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DeLorean DMC-12
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This page is dedicated to my absolute favourite car of all time.....
the DeLorean DMC-12.
With it`s famous gull-wing doors,stainless steel body,and height of
only 45 inches..the DMC-12 is a true car of the future.
It was created by John Z. DeLorean......destroyed by the evil Margaret
Thatcher....and immortalised as the coolest time-machine ever,in three
`Back To The Future` movies!.
This is the incredible story of the car`s creation,brief production,and
future.
Includes extensive details of the car`s technical specifications!.



The Man
John Zachary DeLorean was born in Detroit,on
January 6th,1925.
Employed by Pontiac in 1959,his expertise in
the car industry saw him promoted to vice-
president of GM,by 1973.
He was widely tipped to become president of
General Motors,but he hated GM`s policy of
churning out cars that were designed to last
only a short time.
DeLorean had a dream of creating a car that
would last forever.....and his dream was about
to become reality!.
The Car
DeLorean Motor Company was formed on
October 24th,1974.Working from a small
office in Detroit,former GM engineer Bill
Collins helped John begin designing his
"ethical" sports car.
By 1975,Giorgetto Giugiaro,designer of the
Lotus Esprit and VW Scirocco,was contracted
to pen the car`s design.
This photo shows Giugiaro`s original DeLorean
mock-up.The DSV badge stands for"Delorean
Safety Vehicle".
Allstate Insurance provided the first funding,and
wanted the car to be stylish,practical,and safe.
This car was later sent back to Giugiaro for some
tweaks to the body design.You can currently see it
on display at the Ulster Transport Museum,in Belfast.

With sites as far adrift as Puerto Rico and Texas considered as manufacturing facilities,DMC were eventually lured by the british government`s package of loans,grants,and tax incentives.
The factory and working capital,provided by Margaret Thatcher and the Northern Ireland Development Administration,was to the tune of 100 million dollars.
Work started on the DMC factory in October 1978.Built in Dunmurry,Belfast,the first cars were being produced within 2 years.
The factory occupied 72 acres of bogland,between the Catholic district of Twinbrooks,and the Protestant area near Lisburn Road.
From 1981 to 1983,about 8,583 DMC-12`s were built,by 2500 Belfast workers.
Only 23 right-hand drive models ever left the factory!.

Unfortunately,Margaret Thatcher`s real motive for
providing DMC with funding,was to try and damage
the IRA.
When this failed,she decided..in the caring,thoughtful
way we all know and love her for..to destroy 2500 jobs,
by refusing DMC any more finance.
As if the loss of 2500 jobs,and the fact that the World`s
most beautiful car had ceased production were`nt bad enough,things were to get even worse for John
Delorean.
On October 19th,1982,he was arrested for alledged money laundering.Later proved beyond all doubt to be innocent of all charges,and victim of a US government sting operation,John never went to jail,and was totally acquitted.After the plant was closed,DMC management completed the last ever DMC-12`s,with the final car being made on Christmas Eve,1982.
This photo shows the proud Belfast workers,with the
1000th DeLorean to roll off the production line.

In the 20 years since the demise of DMC,there have been several conspiracy theories regarding the fate of the original stamping dies,that were used to manufacture the famous stainless steel body panels.Some believe that they were dumped at the bottom of the Irish Sea by a bitter british government,to prevent the cars from ever being built again.Others believe they have been `spirited` away into hiding,in a sort of `cryogenic` state,waiting to resurrect brand new DMC-12`s,when DMC rises from the flames.
Actually,the dies were bought from Belfast,by a scrap metal company in Cork,and sold on to Braden Mara Fish Farm.
This photo shows the gull-wing door moulds being loaded onto the `Severn Princess` ferry,at Kilkieren Harbour in 1984.They were then dropped to the bottom of Ards Bay,Connemara,where they secure the salmon nets!.
Back to the Future
Released on July 3rd 1985,`Back To The Future`,has
helped to immortalise the DMC-12.However,things
could have been very different,because the original
time machine was going to be a refridgerator!.
The idea was dropped,in case children got trapped
inside them!.
Seven DeLoreans were used throughout the trilogy,
converted into time-machines,using military equipment
and Krupps coffee grinders,amongst other things!.
The DeLorean was seen to make a total of 14 trips
through time, across the 3 movies!.
One of 3 DeLoreans used in `BTTF Part 3`,can be seen
at the `Cars Of The Stars` museum in Keswick,England.
The Ride
In 1990,` Back to the Future-The Ride `,opened at
Universal Studio`s in Florida.
Housed in a huge building,containing 2 separate
theatres,it combines an IMAX movie,shown on 80
feet high screens,with 24 replica DeLorean
simulators.
Each DeLorean holds 8 passengers,
enabling 192 people to experience the ride.
Although the IMAX movie used on the ride only
lasts 4 minutes,it used to be the most expensive
movie,per minute,ever made!.
The entire ride project cost 40 million dollars!.
The December 2002,Region 2 DVD release of the
BTTF trilogy,unfortunately doesn`t include the ride`s movie.It does,however,feature the `Doubleback`video,
by one of my fave groups...ZZ Top!.
Specifications
Actual production numbers are as follows;
1981 - 6,539
1982 - 1,126
1983 - 918
DeLorean named the car `DMC-12`,because it`s original
selling price was to be 12,000 dollars.This eventually rose
to over 25,000 dollars.
The car`s standard features include; electric windows and door mirrors,air-conditioning,Craig stereo,central-locking,and leather seats.
The Lotus designed chassis, consists of a central box-section backbone,and `Y` shaped sub-frames.The car`s body is constructed of glass-reinforced plastic,with
Brushed Grade 304 stainless-steel panels attached.
The panels are easily removed to repair any small dents,and any minor scratches can be removed with a Scotch-Brite pad!.

Gull-wing doors were first seen on the 1956 Mercedes 300SL.
They`ve also been used on the Bricklin,and even the Mitsubishi Starion.
The DeLorean`s gull-wing doors are hinged close to the centre-line of the roof,and swing upwards rather than outwards.They only require 14 inches of clearance,and the car is easier to get in and out of in tight spaces,than a car with `normal` doors!.
The window has a small inset,which is the only part of the glass that actually winds down.
The doors are counter-balanced,by a cryogenically manufactured torsion bar,and door struts assist the doors and help to prevent them from drooping.
Contrary to popular belief,the doors don`t make the metallic,motorised sound that they make in `Back to the Future`!.

The DeLorean runs on cast-alloy wheels;
14 x 6" at the front.
15 x 8" at the rear.
The reason that the front wheels are an inch smaller in diameter than the rear wheels,is to reduce oversteer and create excellent handling.
Original tyres were Good Year NCT steel-belted radials;
195/60HR-14 at the front.
235/60HR-15 to the rear.
Braking is provided by a servo-assisted 4-wheel disk brake system.

The interior is either grey or black,English Connolly and Italian glove leather.
Original stereo was a Craig Powerplay R3 radio/cassette,with 4 speakers.
The DMC-12`s interior is very spacious,ergonomic and comfortable,despite what Quentin Wilson thinks!.
If you don`t know who Quentin Wilson is....well,he`s an absolute tosser,who trades untrue,derogatory insults about the DeLorean.
Goldie looks!
Although no cars were ever factory painted,3 were gold-plated,like the one in the photo.
Two were made for the American Express christmas catalog,and are now worth over 175,000 dollars...EACH!.
Some owners have had their cars spray-painted.There are red ones,green,blue,white,black....and even silver!!.
Who on earth would paint a stainless-steel car..silver?!!.
The DMC-12 has a PRV6 engine,developed by Peugeot,Renault,and Volvo.Hence the name!.
The basic engine is a Volvo B-23F.It`s a 2.8 litre 90 degree V6,mated with a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system.
Transmission is either a Renault 5-speed manual,or 3-speed automatic.
The engine gives out 130BHP,with a 0-60MPH time of around 8.6 seconds.
The Future
The history and future of the DMC-12,has similar parallels with the classic Mini.
Both cars were totally innovative upon their launch into the World.
Both cars are famous for their part in movies.
Both cars are now out of production.
They are both loved and adored by their owners,and will live forever.
The future of the DeLorean,like the classic Mini,now lies firmly in the hands of enthusiasts!.


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