"You built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?" Marty McFly couldn't quite believe his eyes and neither could we. That's because the DMC-12 didn't have the greatest of reputations before the Back to the Future trilogy. Prone to breaking down and suffering from poor build quality (it was made in Belfast during a time when unemployment was high and workers at the Dunmurry plant were largely inexperienced...) but a healthy dose of movie magic helped it outshine co-star Michael J Fox. With those futuristic looks, it was absolutely the star of the show and its reputation was enhanced, and how.
When the two-door sportscar, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was launched for the US market in 1981 by John Delorean's Delorean Motor Company, much was expected from the sleek coupé. It boasted gull-wing doors and had a fibreglass underbody with a brushed stainless-steel finish, which made it look way ahead of its time.
It was back in 1976 when the concept showed up. It was to be produced using a revolutionary manufacturing technology that would not only simplify the car's construction but keep its weight down. John DeLorean bought the patent rights for the untested chassis only to find it unsuitable. The DMC-12 was already haemorrhaging money without one even being built. He needed substantial backing to get the company up and running and so he brought in his Hollywood pals including Johnny Carson and Sammy Davis Jr to invest in the firm.
Efforts were also made to redesign the car. Colin Chapman sorted out the troubled chassis, replacing most of the unproven material in favour of techniques employed by Lotus. As a result, it had a backbone just like the one in the Esprit while power came from a 2.8-litre Ford Cologne V6. This was mounted at the back and mated to either a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic.
Cars bound for the US had to have catalytic converters installed to meet stringent smog laws and as a result they produced a lowly 130bhp. It certainly wasn't the quickest, though European models didn't have any such requirements and this allowed the enginesto breathe better and make an extra 20 horses. In these versions, 0-100kph was achieved in just under nine seconds.
The DMC-12 was the only model made by the company before going into liquidation in 1982. During the criminally short production run, around 9,000 cars were manufactured. There were minor changes to it in its lifespan, such as revised bonnets, wheels and interiors. They had just about enough power to get them to 88mph (140kph) and trigger the ‘Flux Capacitor', which is what makes time travel possible in the Spielberg-produced movies. It sent the DMC-12 on some memorable adventures back and forth in time but one thing's for certain, these cars deserved legendary status for their timeless looks alone. As Dr Emmett Brown says: "If you're gonna build a time machine, why not do it in style?" He was spot on.
Then in 2007, businessman Stephen Wynne bought the rights to DMC and began reproducing the iconic car in Houston using leftover original parts. If that wasn't enough, it was announced last year that a limited number of DMC-12s would be produced with an electric drivetrain, while the stainless steel body would remain intact.
Great news. And here's hoping another sequel is in the works…
