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1981 DMC DeLorean, Back to the Future

The origin

John DeLorean was a well-known engineer at General Motors for his significant role in the development of the 1st Muscle Car, Pontiac GTO and some other iconic cars. He Left GM in 1973 to establish his own DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) and later in the mid-1970s started working on a prototype, which was introduced in Oct 1975. It was called DeLorean Safety Vehicle (DSV), a 2-seater mid-engine developed by the former chief engineer of Pontiac, William T. Collins. The astonishing body was designed by, you could tell by its Gullwing doors, Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign.

The car was intended to feature so many innovative & advanced technologies, such as Elastic Reservoir Molding (ERM) for building a light chassis, but all faced so many vicissitudes during the development that the 2nd prototype, developed by Colin Chapman the founder of Lotus, was totally re-engineered and similar to the original concept just in the less modified exterior.

The engine planned to be used was a Comotor rotary at first, which was first replaced with a Ford Cologne V6, then with a Citroën 829A and finally a PSA-Renault-Volvo PRV-V6 that in order to fit it, the layout had to be changed to rear-engine. It was officially called DMC-12, due to the $12K target price it was claimed to be sold at, which never happened and eventually the first car left the assembly line at DMC Northern Ireland site with a price tag starting at $25K, in Jan 1981.

DeLorean, with that attractive body built by stainless steel panels sans paint and formed with those sharp lines, seemed to be a ready-to-fly supercar with an outstanding performance, but was it?

Demands for the car declined with just 3000 cars sold out of 7500 built by the end of 1981 and never met the number John DeLorean expected. In early 1982, the company was put into receivership which wasn’t of much help, so DMC declared bankruptcy in Oct 1982 and closed later with totally 9000 cars delivered until early 1983.

Appearing in 1985 “Back to the Future” movie, re-wrote its sad story and DeLorean gained a global popularity still existing, so that everyone knows it as the Time Machine.

Technical specifications

The 2nd prototype, which was the production version, was built on a steel Backbone chassis, a technology used by Chapman on Lotus at the time and used disk brakes on all 4 wheels. The suspension was all-independent, Double-Wishbone in the front and Multi-Link with Trailing Arm in the rear, both using Coil Springs. The PRV engine was a V-6 2Valves/Cyl SOHC mounted longitudinally in the rear, fed by Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injectors and producing 130bhp of power @ 5500rpm & 207 N.M of torque @ 2750rpm which was disappointing for a sport car weighing around 1245kg.

The power delivered to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual or optional 3-speed automatic gearbox, managed to propel the car from 0 to 100km/h in 9.6s (around 11s with the automatic transmission) and to a top speed of less than 210km/h.

Follow: Encycaropedia

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Carlo Pinin
Carlo Pinin
2 years ago

There is a lot of Lotus Esprit in the DeLorean’s design. Simply Giugiaro

Mark84
Mark84
2 years ago
Reply to  Carlo Pinin

Cool design but the car was trash

Celebrating 115 years of Carrozzeria Garavini, the brand sees its rediscovery and relaunch in the world of cars, design and elegance.

At Garavini, craftsmanship, manufacture and uniqueness come together to create works of art on wheels that go beyond the concept of a simple means of transport to become symbols of passion and refinement.

115 years after its foundation, the company has decided to start again with the Alfa Romeo 4C, in the 10th anniversary year of the model’s presentation, in collaboration with the IAAD in Turin. This partnership between the historic brand and the design institute represents an opportunity to create a high-end sports car that combines outstanding Italian aesthetics with the best technologies.

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The project takes its inspiration from the 1930s Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 by Garavini, the star of the Italian Dolce Vita and the birth of the classic car movement in Italy. The Garavini Perenne represents an extraordinary sports car that combines the Italian tradition of elegance and style with innovation and high quality craftsmanship. Garavini’s tribute to the model, the 4C, which, with its debut 10 years ago, decreed the real relaunch of Alfa Romeo, is no coincidence: symbolic value, as happens in all valuable initiatives, has a decisive weight in the conception and realisation of unique products.

The soul of the project is Luca Babbini, a young entrepreneur with experience in research and development for various industries, in particular the automotive industry. Babbini’s path, which started at IAAD and has been refined through subsequent collaborations, has always been linked to a passion for luxury, not so much as a material passion, but derived from the emotion that an object or an experience conveys.

“When I crossed Garavini’s path,” explains Luca Babbini, Garavini Design Director, “with family origins and values that can be traced back to mine, I thought it was a sign: the awareness of this affinity has allowed us to give life to a new chapter, a reality in which passion for craftsmanship, luxury and family heritage come together. The Garavini Perenne will be an opportunity to enhance the Turin area but in an international key, thanks to the freshness and desire to do that only a young team, such as that of Garavini and that of the IAAD master’s degree course in Transportation Design, can guarantee.”

On 8 July on the occasion of the Poltu Quatu Classic, a preview of the concept on which the students of the IAAD master’s course in Transportation Design are working, reasoning and declining the Garavini values of elegance and attention to detail, aimed at creating a modern classic with a first series of 15 examples, which aspires to become a timeless model, a source of inspiration for the present and the future. The lines are classic, inspired by a sporty use that smells of fresh air and speed. Driving pleasure is at the heart of the design with a set-up dedicated to usability on the road as well as on the track.

Again Luca Babbini: ‘The valorisation of young people is a key aspect of the project: it always seems, in the common narrative, that unreachable challenges and moments of continuous crisis await us, but the future is full of opportunities and style and beauty are not a closed chapter. The creation of new classics is the true ambition of a project, which looks to the future aware of its past but with the confidence that it can still make a difference. The Turin area, then, is rich in excellent craft realities with which to create synergies and develop a true pole of high craftsmanship. There is nothing to stop us from looking beyond the automotive field and broadening the declination of our values with incursions into other sectors… in short, there is a lot to build on, and the Garavini lifestyle begins today with Garavini Perenne.

The result of this partnership is a high-end compact sports car with a sculptural aesthetic design. Garavini is committed to satisfying a discerning international audience that appreciates the art of automotive design and Italian craftsmanship. The ability to excite both long-time enthusiasts and new customers is a challenge Garavini sets itself, aiming to create a fascinating and successful future for the brand.

The Garavini Perenne will be released in 2025.