Many people dream of seeing their name on a car company, but few achieve that goal. Of those, only the lucky and astute achieve sales success. Others crash and burn, sometimes quietly, and others are spectacular failures. The DeLorean Motor Company falls into the latter category, with its story still causing some to shake their heads in disbelief over four decades after the last car left the factory. This 1981 DeLorean is an early example that presents well, and the seller is motivated to find it a new home. They have listed it here on eBay in Santa Ana, California. They set their No Reserve auction to open at $40,000, and while the listing statistics are impressive, they haven’t translated into a single bid.
John Zachary DeLorean was a charming individual and is often considered the father of the muscle car era following his time at Pontiac. A brash extrovert, he found the corporate environment at General Motors stifling. Therefore, he resigned his position as Vice President of cars and trucks in 1973, setting out to fulfill the dream of creating a marque bearing his name. The DMC DeLorean, a car penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, finally hit the market in January 1981 after overcoming many hurdles during its development. To describe the car as striking would be a masterly understatement. It was impossible to ignore the stainless steel panels and the gullwing doors, two features that divided opinions. This early example appears to be in good condition, although the listing images graphically demonstrate a DeLorean weakness. The brushed stainless steel is challenging to keep clean, and there are plenty of handprints and smudges visible in the photos. These aren’t permanent issues, but it is easy to see why owners spend so many hours cleaning the exteriors of these classics. The panels are straight, and if the epoxy coating is intact, this dry-climate survivor should be rust-free. The doors appear to function as they should, and the glass is clear.
Unfortunately, the seller supplies no engine bay photos. However, an embedded video in their listing features the car’s 2.8-liter V6 running, and it sounds clean and crisp. Fortunately, the first owner resisted the temptation of the optional three-speed automatic transmission, which severely hampered the performance of a car delivering a mere 130hp. Instead, they selected the five-speed manual transmission, while power-assisted steering and brakes were standard DeLorean fare. Refreshingly, the seller doesn’t make outrageous mileage claims, confirming that this classic shows 80,000 miles on its odometer. How it drives is a mystery, but the indications are positive.
The DeLorean wasn’t cheap, and buyers expected creature comforts for their considerable outlay. The company delivered, equipping each car with air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, a leather-wrapped tilt wheel, a rear defogger, and an AM/FM radio/cassette player with a power antenna. This car’s original sound system has been replaced by a modern stereo with rear-mounted speakers, but these appear to be the only aftermarket additions. The leather-upholstered surfaces are in great condition, with only slight wear on the right side of the steering column, where it has rubbed when raised and lowered. The wear-prone carpet is surprisingly clean for a DeLorean with 80,000 miles on the clock, and there are no signs of plastic issues or UV damage.
Had someone pitched the story of the DeLorean Motor Company as a movie script about a fictitious car company, most Hollywood studios would have deemed it completely implausible. After all, how many marques are founded on sky-high optimism, unrealistic expectations, dodgy business dealings, poor engineering, embezzlement, and criminal activities? The DeLorean story ticks those boxes, and had it not been for a 1980s movie franchise, this car may have quietly disappeared into the dusty pages of automotive history. However, the once unloved has become pretty desirable. The seller’s opening bid figure on this classic isn’t cheap, but it aligns with market expectations. It has generated considerable interest since hitting the market, but there has been no genuine auction action. With No Reserve in play, someone could become its new owner with a single bid. Is that thought enough to tempt you, or doesn’t a DeLorean tick the boxes for you?
DeLoreans are the ultimate example of a movie making a truely crappy car valuable :P
“truly scrappy car” is a bit harsh. I suspect you never drove one, much less owned one. I had seven of them over an 18 year period including one used as my daily commuter for years, and re-purchased one 11 years later. At one point I had 4 at once. Problems were minimal and performance was acceptable if not great. And that part I fixed by installing a supercharged Chevy engine in one. Plus all were sold for a considerable profit, the Chevy powered one twice! Can you say that with other collector cars? In today’s market $40k would be a bargain.
i have driven one the only part that ThunderRob left out is way underpowered.
Oh, and Adam – they never had power steering. Also, the ebay photos show two details of note: the stock 80mph speedo has been upgraded to a 170mph one, and there is a nasty crack in the dash pad just above. Replacements can be a problem to find. Also, you can easily upgrade to remote opening doors if wanted.
Who needs powersteering except for parking, which is never an issue in the US.?
With the high mileage i can understand why there is no bid yet.
Great Scott!
Honestly at 13 when this car was new I wanted one , I was a kid what did I know about cars? Today I kinda still want one but only because I want to attempt to improve its suspension and engine power to make it more like the performance car it needs to be.
That’s what I did in 1990. I bought my 4th with 16,000 miles and no engine in PA for $4,000, had it shipped to WA, and installed a supercharged Chevy 4.3 V6. It was also lowered, had reinforced front suspension, and other mods, and was very fast. I made the trans adapter, motor mounts, exhaust and did the entire conversion myself. The only problem I ever had was destroying the input shaft coupler in the trans from the torque. I sold it in 2005 after selling my DeLorean parts business, and in 2016 saw it on BaT and bought it back, this time from VA.
these things have been crawling out of the woodwork like ants lately. the only reason these are worth anything is the movie which really was not that good imo. these were poorly built when new now they are the got to have thing at the moment. don’t get it.
Nothing underscores a car’s prestige like having a Carros Baratos sign in the background of your auction 😄.
I think he’s the new goalie for the Blackhawks.
I’ve always wondered how much room is required on each side to accomodate gullwing doors. which I kinda hate.
Only 11 inches. Way less than normal cars. Google it if you doubt me – I had to since I couldn’t remember the exact number.
The only thing good about this one is that this one is a manual.
Not much seating area width! Will a wide driver or passenger even fit?!
Do the gullwing doors leak water inside when closed – like the Bricklin’s?
Seats are plenty wide. As for leaks, not as long as the seals are in good shape. None of mine ever leaked.
Darryl, you’re the DeLorean expert. It seems overpriced to me. Considering it’s underpowered, was getting quality complaints from day one, and don’t even think about body repair. My totally amateur guess is were it not for Back to the Future it would go for 15-20k.
Sold $45,200, 15 bids.
Kim, 90% of the negative comments about those cars come from people who know nothing at all about them. If you want to know about DeLoreans, ask an owner. They had some quirks and quality issues, but after all these years most have been addressed. They have an extremely loyal owner base and robust parts support. They are fun to drive and will draw a crowd like few other cars. Sure, they aren’t BMWs or Ferraris but they can be very reliable and a lot of fun. Starting in 1986 I bought up some 29 original dealer inventories of parts, so buying fixer-upper cars was a no brainer. The only reason I got out of them was because I sold my DMC parts business, which is still prospering 20+ years later, and I wanted to get back to my street rodder roots. I only paid $3,000-$10,000 for all but one of mine, and sold them for $11,000-$31,000 over 20 years ago. The average price today is closer to $60,000. So do I think $45,000 was a good buy? You bet I do. And as much as I enjoyed the movies, they had nothing at all to do with my involvement with the cars.
Darryl, thanks for your reply. I guess I remember back in the day when they came out the car magazines damning them with faint praise, and dealers trying to unload them. At the time I worked near a Buick dealer on the South side of Chicago that had a DeLorean franchise.Ki