers; and an electric rear-window defogger. Several dealer options were available, including a car cover; sheepskin seat covers; floor mats; car care cleaning kit; black textured accent stripes; grey scotch-cal accent stripes; a luggage rack and a ski-rack adapter.[55][56]

  • 1982 DeLorean grey interior
  • 1981 DeLorean with optional accent stripe

Production changes

Although there were no typical yearly updates to the DeLorean, several changes were made to the DeLorean during production.[7] Instead of making changes at the end of the model year, DMC implemented changes mid-production. This resulted in no clear distinction between the 1981, 1982, and 1983 model years, but with subtle changes taking place almost continuously throughout the life cycle of the DeLorean.

Hood styles

The original hood of the DeLorean had grooves running down both sides. It included a tank flap to simplify fuel filling. These cars typically had a locking cap to prevent fuel theft by siphoning. In August 1981, the hood flap was removed from the hood of the cars (although the hood creases remained). This style was retained well into 1982.[57] Based on production numbers for all three years, this hood style is probably the most common. After the supply of locking caps was exhausted, the company switched to a non-locking version (resulting in at least 500 cars with no flap, but with locking caps). The final styling for the hood included the addition of a DeLorean name badge and the removal of the grooves, resulting in a completely flat hood. According to senior personnel who worked at the Dunmurry factory, initial elimination of flapped hoods has a simple if unglamorous explanation; Chuck Benington, managing director, did not like the design.[58]

Side-by-side comparison of an early 1981 hood (left) vs. a later model 1983 hood (right)

Other changes

Closing the gull-wing door from the inside can be done by using the grab handle. For people with shorter arms, DMC installed leather pull straps attached to the grab handle. Beginning with late-model 1981 cars, DMC revised the location of the leather pull strap to be centrally mounted and integrated into the lower door panel.[59]

The side bolstering in the DeLorean was originally separate from the main interior pieces. In cars with this construction, is a tendency to place pressure on this piece when entering and exiting the vehicle, which eventually causes the bolstering to separate from the trim panel. To solve this problem, cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece with the bolster permanently attached.[60]

As an addition to later cars, a foot rest, or dead pedal, was added to help prevent fatigue while driving. This is one of the few changes that is directly tied to a model year. These were built into only a few of the late-1981 vehicles and were added to all cars starting with 1982 production.

Although the styling of the DeLorean's wheels remained unchanged, the wheels of early-model 1981 vehicles were painted grey. These wheels sported matching grey centre caps with an embossed DMC logo. Early into the 1981 production run, these were changed to a polished silver look, with a contrasting black center cap. The embossed logo on the center caps was painted silver to add contrast.[61]

In 1981, the DeLorean came with an AM/FM stereo radio with cassette made by Craig. Since the Craig radio did not have a built-in clock, one was installed in front of the gear shift on the console. DeLorean switched to an ASI stereo in the middle of the 1982 production run. Since the ASI radio featured an on-board clock, the clock on the console was removed at the same time.[62]

The first 2,200 cars produced used a windshield-embedded antenna. This type of antenna proved to be unsuitable with poor radio reception. Oftentimes the radio would continually "seek", attempting to find a signal. A standard whip antenna, which was later changed to a manually retractable antenna, was added to the outside of the front right fender. While improving radio reception, this resulted in a hole in the stainless steel, and an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antenna was again moved. The final antenna was an automatic retractable version installed under the rear induction grill behind the rear driver's-side window.[63]

The small sun visors on the DeLorean have vinyl on one side and headliner fabric on the other side. Originally these were installed such that the headliner side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981, they were reversed so that the vinyl side would be on the bottom.[64]

The original 80 amp Ducellier alternator supplied with the early-production DeLoreans could not provide enough current to supply the car when all lights and electrical options were on; as a result, the battery would gradually discharge, leaving the driver stranded on the road. Beginning with cars built in late 1981, DeLoreans were fitted from the factory with a 90 amp Motorola alternator, which solved this problem. Additional battery drainage problems were caused by faulty or improperly adjusted door jamb switches. This switch activated the "safety" lights located around the door perimeter when it was open. When the door was closed, the door seals prevented the light from being seen. Due to the faulty switches the lights remained on, draining the battery. This happened to DeLorean owner Johnny Carson shortly after he was presented with the vehicle.

  • Early pull strap
  • Later-style one-piece bolster
  • Mid-1981 silver wheel

Notable and unique DeLoreans

Wooden Mock-up
DMC-12 Coupe Mock-up

In March 1975, DMC entered into a contract with Italdesign to have Giorgetto Giugiaro design the DeLorean Sports Car. John DeLorean and Bill Collins approved one of the many designs and subsequently the styling mock-up that was made from “epo-wood” was shipped to the DMC office in Michigan on July 31, 1975. This mockup would serve as the platform in which the prototype was developed.

The original full-size epowood DeLorean styling model which was modified in the first quarter of 1979 to reflect the refreshed design used in production, was donated to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, in Cultra, Northern Ireland where it is now on display.[65]

Prototypes and pilot cars

Only one of two DeLorean prototypes still exists.[66] Prototype 1 sold at the bankruptcy auction in 1984 for $37,000.[67] The car remained in a private collection until 2005 when it was sold to the owner of DeLorean Motor Company of Florida (DMCFL) where it received a complete restoration.[68] Proto 1 is now on display at DMCFL. Proto 2 was sent to Lotus Cars for development and evaluation in 1978. It was reported to have been destroyed in the 1990s.[69]

An estimated 28 pilot cars were built by DMC. The pilot cars are best identified by the subtly different interiors and sliding side windows. These cars, used for evaluation and regulatory testing of the DeLorean, were previously thought to have been destroyed. However, several of the pilot cars were found to have survived.[70][71] Pilot car 25 which was featured on the front cover of Autocar in 1981 was found in 2003 in a barn in Northern Ireland.[72]

Visioneering car

With the 1980 NADA meeting approaching, DMC planned to show a final “production” version of the DeLorean, however there were no production cars ready at the time or even any production stainless steel panels.

Earlier, in the summer of 1979, the revised Giugiaro styling mock-up was shipped to Visioneering, a Detroit based company, to create data needed to make the stamping dies for the stainless panels. This project would expand to create dies used to create a “production” car for the NADA show.

Using a prototype chassis supplied by Lotus in late 1979, Visioneering completed the assembly of this car at a cost of $750,000. The car was presented at the 1980 NADA show and was later used for engineering development and technical training as well as press photos. The Visioneering car would eventually be sold at the bankruptcy auction in late 1984 for $21,000.[67] Today, the car is in a private collection.[73]

Legend turbo cars
Legend Twin Turbo setup from VIN 530

It was determined that the DeLorean needed additional power when automotive magazine road tests showed 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) times for the DeLorean between 9.5 and 10.5 seconds, while its rivals were in the 7.5–8.5 second range. There had been interest in turbocharging the DeLorean early on, but the DMC engineering staff was busy with other projects, so DMC decided to go outside to develop a turbocharged version of the DeLorean.[74]

Having had previous success with turbocharging Fiat Spiders, DeLorean entered into a contract with Legend Industries, based in Hauppauge, New York. DMC wanted to increase power without sacrificing fuel efficiency. DMC wanted a wide power band and did not want a surge of power similar to the Porsche 930 Turbo. Legend used twin IHI RHB52 turbos along with twin intercoolers. The results were an engine capable of accelerating smoothly in fifth gear from 1,500 rpm to full turbo boost at 2,500 rpm, reaching 150 mph (240 km/h) at 6,500 rpm.[74]

In addition, Legend Industries developed a single turbocharged setup that was never finished. The company converted a total of four DeLoreans (two twin-turbo cars and two single turbo cars) and two Renault Alpines, which were the first development cars.[75]

In a test run at Bridgehampton Raceway in 1981, the twin-turbo DeLorean was quicker than a Ferrari 308 and a Porsche 928. It has been a misconception for many years that VIN 502 was at Bridgehampton and used in testing; however, evidence from pictures, along with information from a Legend employee, indicates that VIN 530 was used along with VIN 558.[76] By the time of Bridgehampton, Legend had perfected modular boosting, which the earlier prototypes did not have installed apart from one of the Alpine mules and VIN 530.[77] The twin-turbo DeLorean was written in numerous press articles as the fastest production car of its era.

The twin-turbo DeLorean tested 0–60 mph in 5.8 seconds and the 1⁄4 mile (402 m) in 14.7 seconds. John DeLorean was so impressed with the engine, he committed to ordering 5,000 engines from Legend Industries. DMC planned to offer a turbocharged engine as a $7,500 option in 1984 (presumably to compete with the newly redesigned 1984 Corvette). Before any of the 5,000 cars could be put into production, DMC had declared bankruptcy, which drove Legend Industries, as well as other suppliers, into bankruptcy.[78]

Gold-plated
A gold-plated DeLorean in Reno, Nevada

For Christmas 1980, a DeLorean/American Express promotion planned to sell 100 24K-gold-plated DeLoreans for US$85,000 each to its gold-card members, but only two were sold.[79] One of these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20 years before being loaned to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. It has a black interior and an automatic transmission.[80]

The second gold-plated American Express DeLorean was purchased by Sherwood Marshall, an entrepreneur and former Royal Canadian Naval Officer. Marshall donated his DeLorean to the William F. Harrah Foundation/National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. This car, VIN #4300, is equipped with a manual transmission and a saddle-brown interior.[81]

A third gold-plated car exists that was assembled with spare parts that were required by American Express in case one of the other two that were built were damaged. All necessary gold-plated parts were on hand, with the exception of one door that was sourced later.[82] The car was first acquired by the winner of a Big Lots store raffle. Consolidated International, which owned the department store, had purchased 1374 DeLoreans during the DeLorean Motor Company's financial troubles, acquiring the remaining stock after the company went into receivership. It was listed for sale online at a price of US$250,000,[82] but it is unclear whether it ever sold.[83]

A gold-plated DeLorean was reproduced privately by an enthusiast.[84]

Right-hand-drive models
RHD DeLorean

DeLoreans were primarily intended for the American market. All production models were therefore left-hand-drive. DeLorean Motor Company was aware as early as April 1981 of the need to produce a right-hand-drive (RHD) version to supply to world markets, specifically the United Kingdom.[85]

The company faced the choice of building right-hand-drive models from scratch or performing a post-production conversion exercise. Given the cost of new body molds, tooling, and a host of specific parts that a factory-built right-hand-drive configuration would require, the company opted to investigate the idea of a post-production conversion using a UK company based in Hampshire called Wooler-Hodec Ltd.[86]

Only 16 right-hand-drive factory-authorized DeLoreans were ever produced.[87] These cars can be divided into two distinct groups:

  1. The first batch, known by enthusiasts as the "Wooler-Hodec cars", were converted by the UK company of that name. Evidence still exists in the form of a DMC factory memo, which orders 20 cars to be converted to right-hand drive.[88] Due to the factory's closure, this order was never completed, and today a total of 13 cars survive, carrying the VINs 510, 12171–12181 and 12199.
  2. The second batch were registered and used by the factory in Northern Ireland, with registration numbers (license plates), AXI 1697, AXI 1698, AXI 1699 and are referred to by enthusiasts as the "AXI cars". These three cars (VINs 5565, 5592 and 5638) differ from the first Wooler-Hodec cars in several ways. They all had roof-mounted radio antennas, indicator repeater lights, no side marker lights, white forward-facing door lights, fog-light switch, and textured body rubstrips on the stainless panels. No catalytic converters or lambda equipment were fitted, as British legislation did not require them.

Owners who bought these cars at auction in the early 1980s encountered difficulty in registering them as new vehicles in the UK. At this point a former DeLorean Motor Cars executive offered to modify and register the cars so that they could be used in the UK. These modifications included:

  • Different seat-belt units fitted.[89]
  • The fitting of Rubbolite tail light clusters with a built-in fog light function.[90]
  • The fitting of a fog light switch to one of the center-console dummy switches.[89]
  • A custom-made tail light surround and number (license) plate bezel.[91]
  • Swapping the front turn signal lenses for ones of a different, more rounded style.[92]
  • Swapping the rear side marker lenses for amber ones.[93]

All of the 13 Wooler-Hodec cars were modified to the OEM front turn-signal lens fixing method in order to make them fit flush with the front fascia.[94] The cars' headlights were also changed for right-hand-drive spec lights that incorporate a UK sidelight feature.

By contrast, the three AXI cars had further modifications to the amber front door lights, which were exchanged for clear lenses of the same style.[95] Perhaps the most significant alteration on the AXI cars is the deletion of the front and rear side markers. These are replaced by a single small round European-style indicator side repeater, situated on the front wing (fender). The body rubstrips are also of a different configuration in order to cover the areas that would otherwise have had federal side marker lenses fitted.[96]

Back to the Future
A DeLorean "time machine" from the Back to the Future trilogy exhibited at Universal Studios Florida

The DeLorean is most notably featured as the time machine in the Back to the Future film trilogy. Six DeLorean chassis were used during the production, along with one manufactured out of fiberglass for scenes where a full-size DeLorean was needed to "fly" on-screen; only three of the cars still exist, with one that was destroyed at the end of Back to the Future Part III, two additional cars were abandoned, and the fiberglass replica was scrapped. Universal Studios owns two of the remaining cars, occasionally putting them on display or using them for other productions, and the last resides in a private collection after having been extensively restored.[97] The official Back to the Future DeLorean can be viewed at the Petersen Automotive Museum.[98]

A number of production DeLoreans have been modified by the aftermarket into Back to the Future time machine replicas, whose bodies and interiors are modified to mirror the appearance and functions of the film cars.[99]

New DeLorean production

In 1995, Stephen Wynne from Liverpool created a separate company based in Humble, Texas using the DeLorean Motor Company name. Wynne acquired the trademark on the stylized DMC logo, along with the remaining parts inventory of the original DeLorean Motor Company. The company rebuilds cars at its Humble, Texas, location using a combination of new old stock (NOS) parts, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and reproduction parts on a made-to-order basis.[100]

Due to the passage of the Low Volume Vehicle Manufacturing Act, DMC Texas announced that it would be producing replica DeLoreans. DMC anticipated building approximately 50 vehicles per year over six years with an estimated retail price of US$100,000.[101][102] In October 2016, DMC announced that it was expecting to build 12 units in the first production year with as many as 50 in the second year of production.[103] In December 2019, the NHTSA issued guidelines for the Low Volume Vehicle Manufacturing Act[104] and DMC Texas is now projecting they will begin production in 2021.[105]

References
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Further reading
  • DeLorean, John Z.; Schwarz, Ted (1985). DeLorean. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-37940-7.
  • Lamm, John (2003). DeLorean Stainless Steel Illusion (2nd ed.). Fort Jones, CA: Red Lion Press. ISBN 0-9744141-0-7.
  • Clarke, R. M. (1995). DeLorean: 1977–1995 Gold Portfolio. Cobham: Brooklands. ISBN 1-85520-331-6.
  • Espey, James (2014). The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to DeLorean Automobiles (2nd ed.). the DeLorean Garage. ISBN 978-0-9856578-1-9.
  • Parnham, Chris; Withers, Andrew (2015). DeLorean Celebrating the Impossible. DeLorean Motor Cars (1978) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9928594-0-4.
  • Williams, Chris (2018). DeLorean DMC-12 [sic], The Essential Buyers Guide (2018). Veloce Publishing. ISBN 978-1-787112-32-2.
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