The DeLorean

Lore & Background

The DeLorean was originally conceived in the mid-1970s with advanced features such as a plastic unibody chassis using Elastic Reservoir Molding (ERM), a mid-engine layout, and a driver-side airbag, but none of these materialized in the production vehicle. Stainless steel was chosen for the outer surfaces primarily due to a paint-finish problem with ERM. The engine selection changed several times: initially a Wankel rotary engine was intended, then a Ford Cologne V6, then a Citroën inline-four, before finally settling on the fuel-injected V6 PRV engine. This required moving the engine from a mid-engined location to a rear-engined location.

Reader's Guide

The DeLorean's significance lies in its distinctive design and its cultural impact, far outweighing its commercial failure. Despite acquiring a reputation for poor build quality and an unsatisfactory driving experience, the DeLorean continues to have a strong following. Its most enduring legacy is its role as the time machine in the Back to the Future films, which cemented its place in popular culture. The car's brushed stainless-steel body and gull-wing doors remain instantly recognizable. The car's development story illustrates the challenges of bringing an innovative but underfunded vehicle to market, with numerous changes from the original concept and significant schedule pressures. The DeLorean remains a symbol of 1980s automotive ambition and a collector's item.

Did You Know?

• The DeLorean is sometimes referred to by its internal pre-production designation, DMC-12, although this was not used in sales or marketing materials for the production model.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

A common misconception is that the DeLorean was mid-engined like many sports cars of its era, but the production vehicle actually had a rear-engined layout due to the switch to the PRV V6. Another is that the “DMC-12” was the production model’s official name, but that was only an internal pre-production designation not used in sales or marketing. Additionally, some believe its stainless-steel body was chosen purely for style, but it was primarily selected because of paint-finish problems with the planned plastic unibody.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

The DeLorean endures not for its performance or commercial success—both of which were modest—but for its iconic design and pop-culture immortality as the Back to the Future time machine. It also stands as a cautionary tale of ambitious automotive innovation undermined by technical compromises and corporate turmoil, representing a unique moment when a company’s reach exceeded its grasp in memorable fashion.