Table of contents:
2023 Author: Charles Youmans | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-20 18:41
DeLorean DMC-12 became known to the general public thanks to the legendary Hollywood blockbuster "Back to the Future". It was on this model that the main characters traveled in time. The history of the car was very unusual, and John DeLorean himself was a very specific person. The model still thrills the hearts of millions of motorists today, not only thanks to its past, but also to its unusual design. It is also noteworthy that the DeLorean DMC-12 was the only car produced by the Irish auto company.
The history of the appearance of the model
Thanks to John DeLorean for the creation of the DeLorean DMC-12. At one time he was something like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. DeLorean was not afraid to bring his innovative idea to life and present the world with an absolutely unique car. His plans were to create the greatest sports supercar, which had no analogues at that time.
DeLorean's career began at the Packard Motor Car Company where he became a star, so his move to Pontiac (owned by General Motors) was not a surprise. At that time, the brand specialized in the production of comfortable, calm models that were in demand exclusively among families and the elderly. But DeLorean wanted to create a sports car aimed at young people. He was the first to install a powerful 6, 3-liter engine in a large-size Pontiac Bonneville, making it more maneuverable. It was thanks to DeLorean that such a class as "muscle cars" appeared.
After a major scandal at GM, when DeLorean criticized the style of his management, he had to quit. This was the starting point in the creation of his own company, called the DeLorean Motor Company. The first prototype of the legendary model was developed with the participation of his former colleague from Pontiac - Bill Collins. A specialist from Lotus was brought in to create the chassis. The car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiardo of Italian ItalDesign. The latter received complete carte blanche. The only condition that was set for him was that the novelty had to have doors of the "gull-wing" type, like the well-known Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. At the time of the creation of the final variation of the car, DeLorean had swept away three finished cars.
As for the appearance of the DeLorean DMC-12 in the film by Robert Zemeckis, the car simply had no competitors. The appearance of the model was ideally suited to the concept of "Back to the Future". For filming in movies, the car has been modified. In particular, a sliding panel appeared in it, thanks to which the heroes could move through time. After the release of the film, the demand for the model jumped sharply, and the cost of already produced cars in the secondary market increased significantly.
Design
The DeLorean DMC-12 body consists of one-piece composite fiberglass parts. As already mentioned, the main feature of the model was the doors of the "gull-wing" type. Thanks to the use of one-piece body parts, the car had excellent sound insulation. Potentially hazardous areas such as sills, roof, gas tank and wheel arches were additionally protected with solid urethane foam blocks.
Externally, the car looked very original for its time. Its aspiring look attracted a young category of car enthusiasts. The model was almost completely devoid of a roof, it was formed by the upper parts of the doors. The side windows were fixed tightly and could not be pulled out. Only small windows were opened, which were supplemented by an electric drive.
The seats and interior upholstery were made of high quality black leather. Subsequently, it was replaced by a gray one, which matched the shade of the body. In the starting modification, the car was equipped with air conditioning, standard tinted glass, an audio system with 4 speakers.
Specifications
DeLorean did not dare to experiment with the power unit and took a ready-made naturally aspirated derated engine from Renault. Its volume was 2.85 liters, and the power was only 130 horsepower. Before the first "hundred" the car reached in 9 seconds, and the maximum speed was limited to 209 km / h. A little later, as an experiment, the company released a model with a 156-horsepower turbocharged engine, but it never made it into the series. A 5-speed manual transmission and a 3-band automatic transmission were used as a transmission for the car.
Despite its impressive appearance, the car was not famous for its sporty handling. The model had a fairly "soft" body and long-travel suspension. All this made the DeLorean sluggish and even slightly "dumb" in the implementation of maneuvers. Another notable detail was that there were different tires at the front and rear of the car. The feed was equipped with wide 15-inch wheels. At the front, narrow 14-inch tires on light-alloy wheels were installed.
Car cost now
In 2017, the legendary DeLorean DMC-12, which took part in the movie "Back to the Future", was put up for sale. It was sold at auction in Britain. The mileage of the car at that time was 22.5 thousand kilometers. The initial cost of the model was $ 44,500 or 3.22 million rubles in equivalent. As a result, the car was sold for 541.2 thousand dollars or 39.2 million rubles. Part of the proceeds went to the Michael Fox Foundation, who played one of the main roles in the film Zemeckis, which is involved in the fight against Parkinson's disease.
To date, about 6,500 DeLorean DMC-12s have survived. For the restored car, you will have to pay about 40 thousand dollars. When ordering a completely new car from original parts, the price rises to $ 60,000. In the secondary market of our country, the cost of a model ranges from several hundred thousand to eight million rubles.