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| De Lorean DMC-12
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| Manufacturer: | De Lorean Motor Company
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| Class: | Sports car
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| Body Styles: | 2-door coupe
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| Production: | 1981–1983
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| Engine: | 2.8 L (2849 cm³) PRV V6
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| Length: | 166 in (4216 mm)
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| Wheelbase: | 95 in (2413 mm)
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| Width: | 73.1 in (1857 mm)
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| Track: | 62.6 in (1590 mm) front
62.8 in (1595 mm) rear
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| Height: | 44.9 in (1140 mm) doors closed
77.2 in (1961 mm) doors open
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| Weight: | 2712 lb (1230 kg)
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| This article is part of the automobile series.
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The De Lorean DMC-12 was a sports car made by the De Lorean Motor Company from 1981 to 1983. The DMC-12 (also known simply as the De Lorean, as it was the only automobile produced by the company) featured gull-wing doors and a brushed, unpainted stainless steel body. Approximately 9,200 DMC-12s were produced.
The DMC-12 was famously featured in the Back to the Future movies.
History
In October of 1976, the first prototype De Lorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer and designer, formerly chief engineer at Pontiac. Originally, the car's rear-mounted power plant was to be a Citroën Wankel rotary engine, but was necessarily replaced with a French produced Douvrin PVR fuel injected V-6 due to fuel economy problems inherent in the rotary in a time of world-wide fuel shortages. Collins and De Lorean also envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untested manufacturing technology known as ERM, or Elastic Reservoir Moulding, which would contribute to the weight characteristics of the car while presumably lowering the production costs. This new technology, for which De Lorean had purchased patent rights, would eventually be found to be unsuitable in a mass production environment.
These, and other changes to the original concept, made for considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer Colin Chapman, founder and owner of Lotus. Chapman replaced most of the dubious material and manufacturing techniques with those currently being employed by Lotus; in specific, the existing suspension and chassis from the Lotus Esprit were used in the DMC-12. The original Giorgetto Giugiaro body design was left mostly intact, however, as was the distinctive stainless steel outer skin and gull-wing doors. Incidentally, Giugiaro also designed the Lotus Esprit a few years earlier.
The DMC-12 would eventually be built in a factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland; a neighborhood only a few miles away from Belfast. Construction on the factory began in October of 1978 and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to begin in 1979, engineering issues and budget overruns delayed production until 1981. The production personnel were also largely inexperienced and 1981 DMC-12s were sold without warranties. These problems were solved by 1982 and these models were sold with a 5 year, 50,000 mile (80,000 km) warranty.
Although the De Lorean Motor Company went bust in late 1982 (following John De Lorean's October 1982 arrest), unassembled DMC-12s were completed by Consolidated (now part of KAPAC).
Production
Approximately 9,200 DMC-12s were produced between January 1981 and December 1982. [1] Roughly one-fifth of these were produced in October of 1981. Very few cars were produced between February and July of 1982, although serious production returned in August of that year. (PDF)
At least one source indicates that only 8,583 DMC-12s were ever produced. [2]
Construction
The DMC-12 features a number of unusual construction details, including gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless-steel body panels, and a rear-mounted engine.
Body
The body of the DMC-12 was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and clad entirely in brushed SS304 stainless steel. Except for three cars plated in 24k gold, all DMC-12s left the factory uncovered by paint or clearcoat. [3] [4] There do exist painted De Loreans, although these were all painted sometime after the cars were purchased from the factory. Several hundred fiberglass-bodied "black car" DMC-12s were produced to train workers, although these were never marketed. [5]
Small scratches in the stainless steel body panels can reportedly be removed with a scouring pad. [6]
The stainless steel panels are fixed to a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, fiberglass) monocoque underbody. The underbody is affixed to a double-Y frame chassis, designed from the Lotus Elan platform.
Another novel feature of the DMC-12 is its gull-wing doors. The common problem of supporting the weight of gull-wing doors was solved by other manufacturers (lightweight doors in the case of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and an air pump in the case of the Bricklin SV-1) although these designs had structural or convenience issues. In contrast, the DMC-12 features heavy doors supported by cryogenically preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts (U.S. patent# 4,378,658). These torsion bars were manufactured by Grumman Aerospace to withstand the stresses of supporting the doors. [7]
These doors only extend 14 in. past the outside of the car, making opening and closing the doors in crowded parking lots relatively easy. [8] [9] Much like the doors fitted to the Lamborghini Countach, the DMC-12 doors featured small cutout windows because full-sized windows would not be fully retractable within the short door panels.
Drivetrain
The DMC-12 is powered by the PRV V6, an engine developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo. The engine is derived from the Volvo B28F which has been fitted with a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system and modified to be mounted in reverse. The PVR6 is a 90 degree layout, displaces 2.85 L (91 mm bore, 73 mm stroke), and has a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The block and heads are cast of light alloy and the engine features single overhead camshafts. When new, this engine was rated for 130 hp (97 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 208 Nm (153 ft lbf) at 2750 rpm. [10] Gas mileage was said to be 19 mpg (US) and unofficial tests largely support this figure. [11]
Two transmissions were available for the DMC-12: a three-speed automatic and a five-speed manual, both with a final drive ratio of 3.44:1. The manual transmission is a [[Renault}} [[Renault 30|30}} gearbox. [12] Most cars were fitted with manual transmissions. (PDF)
The engine in the DMC-12 is mounted behind the rear axle, much like in the VW Beetle and Porsche 911. The transaxle stretches forward between the axles. [13]
Suspension
As noted above, the underbody and suspension of the DMC-12 were based largely on the Lotus Elan. The DMC-12 features four-wheel independent suspension with double wishbones up front and a multilink system in the rear. All four wheels are suspended with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. [14]
The DMC-12 features power-assisted disc brakes of 10 in (254 mm) front, 10.5 in (267 mm) rear on all wheels. [15] It is also fitted with a rack and pinion steering system designed for 2.65 turns lock-to-lock. The car has a 35 ft turning circle.
DMC-12s were originally fitted with cast alloy wheels measuring 14 in (356 mm) diameter by 6 in (152 mm) wide on the front and 15 in (381 mm) diameter by 8 in (203 mm) wide in the rear. These were fitted with Goodyear NCT steel-belted radial tires.
Because the engine is mounted in the very rear of the vehicle, the DMC-12 has a 35%/65% front/rear weight distribution. [16]
Performance
De Lorean's comparison literature noted that the DMC-12 could achieve 0-60 mph in 8.8 s, although Road & Track magazine clocked the car at 10.5 s and later commented that it was "not a barn burner." De Lorean's comparison places the DMC-12 as the fifth-slowest sports car out of a group of ten. [17] DMC-12 owners also note that these vehicles will achieve sub-8 s 0-60 mph times, although it is unclear whether this is possible with a DMC-12 with strictly original equipment. [18]
Pricing
New DMC-12s had a suggested retail price of $25,000 ($650 more when equipped with an automatic transmission); this is equivalent to approximately $53,000 in 2003 dollars. Sources indicate that there were extensive waiting lists of people willing to pay up to $10,000 above list price. [19] After the collapse of the De Lorean Motor Company, unsold cars could be purchased for under retail. [20]
The DMC-12 was only available with 7 options: [21]
- Automatic transmission ($650)
- Car cover ($117)
- Floor mats ($84)
- Black textured accent stripes ($87)
- Grey Scotchcal accent stripes ($55)
- Luggage rack ($269)
- Ski-rack adapter
The standard feature list included: [22]
- Stainless steel body panels
- Gull-wing doors with cryogenically treated torsion bars
- Leather seats/trim
- Air conditioning
- High-output stereo system
- Power windows, locks, and mirrors
- Steering wheel adjustable for both rake and reach
- Tinted glass
- Body side moldings
- Intermittent windshield wipers
- Electric rear window defogger
Prices for DMC-12s vary widely with quality and demand, which varies over time. However, as of 2005, running examples command approximately $15,000 and excellent low-mileage examples have changed hands for twice that. There are an estimated 6,000 surviving DMC-12s today.
A company called the DeLorean Motor Company sells refurbished DMC-12s for $35,000 and used models priced according to condition. They also sell "new" DMC-12s made from spare parts. The cars are also available with more modern amenities, such as a more powerful engine and High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights. This company has no relationship with the original DeLorean Motor Company.
Production Changes
Although there were not typical "yearly" updates to the De Lorean, there were several changes that were made to the DeLorean during production. John De Lorean believed that model years were primarily a gimmick used by automobile companies to sell more cars. Instead of making massive changes at the end of the model year, he implemented changes mid-production. This resulted in no clear distinction between the 1981, 1982 and 1983 model years specifically, but with subtle changes taking place almost continuously throughout the life of the De Lorean. The most visible of these changes related to the hood style.
Hood styles
The original hood of the De Lorean had groves running down both sides. It also included a gas-flap to simplify fuel filling. The gas flap was built so that the trunk could be added to the total cargo area of the De Lorean. These cars also typically had a locking gas cap to prevent siphoning.
Sometime in 1981 the hood flap was removed from the hood of the cars (although the hood creases stayed). This style was kept throughout the end of 1981 and well into 1982. Based on production
numbers for all three years, this hood style is probably the most prevalent. After the supply of locking gas caps was exhausted, the company switched to a non locking version (This resulted in at
least 500 cars with no gas flap, but with locking gas caps).
The final styling for the hood included the addition of a De Lorean logo and the removal of the grooves, resulting in a completely flat hood. All hood changes were done not to change the looks of the car, but for a much more practical reason. Compared to normal sheet metal, stainless steel is much more brittle, and too many hoods were cracking in the process of being formed with both gas flaps and with grooves.
Door Pulls
John DeLorean was well over six feet in height, and he designed the car to comfortably fit someone of his stature. For those shorter than six feet, the addition of a pull strap made closing the doors much easier from the inside. Pull straps were manufactured as an add-on for earlier vehicles (through about November of 1981). These attach on to the existing door handle. Late model 1981 cars as well as all cars from 1982 and 1983 have doors with permanent pull straps attached.
Bolstering
The side bolstering in the De Lorean was originally separated from the main interior pieces. There is a tendency to place pressure on this piece when entering and exiting the car. This will eventually cause the bolstering to become separated from the trim panel. To help fix this problem; cars built in and after late 1981 have one solid trim piece with the bolster permanently attached.
early 1981 2 piece bolster
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Later style 1 piece bolster
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Foot Rest
As an addition to later cars, a foot rest (in the form of an unusable pedal) was added to the cars to help prevent fatigue while driving. This is one of the only changes that is directly tied to a model year. These were not built in to any 1981 vehicles, and were added to all cars starting with 1982 production.
Wheels
Although the styling of the De Loreans wheels stayed the same, early model 1981 vehicles had wheels that were painted grey. These wheels sported matching grey center caps with an embossed DMC logo. Early in to the production run in 1981 these were changed to give them more of a polished silver look, with a nicely contrasting black center cap. The embossed logo on the center caps was also painted white for added contrast.
Radio
The De Lorean came stocked in 1981 with a Craig radio. This was a standard 1980's tape radio with dual knob controls. Since the Craig did not have a built in clock, there was one installed in front of the gear shift. De Lorean's switched to an ASI stereo in the middle of the 1982 production run. Since the ASI radio featured an onboard clock, the standard De Lorean clock was removed at the same time.
1981 model: built in clock
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Antenna
Approximately the first 2200 cars off of the factory floor employed a windshield embedded antenna. This antenna set up proved to be inefficient for most motoring needs, so a standard whip antenna was added to the outside of the front right quarter panel. While improving radio reception, this also resulted in a hole in the stainless steel as well as an unsightly antenna. As a result, the antenna was again moved, this time to the back of the car. Automatic Antenna were installed under the grills behind the rear drivers side window. While giving the reception quality of a whip antenna, these also completely disappear from view when not in use.
Sun Visor
The small sun visors on the De Lorean have vinyl on one side, and headline fabric on the other side. Originally these were installed such that the vinyl side would be on the bottom when not in use. Later on in 1981 they were reversed so that the fabric side would be on the bottom.
Special DMC-12s
- By far the most famous DMC-12 built was the one featured in the Back to the Future trilogy of films. This De Lorean was modified after purchase with props to make it look like a time-travel machine. Twelve different De Loreans were reportedly used for the first film, Back to the Future.
- One of several De Lorean prototypes is still in existence. It is currently undergoing a complete restoration at De Lorean Motor Company of Florida. [23]
- Production of the DeLorean started at VIN 500. VINs #502 and 530 were used by Legend Industries as a proof of concept for a twin turbo version of the standard DeLorean PRV-V6 engine. VIN 530 is currently undergoing restoration at P. J. Gradys in New York. [24]
- Only one other twin-turbo engine is known to exist, and it was purchased in the late 1990s by an enthusiast who swapped it into his standard De Lorean.
- VIN 500, special for being the first production De Lorean to roll off the line in 1981 is on display in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio[25]
Gold-plated DMC-12s
De Lorean planned to plate one-hundred DMC-12s in 24k gold, and promote these vehicles through American Express, but only two were sold. One of these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank. Mize reportedly paid $85,000 for the vehicle, and it sat in the bank lobby for over 20 years before being loaned to a California automobile museum. [26]
The second gold-plated DMC-12 is currently on display at the National Auto Museum in Reno, Nevada. [27] It is the only one of the three gold cars to be equipped with a manual transmission.
There exists a third gold-plated car that carries the VIN plate for the last production De Lorean, #20105. [28] This car was built largly with parts that were on hand as "spares" for the other 2 gold De Loreans. All necessary gold plated pieces were on hand with the exception of one door. After gold plating another door, the car was assembled. This door does not precisely match the rest of the car in color and grain.[29]
Of the three gold-plated cars, the Reno car and #20105 have saddle-brown leather interiors. This was intended to become an option on later production cars, but these two cars were the only ones to be so equipped from the factory.
See also
External links
