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and added costs. (Consider this as an example: At While demand for the cars was high, novelty
one point three of the cars were gold-plated in 24K being a potent force, DeLorean proved to be a
gold as a marketing ploy. An additional gold-plated car bit slippery, not selling the majority of the 1982
was also made from spare panels, bringing the final production numbers in that year, but
golden eggs to four.) instead reVINing them, to make it appear they
were manufactured in 1983.
The DeLorean retained its American arrogance
despite its Irish manufacture. All but 16 of the cars There was one solid result: the DeLorean Motor
produced were left hand models. 16 right hand drive Company went bankrupt in 1982. Had a
Deloreans were produced for the Japanese market. DeLorean not ended up three years later in a
Worse, the car only produced a paltry 120 hp once Hollywood movie blockbuster, Back to the
the catalytic converter required by the American Future, it likely would have become just another
market was fitted. Still for a brief period, demand footnote in dreams gone wrong, an empty pot at
was brisk, and buyers were willing to pay up to the end of another Irish rainbow. Despite itself,
$10,000 over MSRP, to get their hands on a DMC-12. the DMC-12, thanks to the movie, as shown
below, became instead a genuine, cult, classic.
Finally, on 21 January 1981, the first DeLorean rolled
off the line, offered for sale at a whopping price tag of
$25,000, about $68,000 in today?s dollars. Try to

ignore that it was actually slower from 0-60 then
t
the defunct Costin and it wasn? all that fast in
general. The DeLorean could just about manage 130
mph and get from 0-60 in 10.5 seconds.
One year later, after the first DMC-12 had rolled off
the production line to cheers, in February 1982,
production halted. Lack of sales and other financial
problems popped the balloon. Only 8,500 cars were
finished.
image by madsci for istock.com

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