Ah, the DeLorean Motor Company. Where to start? If you wrote a movie script revolving around a fictitious fledgling car company headed by a charismatic individual trying to create an exclusive sports car that was hurriedly designed, horribly engineered, built by an inexperienced workforce, and the whole company collapsed in a welter of mismanagement and criminal activities, Hollywood studios would laugh you out of town. However, that single sentence completely encapsulates the life and death of DeLorean. A car that was unwanted and unloved when new has developed an unprecedented following in today’s classic market, with original and unmolested examples commanding eye-watering prices. Our feature car is a 1981 model, and it ticks many of the right boxes for serious collectors. It is a two-owner vehicle that has been meticulously maintained, it is unmodified, and it has a genuine 16,800 miles on the clock. Located in Seguin, Texas, the owner has chosen to part with their DeLorean by listing it for sale here on craigslist. They have set their sale price at $60,000, and I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L. for spotting this automotive icon for us.

By all accounts, John Zachary DeLorean was a charismatic individual with gasoline coursing through his veins. He is credited as the father of the legendary Pontiac GTO. After rising to the upper levels of management, he quit General Motors in 1973 with the vision of a new car company bearing his name firmly focused in his mind. The car he spawned was designed by the famed Giorgetto Giugiaro and was destined to command attention. If its styling wasn’t bold enough, John Z’s decision to finish its exterior in brushed stainless steel was guaranteed to turn heads and leave people with little doubt about what they were looking at. This 1981 DeLorean retains those features, and its presentation is hard to fault. The panels are laser straight, while the brushed stainless surfaces are flawless. The urethane nose and tail sections exhibit the type of color mismatch that is common with these classics, although the variation is not as extreme as some we’ve seen at Barn Finds. While we have no firm production date for this car, the fuel filler flap in the hood indicates that it rolled out of the Dunmurry, Belfast, factory before August of 1981. The seller supplies no underside shots, so we don’t get a look at the frame. The steel backbone was designed by Colin Chapman and provided the epoxy coating remains intact, rust should not be a problem. If the epoxy is compromised, problems can develop at the body mounting points. However, the overall condition of this car suggests that it may not be a problem. The alloy wheels are in good order, and there are no apparent issues with the glass.

Part of the failure of the DeLorean can be attributed to build quality issues. Someone once said that DeLoren’s Quality Control System only lacked two attributes: quality and control. However, its drivetrain configuration did the car no favors. Originally envisaged to receive a mid-mounted Ford V6 or a Wankel rotary engine, The infamous Mr. DeLorean realized that he lacked the engineering skills to bring his vision to reality. He desperately required the assistance of someone with more experience, turning to Colin Chapman of Lotus fame. By all reports, Chapman was horrified by what confronted him. He realized that it would take years of engineering and development to bring the DeLorean dream to reality, and with money running critically short, Chapman sought compromises. The rotary and Ford V6 were consigned to the “too hard” basket, and a rear-mounted 2,849cc PRV (Peugeot/Renault/Volvo) V6 found its way into the engine bay. Producing a modest 130hp, the vehicle applied the power to the road via a five-speed manual transaxle or an optional three-speed automatic. Thankfully, the original owner ordered this car with a five-speed, meaning it should be capable of covering the ¼ mile in 16.5 seconds. Perceived as a sports car, the scope of its performance failing can be placed into perspective if measured against a 1981 Corvette. The Chevy in automatic form could match the DeLorean over the ¼ mile, but the Corvette’s sticker price was a mere 59% of the DeLorean’s. The premium price and lack of performance did damage that would always be challenging to overcome. However, the passing decades have softened the opinions of many, and a well-maintained vehicle can attract attention in the current market. That description applies to our feature car. It has been appropriately maintained and garage-kept throughout its life and has only graced the garages of two owners in the past forty-one years. It runs and drives perfectly and is a turnkey proposition for its next owner.

If we turn our attention to the DeLorean’s interior, the news remains positive. The original Craig radio/cassette player has made way for a similar unit from Sony. Otherwise, it appears to be original and unmolested. It is also in excellent condition for its age. Its cause has undoubtedly been helped by a lack of long-term UV exposure and the car’s odometer reading of 16,800 genuine miles. The plastic trim, dash, and carpet are impressive, but the lack of wear on the outer edges of the leather-wrapped bucket seats is the highlight. Those areas are highly prone to problems, but these appear perfect. By today’s standards, the interior wouldn’t be considered well-equipped. Air conditioning was a standard inclusion, but the lack of adequate cabin ventilation made it essential lest the occupants find themselves baked. Buyers also received power windows, power mirrors, a rear defogger, a tilt-and-reach wheel, and those gullwing doors that are the DeLorean’s defining feature.

When the DeLorean Motor Company collapsed, it left behind an enormous group of unhappy individuals and nearly as many unsold cars. Gene Krantz, the Flight Director of the Apollo 13 mission, has been famously (but erroneously) attributed as the first person to use the line “failure is not an option.” However, for DeLorean, it was not only an option; it was an inevitability. The impact of failure tends to soften with the passing years, and it has been four decades since DMC came crashing to the ground. Those tasked with winding up the company in the 1980s struggled to sell the remaining vehicle inventory, slashing prices to do so. Today, the worm has turned, and the DeLorean commands a premium in the classic market. Where some owners struggled to sell their cars at giveaway prices at the dawn of the 21st Century, we’ve reached a point where the $60,000 asking price on our feature car is not unusual. It has been on the market for little more than a day, and I won’t be surprised if someone snaps it up pretty quickly.