1981 DeLorean DMC-12

1981 DeLorean DMC-12174ci Volvo-sourced Engine with 130 HP Three-speed Automatic Made Famous by the Movie Back to the Future History. The DeLorean DMC-12 was the brain-child of John Zachary DeLorean an American automobile engineer and executive. This GT type production car was designed and developed in the 1970sbut production and funding issues delayed its introduction until1981 the year model of this car. DeLorean Motor Company was an United States corporation headquartered in New York but DeLoreans were build in Dunmurry Ireland with support of the British Government. John DeLorean considered several build sites in the US and around the world but the British Government wanted to resolve poverty and religious strife in Ireland and offered him the best support subsidies and tax breaks. Its not easy to design and build a car from scratch but John DeLorean knew engineering and the automobile business. This is not a kit car assembled from off the shelf parts. Almost everything was designed specifically for the DeLorean. The timeless good looks were from celebrated designer Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Designs now famous for his design of such cars as the Alfa Romero Brera Ferrari 250 GT Maserati Ghibli DeTomaso Mangusta Lamborghini Cala and many more. The DeLorean is a unique car with several distinguishing features. The doors are of the gull-wing design opened by gas struts and cryso twist torsion bars designed by Grumman Aerospace. Lotus designed the double Y frame. The fuel tank is safely nestled in the front Y and the engine is cradled in the rear Y. That engine is an aluminum alloy V6 jointly developed by Peugeot Renault and Volvo and designated the PRV6. It employed a very successful early use of mechanical fuel injection by Bosch. It has a trans-axle setup rear wheel drive and fully independent suspension. While the car appears to be of stamped metal panels like conventional cars it is actually a composite car with a FRP(Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) core covered by stainless steel panels. The 304 stainless steel costs about four times that of conventional steel. No factory cars were ever painted but about 4were gold plated for a special American Express promotion. Even the Craig WS450 cassette/radio was state of the art at the time. There was only one production model of DeLorean automobile theDMC-12 by company designation. That was part of DeLoreans plan for an ethical car that would be fun to drive safe to operate and long lasting. Fewer than 10000 DeLoreans were built and sold from 1981 to 1983.This DeLorean. The car was purchased from one of the original investors of DeLorean Motor Company. He was a beloved local physician who mostly drove it from his home to a nearby golf course. Exterior/Body. The original stainless steel is properly grained and in excellent condition. The front and rear fascia's were removed stripped and refinished in original color. The windscreen was replaced due to a rock chip. Inner and outer door seals were replaced. Window motors were replaced and switches refurbished or replaced. Door and bonnet struts were replaced and torsion bars adjusted. Doors open and close smoothly latch lock and fit properly. Electric door locks work properly. Headlight and tail light assemblies were removed and refurbished. The gull-wing door hinges cryo-twist bars and T-panel assembly are all original rust free and properly secured. Inner and outer door seals were changed during renovation. Interior. The dash was removed and refinished in original color. The instrument binnacle was recovered. All instruments were removed and cleaned. All are in proper working order. Dash and side panel radio speakers were replaced. The automatic antenna was replaced. Carpets are original and show some wear but still very presentable. Headliners were recovered. Door panels are in great condition. Seats were recovered in leather. No butchered electrical box on this DeLorean. Some weak components were replaced fuse box and fan fuse wir