Almost everyone agrees that John Z. DeLorean made the best decision by leaving General Motors to start his own car company! However, after facing millions of dollars in fines and multiple charges, the company he founded collapsed due to "wrongdoing."
With its handsome stainless steel body, gull-wing doors and other advanced designs, the Delorean DMC-12 attracted much attention when it was first launched. However, sales were sluggish due to poor power and reliability.
After the company declared bankruptcy in 1982, only 8,975 Delorean DMC-12s were left to the world. However, the company's bankruptcy and the disappearance of the brand did not make this car a "street rat". With the science fiction series " Back to the Future" was a hit, and these cars were quickly sought after by movie fans/car collectors!
Although there are problems like this, just the word "handsome" is enough! This car has even become an important part of American pop culture, and the original prop car in the movie was invited to the Peterson Automotive Museum!
By the way, not long ago, the classic car DMC-12 officially entered the National Historic Vehicle Register. This is a high honor, somewhat similar to that in NBA professional basketball games. Hall of Fame.
The DeLorean DMC-12 was developed by a company independently established in 1975 by John DeLorean, a former vice president of General Motors (GM). His nickname is "The boldest car dealer in history."
Worked successively at Packard Motor Company and Pontiac Motor Company in the United States (the Pontiac GTO and Firebird were launched in 1964). In 1972, he was promoted to General Motors' youngest vice president. But poor management by the board frequently interfered with his decisions. The following year, he decided to resign and bid farewell to the job he had held for 16 years.
After resigning, he founded DMC, whose full name is DeLorean Motor Company. The only model launched by this company is the DeLorean DMC-12. The design of DMC DeLorean was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, founder of Giugiaro Design Studio in Italy, and Lotus brand founder Colin Chapman also participated in the initial technical research and development work.
It can be said that the appearance of this car does not belong to that era at all. In March 1976, with only one prototype car, DeLorean raised the start-up funds for the company from Hollywood stars, and from The British government received an investment of US$120 million. Problems encountered on the production line delayed the delivery time again and again. Six years after the prototype was completed (January 21, 1981), the sharp rise in costs more than doubled the originally advertised price of US$12,000 for the DMC-12. . When the mass-produced car was launched in 1981, its price was already as high as $25,000. However, it still couldn't stop people's enthusiasm. Many people even paid an extra $10,000 to improve their queue. Is this really good?
Although it looks dreamy and handsome, people regretted it after actually getting the car. The biggest problem with this car is the power. It is equipped with a powertrain jointly developed by Peugeot Renault and Volvo ***. V6 engine, the engine is designed and developed in the United States and assembled in Ireland. The 2.8-liter V6 engine has a maximum power of 131 horsepower, a maximum torque of 207 N·m, a top speed of only 175km/h, and a 0-100 acceleration time of 10.5 seconds. "Road & Track" magazine at the time gave the DMC-12 a brief and embarrassing rating - "Not quick."
This car contains some Luster DNA in its blood, but due to its overweight body, soft suspension, steering brakes and other problems, most people think that this car is not as futuristic in terms of driving. In perfect condition, by the end of 1981, unsold DeLoreans were piling up at dealers, and not only were investors unhappy, but the British government was also quite unhappy with their investment in Northern Ireland.
Not long after the company hoped to bring the turbocharged version to the market, a major event occurred in the company!
In October 1982, John DeLorean was arrested on suspicion of D trafficking. The British government confiscated the factory in Northern Ireland, and the DeLorean Motor Company immediately declared bankruptcy.
He was later proven innocent, but it was too late. The break in the capital chain prevented the company from resuming the production of DMC-12 cars. There are rumors that before going bankrupt, John DeLorean also tried to raise funds to save the situation. But at that time, the U.S. economy was entering a recession, and no one was willing to fund a car company with such little profit expectations. At the same time, John refused to sell his hard-earned DMC-12 patent to other car companies.
According to estimates from overseas authoritative organizations, the total number of remaining vehicles worldwide so far is approximately 6,000.
If you are also interested in the "time machine" in the movie, then you can take a look at the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 in the photo. The car is located in New Jersey, USA. The asking price is not cheap, reaching $59,000.
This car has only 17,941 total miles. The seller said the brakes, water pump, ignition system, taillights and electrical system were replaced to make the car more reliable, at an overall cost of more than $10,000.
Through the information, we can see that this car is equipped with rare black and gray leather seats and flux capacitors to pay tribute to the movie "Back to the Future". However, from the details of the car in the photo, it looks like the car was parked outdoors for a long time!
So in your opinion, is this car worth the $59,000 asking price?
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