The DMC DeLorean was in production for only a few years, but it left a significant mark in automotive history. The iconic "Back to the Future" movie is definitely one of the reasons, but this car was much more than that with its unique design approach and features.
Things didn’t go well for the manufacturer, so while extremely attractive, the DMC DeLorean featured underwhelming performance and quality issues were numerous. For these reasons, many wonder whether the DMC DeLorean was worth all the hype.
The First Generation of DMC DeLorean (1981-1982)
The production of the first and only generation of DMC DeLorean (officially DMC-12) lasted for just a couple of years due to the company's 1982 bankruptcy. It is the only production car this company ever made, even though there were a few more concepts that were expected to go into production.
Those other DeLorean cars were a four-door sedan concept called DMC-24, a 4x4 off-roader called DMC-44, and a bus called DMC-80. The DMC DeLorean was initially codenamed DMC-12.
The development started in the 1970s, and after a couple of concepts and prototypes, production began in January 1981.
The vehicle was produced in the DeLorean Motor Cars assembly in Belfast, Northern Ireland, reaching a total of 9,530 units. According to some estimates, around 6,500 of them are still on the road, so you may be lucky to find a DMC DeLorean for sale.
Design
Giorgetto Giugiaro, one of the most legendary car designers of all time, designed the DMC DeLorean, which explains its stunning and slightly eccentric design. Giugiaro came out with a car primarily known for its gull-wing doors and unpainted stainless steel body panels.
This car was much more than that, with many attractive design solutions. First of all, it was imagined as a rear-engine mounted sports car, so it's no wonder that Giugiaro used his Porsche Tapiro concept as inspiration.
Some exciting design concepts that you will find in the DMC DeLorean are:
- The car was based on a double-Y frame chassis, with a similar design to the iconic Lotus Esprit.
- The chassis was coated with epoxy for corrosion protection.
- It featured a fibreglass underbody, to which the unpainted steel panels were attached.
- The dimensions of the front and rear wheels were different. At the front, the car featured 14-inch wheels with 195/60-14 tyres, while the rear wheels featured 15-inch wheels with 235/60-15 tyres. All four tyres were Goodyear NCT steel-belted radial tyres.
Suspension and Brakes
The DeLorean DMC was designed as a sportscar with a rear-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, requiring a proper sports suspension. The engineers used independent suspension on all four wheels—double-wishbone design at the front and multi-link for the rear.
Power-assisted disc brakes were installed on all four wheels—250mm units in the front and 270mm units in the rear. Steering was rack-and-pinion, with an overall steering ratio of 14.9:1, while the turning circle was around 11 metres.
In theory, this suspension setup seemed excellent. However, things were a little bit different in real-life situation. It turned out that the company used low-quality steel, affecting overall quality.
Another big mistake engineers made was that the front and rear springs had the same spring rate. The front end was significantly lighter, resulting in a big gap between the front wheels and fenders, which explains the so-called nose-high look.
Dimensions
This was a two-door sports coupe, so dimensions were adapted for the purpose. It was compact and manoeuvrable, measuring 2,413mm at the wheelbase, 4,267mm long, and 1,988mm wide. It was only 1,140mm high (1,962mm with open doors), with a kerb weight of around 1,250kg.
DMC DeLorean Dimensions
- Wheelbase: 2,413 mm
- Length: 4,267 mm
- Width: 1,988 mm
- Height: 1,140 mm (doors closed); 1,962 mm (doors open)
- Curb weight: 1,250kg
- Turning Circle: 11m
Engine
The engine was one of the biggest challenges for DeLorean engineers. As a young company, it didn't have the resources to build their own engine, so they chose one that was jointly developed by three European carmakers – Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo.
Known as the PRV engine (Peugeot Renault Volvo), this unit originally debuted in the Renault 30 model, with six cylinders and 2.7 litres capacity.
For DeLorean’s purposes, the engine was modified to have an engine capacity of 2.85 litres. It came with a 91mm bore, a 73mm stroke, and a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The V6 engine had a 90-degree layout, with a cast light-alloy block, cylinder heads, and cast-iron cylinder liners. Interestingly, the engine was cooled by two fans.
What we have is an engine with a max output of 97kW and 207Nm of torque. It was paired to a 5-speed manual transmission, while a 3-speed automatic gearbox was optional. The company claimed 0-100 acceleration in less than 9 seconds, but the numbers were notably higher in reality, meaning that acceleration took longer. Most sources suggest 10-10.5 seconds.
With such numbers, it was obvious that the car lagged behind key competitors by a second or two. So, the company quickly started considering a turbocharged version. A joint venture with American tuning company Legend began soon after, and the basic idea was to equip the existing engine with a turbocharger.
Legend used Japanese IHI turbochargers with intercoolers and offered two versions—single or twin turbos. The twin-turbo version was impressive in testing, with 0-100 acceleration in just 6 seconds, with the top speed reaching 240km/h. The plan was to offer a turbocharged DeLorean in 1985, but that remained a plan due to bankruptcy.
DMC DeLorean Engine Specs
- Engine Capacity: 2,849cc
- Fuel Type: Petrol
- Number of Cylinders: 6
- Forced Induction: -
- Max Output: 97kW
- Max Torque: 207Nm
- Transmission: 5-speed manual; 3-speed automatic
- Drivetrain: RWD
- Acceleration 0-100km/h (claimed): 8.8s
Why did the DeLorean fail?
Despite the unique design and various exclusive features, the DMC DeLorean could not compete with more experienced rivals. Besides its underwhelming performance, there were also a bunch of quality issues. We already mentioned the front suspension problem, but there were many more.
Some of the complaints were a sticking throttle, inertia switch, brake rotors issues, weak alternators, poor-quality door locks, instrument gauges issues, and many more. Early models even had problems with misaligned front wheels, which led to premature tyre wear.
Some sources claim that early models needed 200 hours of work at DMC Quality Assurance Centers before being shipped to dealerships. The company tried to solve some of these issues by sending factory workers to quality centres (particularly in the U.S.) to learn about the problems and how to fix them. However, it was too late.
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By Nebojsa Grmusa