DeLorean – Technical Specifications 1981–1982

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DeLorean

DeLorean
Founded
1981-01-01
Founder
John DeLorean
Country of origin
USA
Headquarters
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Group
Models in the Catalog
1
Annual production
~0.009 million vehicles

One car. That's all DeLorean ever made. John DeLorean, a former General Motors executive with a reputation for brilliance and recklessness in equal measure, founded the DeLorean Motor Company in 1981 with a vision that bordered on delusion — build the world's safest, most efficient sports car using exotic materials and gullwing doors that opened to the sky. The company was based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, of all places, a choice made partly for tax incentives and partly because DeLorean wanted to prove Detroit didn't have a monopoly on automotive innovation. He was right about one thing. Wrong about almost everything else.

The DMC-12 arrived in 1981 with brushed stainless steel bodywork, a mid-mounted PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) V6 engine producing 130 horsepower, and those iconic gullwing doors that became its entire identity. Not revolutionary. Not even particularly quick — 0 to 60 took 8.8 seconds, which was pedestrian even by early-'80s standards. But it looked like nothing else on the road. That aesthetic obsession became both blessing and curse. Production lasted just two years before the company imploded in scandal, financial collapse, and criminal charges against DeLorean himself (spoiler: he was acquitted). Only 9,002 cars were built. That scarcity transformed a mediocre sports car into cultural legend.

Today, DeLorean exists in memory more than reality — immortalized by Back to the Future, preserved in garages of obsessive collectors, and occasionally revived by startups claiming they'll resurrect the brand. The original lineup consisted entirely of that single sedan configuration, a choice that reflected DeLorean's singular vision and stubborn refusal to compromise. No variants. No evolution. Just one chance to prove a maverick could build something lasting. He didn't. The car did it for him anyway — becoming immortal through sheer audacity and stainless steel. Remarkable what happens when ambition crashes into reality.

All DeLorean Models
delorean DMC-12
DMC-12

History

John DeLorean walked away from General Motors in 1973. Sounds crazy, right? He was a rising star — youngest division head in GM history, making real money, climbing the corporate ladder like everyone said he should. But DeLorean had a vision that GM's bean counters would never fund: a revolutionary sports car that was affordable, safe, and unforgettable. He wanted to build something that mattered. So he left everything behind and started the DeLorean Motor Company in 1975, headquartered in Detroit. That decision changed everything.

The early years were brutal. DeLorean spent years chasing capital, pitching investors, navigating regulatory nightmares. Factories were considered. Plans shifted. Money dried up constantly. By 1978, the company was barely breathing — no production, mounting debt, credibility questioned at every turn. But DeLorean kept pushing. He eventually landed backing from the British government, which offered tax incentives for manufacturing in Northern Ireland. Desperate times. The company relocated to Belfast in 1979, setting up production in a former Michelin tire factory. It was a gamble that most thought would fail.

Then came 1981 — the moment everything crystallized. The DMC-12 finally rolled off the line. Stainless steel body. Gullwing doors. That sleek, wedge-shaped profile that looked like nothing else on Earth. Not the fastest car. Not the most practical. But unmistakably, unforgettably distinctive. The design turned heads everywhere — magazines went wild, celebrities wanted them, the public couldn't get enough. For a moment, it felt like DeLorean had actually pulled it off. Production ramped up. Orders flooded in. This was the breakthrough.

And then reality hit hard. Manufacturing problems plagued the factory — quality control was inconsistent, costs spiraled beyond projections, and the Irish government grew impatient with losses. DeLorean himself was arrested in 1982 on cocaine trafficking charges (he was acquitted, but the damage was done). Production limped along until 1983, when the company collapsed entirely. Only 9,000 DMC-12s were built. Financial disaster. Careers destroyed. The dream evaporated.

But here's where it gets interesting. The DMC-12 never died. It became a cultural icon — literally a time machine in the Back to the Future films, released in 1985. Suddenly the car was immortal in popular consciousness. Surviving examples became collector's pieces worth serious money. DeLorean Motor Company was revived in 1995 as a restoration and parts supplier, keeping the legend alive. Today, the marque continues as a specialty manufacturer, with plans for electric vehicles and modern reimaginations. You can explore their current electric lineup. From bankruptcy to immortality. Not bad for a company that lasted just two years.

The DeLorean Legacy

DeLorean built one car — the DMC-12 — and somehow managed to become immortal. Think about that for a second. Thousands of manufacturers have faded into obscurity, forgotten except by obsessive collectors and automotive historians. But DeLorean? The stainless steel body, the gull-wing doors, that mid-mounted V6 — it's burned into popular culture permanently. One model. One shot. Changed everything.

The brand's brief existence was chaotic, underfunded, and ultimately doomed by poor timing and criminal scandal. Yet the car itself transcended its commercial failure. It became a time machine in fiction, a symbol of 1980s optimism, a testament to what happens when ambition outpaces reality. You can find coupe models still commanding eye-watering prices at auction. Survivors fetch more today than they cost new — inflation-adjusted or not, that's rare air.

DeLorean proves something essential about automobiles: perfection isn't required for immortality. Execution matters less than vision. One brilliant, flawed, stainless steel dream — and you're legendary forever.

Delorean Model Categories

Technical overview of Delorean models

SegmentModelsPerformanceDriveFeatures
Segment
Coupe
 Models
DMC-12
 Performance
132 - 150 PS
 Drive
RWD
 Features
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Frequently asked questions about Delorean

When was DeLorean founded?

DeLorean Motor Company launched in 1975 — founded by John DeLorean, an engineer who'd spent years at General Motors before deciding the big automakers were too stuck in their ways. He wanted to build something radical. Something safe. Something that'd shake people awake. The company operated for just seven years, but man, what a seven years it was. Production ran from 1981 to 1982, and in that brief window, DeLorean created the DMC-12 — a stainless steel sports car with gullwing doors that became instantly legendary. Not many manufacturers get that kind of cultural impact. DeLorean did it in less than two years of actual production. That's the power of an idea executed perfectly.

How many models did DeLorean make?

One model. That's it. DeLorean didn't dabble in sedans, SUVs, or anything else — they committed completely to a single vision. The DMC-12 was their entire lineup, their entire reason for existing. Two seats. Mid-mounted PRV engine. Those unforgettable gullwing doors. No compromises, no spin-offs, no cash-grab variants. Compare that to most manufacturers today with their sedan lineups and SUV options. DeLorean proved you don't need variety to create something unforgettable.

What made the DeLorean's design so iconic?

Those gullwing doors. Seriously. The DMC-12 opened like nothing else on the road — vertically, like the car was taking a bow. Brilliant theater? Absolutely. But here's what people miss: it actually worked. The doors provided better access in tight parking spaces than conventional doors ever could. Then there's the stainless steel bodywork. No paint. Just brushed aluminum that reflected light like a mirror and developed character as it aged. Most cars look worse after thirty years. The DMC-12 looks better. That's not accident — that's John DeLorean refusing to compromise on materials even when it cost more money and created manufacturing headaches. The design wasn't just about looking different. It was about being different in ways that mattered.

Did DeLorean ever make electric vehicles?

The original DMC-12 ran on a 2.85-liter PRV V6 making 130 horsepower — not exactly a powerhouse by modern standards, but it did the job. No electric motors back then. The company folded in 1982, so they never got the chance to explore EV technology. Fast forward to today, though, and the DeLorean name is being revived with electric ambitions. The new ownership has been exploring electric vehicle options as a way to bring the brand back with modern technology. Whether they actually deliver? That's the question everyone's asking. The original DeLorean was about bold ideas. An electric revival would certainly fit that DNA.

Last updated

2026-02-20

Source

DeLorean Motor Company (official), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Wikipedia, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Smithsonian National Museum of American History

All technical data is taken from official manufacturer specifications and is regularly updated.