Happy Throwback Thursday! Today’s throwback year is 1981. On January 21 that year, something truly futuristic rolled out of a factory in Northern Ireland: the very first DeLorean automobile. With its stainless-steel body and dramatic gull-wing doors, the DMC-12 looked like nothing else on the road—a gleaming promise of the future wrapped in brushed metal.
A Bold Dream Takes Shape
The car was the brainchild of John DeLorean, a rising star at General Motors who, by 1965, had become the youngest division head in GM history. But DeLorean dreamed bigger. In 1973, he left GM to launch the DeLorean Motor Company, raising an astonishing $200 million—including $4 million of his own money and investments from celebrity backers like Johnny Carson, Roy Clark, and Sammy Davis Jr.
The Car That Looked Like Tomorrow
The DeLorean would ultimately be the company’s only model, and anticipation ran high. A waiting list formed before the first car even reached showrooms. But the excitement came with a harsh reality: a price tag of $25,000 (around $86,000 today). And for many, that was too steep for what critics called an underpowered novelty.
For all its futuristic flair, the DeLorean had its quirks. Its 130-horsepower engine struggled to match its sleek looks, taking 10.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. The stainless-steel panels, while corrosion-proof, were heavy and showed fingerprints easily—and because they couldn’t be painted, every DeLorean looked exactly the same. Even the interiors had issues: dye from the floor mats rubbed off on drivers’ shoes, and those iconic gull-wing doors had a habit of sticking.
A Tough Year in a Tough Economy
Sales peaked in October 1981 with 720 cars sold. But by then, the U.S. economy was sliding into recession and interest rates were rising. Instead of slowing production, John DeLorean doubled it—resulting in thousands of unsold cars. By the end of the year, DMC had produced 7,500 cars but sold only 3,000.
The crisis deepened. Just 350 cars sold in January 1982. One month later, the company was placed into receivership. By the time production stopped in December 1982, an estimated 9,000 units had been built—far fewer sold.
A Second Life on the Big Screen
Though the DeLorean’s time on the road was short, its time in Hollywood would be legendary. Director Robert Zemeckis, searching for the perfect time machine for Back to the Future, spotted everything he needed in the DMC-12: futuristic lines, gull-wing doors, and a look that, to a 1950s family, could easily be mistaken for a flying saucer.
Six DeLoreans were used during filming (plus a fiberglass model for “flying” scenes). Only three survive today. Two belong to Universal Studios; the third, restored, sold at auction in 2011 for $541,200. As of 2021, more than 120 DeLoreans have been converted into replica time machines by fans.
Still Turning Heads, Four Decades Later
Today, the DeLorean enjoys cult-car status. An estimated 6,500–6,700 of the original 9,000 cars are still on the road, lovingly maintained by an enthusiastic international community of owners and clubs.
Forty-plus years after that first stainless-steel beauty rolled out of the factory, the DeLorean remains a symbol of innovation, ambition, and pop-culture magic. Not bad for a car whose biggest legacy is—and always will be—a trip through time.