1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe

John Z. DeLorean was 40 years old when he became the youngest head of the Pontiac division and eventually reached the level of vice president. He left General Motors in 1973 to pursue his dream of building his own sports car, and the DeLorean Motor Company was founded in 1975. The DeLorean DMC-12 sports car that followed was manufactured in Northern Ireland from 1981 through 1983. The wedge-shaped styling was courtesy of Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, and iconic design cues included distinctive 'gull-wing' doors that swing upward, a mid-engine placement, and outer body panels of brushed stainless steel. Its chassis and suspension were based on the Lotus Esprit, and its 2.85-liter fuel-injected V-6 engine was produced by Peugeot-Renault-Volvo. During its brief production lifespan, it is estimated that around 9,000 examples were built.

This particular example left the factory in April of 1981 with a five-speed manual transmission and a Black interior. It was shipped to the United States to the Port of Long Beach and trucked to a dealership in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Currently, this DeLorean has 10,484 miles on its odometer.

The fuel and brake systems were overhauled by Orlando-based DeLorean specialist DMC Florida in 2017. Additional work included the replacement of the window regulators and switches.

This DeLorean DMC-12 was acquired by its current owner in 2018.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024