1981 DeLorean DMC-12
Key Stats
Year Built: 1981
Top Speed: 130mph
Engine: 2,850cc
Horsepower: 130bhp
0-60: 9.6 seconds
The story of the DeLorean is endlessly fascinating. How could a car created by the brightest minds of the day be a spectacular sales flop yet go on to become one of the most iconic vehicles in the world?
The story begins with John DeLorean convincing Margaret Thatcher's Government to invest around £70 million into his dream. DeLorean then hired legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and chassis genius Colin Chapman. Why did it go so wrong? Rushed development of the car and the new Belfast factory proved disastrous. The car had poor handling and quality and was not fast enough to compete with the Corvette or the 911 in the USA. Production stopped after two years and 9,000 cars.
Enter film director Robert Zemeckis on the hunt for a time machine after deciding his first idea, a refrigerator, wasn’t practical. The rest is history: one of the most famous cars of all time which no-one wanted to buy!
