Some cars achieve cult or classic status from the moment the first one rolls off the line. For others, it can take years or decades to accomplish that feat. The 1981 DMC DeLorean falls into the second category. A car that was unloved and ignored in its infancy has developed a strong following within the classic community. Today, spotless examples achieve sales prices that their creator could only dream of. This DeLorean recently emerged after thirty years in storage. The seller undertook significant work on the path to return it to a roadworthy state, leaving a few finer details for its new owner to address. It is listed here on eBay in New Baltimore, Michigan. Bidding has raced past the reserve to sit at $45,000.
The DMC DeLorean emerged from the pen of legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. Even if we ignore the brushed stainless finish that was standard on these classics, the styling is striking. From some angles, there is a touch of Lotus Esprit about its appearance. This is a happy coincidence because Lotus founder Colin Chapman had significant influence over the engineering as an external consultant. Thanks to the materials chosen for the car’s construction, rust doesn’t tend to be a massive problem with the DeLorean. It is worth inspecting the car’s backbone chassis. It should wear an epoxy coating, but issues can develop at the body mounting points if it is compromised. The stainless steel looks good, with no significant flaws or blemishes. The alloy wheels are spotless, but the urethane nose and rear sections exhibit the typical color mismatch that develops as time passes. Although most of the glass is okay, the windshield is cracked. The new owner will need to brace themselves because replacements retail for an eyewatering $995. Overall, the presentation looks pretty respectable, which has undoubtedly helped it to receive seventeen bids at the time of writing.
John DeLorean envisaged his creation as a mid-engined sports car powered by a Ford V6 or Wankel rotary engine. Both would have provided acceptable performance, but negotiations between the company and potential suppliers failed to deliver. DeLorean’s fallback plan was the PRV (Peugeot/Renault/Volvo) 2,849cc V6, producing 130hp. DeLorean remained determined to stick with the mid-engine configuration, but Lotus owner Colin Chapman realized the engineering required to achieve that goal was unattainable with the available time and funds. Therefore, the DeLorean followed the Porsche philosophy of a rear-mounted powerplant. The V6 sends its power to the road via a five-speed manual transmission, although the company offered an optional three-speed automatic for those seeking a more relaxed driving experience. Unfortunately, the drivetrain combination didn’t deliver the performance the car’s appearance seemed to promise. The journey down the ¼ mile took 16.5 seconds, although the aerodynamic efficiency allowed it to attain a top speed of 131mph. The seller states this car recently emerged after thirty years in storage. They worked through returning it to a roadworthy condition by replacing the entire fuel system from the tank to the injectors. They replaced every front brake component and the master cylinder. The DeLorean fires into life at the first turn of the key and is almost roadworthy. There are a few tasks for the successful bidder to tackle, including replacing the exhaust and inspecting the rear brakes to ensure there are no issues.
This DeLorean’s interior looks pretty presentable, but some flaws are worth mentioning. The seat leather has some cracks and wear on the outer edges. A specialist might be able to address the problems to return them to a better state. If they can’t, all is not lost. Replacement covers retail for around $350 per set, which is not bad for genuine leather in the correct pattern and color. The shifter boot retainer is warped, and I could not locate these as separate items. Addressing the problem involves purchasing a shifter boot kit, which adds $149 to the tally. However, carefully applying heat might allow the new owner to bend the retainer back into shape, thus saving some money. The factory radio/cassette player made way for a Panasonic unit, but there are no other additions. Air conditioning was a standard luxury feature, but the lack of adequate cabin ventilation means it is more of an essential item in hot climates. The buyer also receives power windows, power mirrors, a rear defogger, and a tilt-and-reach wheel.
After the company collapsed under a mountain of bad debts, the DMC DeLorean could have disappeared into the depths of automotive history and remained forgotten forever. It was probably saved by the “Back to The Future” movie franchise, which brought the car front and center into public awareness four years after this one rolled off the line. There was one crucial difference between the movies and the DeLorean; One turned a profit, while the other didn’t. I’m sure you know which was which! When the receivers attempted to wind up the company following its demise, they were left with an inventory of unsold vehicles that they struggled to offload. Nobody wanted a DeLorean then, but times have changed. Today, prices of $45,000 are common, and $60,000 is not unprecedented. This car has a few needs but has reached its current price courtesy of seventeen bids. I believe it will probably pass $50,000, which would have brought a wry smile to John DeLorean’s face. He always believed he was creating a desirable vehicle. It just took the rest of the world several decades to realize it.
Dang, I was hoping to get through ONE DeLorean post without mentioning that silly movie. I never saw it, and knew full well what a neat car it was without even seeing the movie. With that logic, the Pacer, should have been the most popular car ever. Awesome cars from the best name associated with automobiles.
But that’s exactly it. They were a crap car with plss poor performance and build quality that without the movie would have seen most of them scrapped by now. They still exist ONLY because of the movie. The external optics are impressive and no doubt the best thing about the car and IMHO, if ever I were lucky enough to be in a position to have one, I would replace the entire drivetrain with something more modern and re-engineer the entire suspension setup etc.
That would be so cool to see one of these with a drivetrain that would deliver what the looks promise.
Exactly Ward, these things were garbage then and now. Back to The Future saved them from the oddball category and made everyone want one. I saw one that was red and it actually looked good. if I had one I wouldn’t waste time on it, I’d just offload it.
45 large and its “almost roadworthy” ??? There’s a company doing these, not sure if they build new ones but do upgrades / swaps on that awful muttt of a mill they used.
C’mon Howard, That “silly movie”?? Fantasy yep but it was fun. Toured a car collection in Seattle; the guy had one with a “flux capacitor” arrangement that lit up etc like in the movie. A local high school’s senior prom had the Theme “Back to the future”; They found out about this car, asked the owner if they could borrow it for the Prom, and he threw them the keys. The Prom Pics included included the delorean. Good stuff.
Sure is a far cry from a GTO though.
Cheers
GPC
Hi GPC, it’s cool, if you like fiction. I’m more of a “just the facts” guy,( he never said “ma’am”). My problem with “movie cars”, is it sends a false message and concentrates on the gizmos, and that’s what people remember, rather than what a neat car it is. Every Charger has to be the General Lee, every Mustang has to be Bullitt, or every Pacer belonged to some burnout and every DeLorean must have zapped from the future somehow. Quite frankly, if I created a car like the DeLorean, my crowning achievement and was used in some corny movie as some spaceship, I’d be kind of pissed.
BTW, I think I’ve found my calling, I’m the “Andy Rooney” of BFs. No surprise he was my hero.
Andy Rooney….really. Shocking !
Get it straight Andy…. the Charger was also associated with Bullitt and Crazy Mary, Dirty Larry…..long before that silly show on TV.
Hey Howard- I read Andy Rooney’s book and it changed my life. The man was so amazing, and simple things in life that he believed in are so relevant, especially today. My hero also- he could be everyones. Don’t judge the guy with the messy office and an almost grumpy demeanor–Andy was the real deal.
Sorry off topic.
Cheers
GPC
If I remember right – didn’t he own some kind of
cool car?
Remember his way to decide if a car was any good? He did a piece where he claimed you could tell a good car from a bad car by nothing more than the sound of the door closing, and the sound of the horn. While a lot of decent cars have crappy horns today, crappy cars still have doors that sound like tin cans so I’m saying he’s still right.
I wanted one back when they were new but now not so much, I would be curious today to get one and see if I could improve its performance and reliability
I almost bought one of these in the mid-80’s, driving the car changed my mind. They have a very bad left and right rear blind spots, grossly under powered and the toll both window is complete useless!
Some folks believe the entire car is totally useless and is a good example of what cocaine can do to your senses and wallet. Just another reminder of how bad the 1980’s were.
Wow, Frank, that’s incredibly closed minded of you. I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but that comment just rubs me wrong. John DeLorean was a genius. He is the father of the musclecar, something, if you’re here, we all enjoyed. His contributions to the auto industry simply cannot be ignored. His work with Packard, the GTO, the Firebird, the Grand Prix, not to mention many innovations we take for granted, and his swan song, this car. I believe he was acquitted of drug charges, and it was a fraud lawsuit that took him down. I think he was the sharpest person to come out of Detroit, and I’ll not have you tarnish his great name. This car was state of the art, mid-engine, gull wing doors, I was mighty impressed by it. I never did cocaine, but the 80s for me were a blast! Better than this stupid era, fo sho,,
More of Howard’s terminal bloviation!
Oh, the wisdom, I had to look that up.
“Bloviation”: to talk at great length especially in an inflated or empty way.
Tell me, what’s a college grad like you doing on a low brow, common man site like BFs? Take a hike, Einstein,,I could easily make light of your lackwit responses, but then I’d be stooping to your level.
Oh this is fun,,
First time I’ve checked out the comments here. He sure seems like a nice guy with a lot of interesting stuff to say. I like how he polices the comments to make sure no one has wrong opinions. The take he has on back to the future and john delorean are certainly conversation starters too.
Don’t think if one is paying near $50k for this. They are gonna be worrying over replacing the cracked windshield for $995. Do you ?
Not too long ago these were way cheaper, like everything else they just keep going up. I also never saw the movie, and never saw a Star Wars movie.
Yup. I’m kicking myself. About 10 years ago you could pick up a driver with a trashed interior but nice exterior for about $13k. I was also looking at 50s thunderbirds. As long as you didn’t have to have the “right” engine under the hood, show cars were under $20k. I spent the money on a nicer daily driver instead.
SOLD for $45,100.
Word on the street is Howard A. bought it.
And flipped it for $145 grand, who’s stupid now, eh? You know, my Social Security is going up a WHOPPING 8.7% next year, that translates into another $112/month, so lookout Mecum brats,,,nah, better save it for dentures,,,
Should have been a mid engine V8. How hard could have that been? An American V8 for reliability, power, and ease of maintenance Maybe, later, an optional choice of engines. Rotary? Bimmer M Class, V12? Could make it as fancy as your wallet allowed, just match it with a ZF five speed and your good to go..
Hi Grant, you may be thinking of the Bricklin, that was of similar nature but had an AMC 360 or Ford 351 V8. The Bricklin had about as much success as the DeLorean, which told me, Americans had a passing interest, but for the bulk of Americans, these were just too far out there, if the Fiero taught us anything.
The Fiero was hindered by insurance companies pricing them like a 2 seat Corvette, plus some of the early ones caught fire easily. The Bricklin, yes, had V8s, but looked like a plastic kit car. This had real style, but the underlying design was a disappointment. No comments from me on the man himself, except I think he was too anxious to get started and made poor compromises. May he rest in peace.
Horrible cars then and now! 🤮
I remember when the Delorean came out. I was disappointed when I found out they had sourced Peugeot engines in it. IMO the car had the looks but kind of like an eggshell, had nothing inside it.
Ironically not long ago I happened to see a video on a car the owner had stuffed a LS engine into it. Not a simple task but the owner was able to get it done. Didn’t see any performance numbers on it, but if that engine had any balls behind it, I wondered how the rest of the drivetrain held up with the increase in HP.