Chapman replaced most of the unproven material and manufacturing techniques with those then employed by Lotus, including a steel backbone chassis.
The design was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to English engineer Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars. These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. A central warning system would check various fluid levels and even warn of low brake pad thickness though, even at this time, it was suspected that production cars would not have this feature.
DMC 5 SECRET MISSION 7 DRIVER
A black steering wheel with a fat center was intended to hold an airbag and the driver had a full set of Stewart-Warner gauges. A medium brown leather covered the seats, but they were much flatter and did not have the comfort and support of the production seats. Prototype 1 had a prominent full-width knee bar, as it was intended to be a safety car. Prototype 1's interior was significantly different from the production vehicle's. DeLorean had purchased patent rights to the essentially untested ERM technology, and it was eventually found unsuitable. The chassis was initially planned to use elastic reservoir moulding (ERM), which would lighten the car and lower its production costs. As a result, the engine location had to be moved from the mid-engined location in Prototype 1 to a rear-engined location in Prototype 2, a configuration which would be retained in the production vehicle. Įventually the fuel-injected V6 PRV engine ( Peugeot- Renault- Volvo) was selected. When Citroën learned of DMC plans to turbocharge the engine, Citroën suggested that DMC find another engine.
The 1,985 cc (121 cu in) I4 engine from Citroën was ultimately deemed underpowered for the DeLorean.
The Ford V6 engine would soon be abandoned in favor of the complete drivetrain from the Citroën CX 2000-deemed a more reliable choice. As development continued, the model was referred to as the DSV-12, before changing to DMC-12, the "12" deriving from the target list price of $12,000 upon release. The prototype was initially known as the DSV-1, or DeLorean Safety Vehicle. Collins, formerly chief engineer at Pontiac. Ī DeLorean with the gull-wing doors closedĪppearing in October 1976, the first prototype was completed by American automotive chief engineer William T. The engine selection was reconsidered when Comotor production ended and the favored engine became the Ford Cologne V6 engine. Originally, the car was intended to have a centrally-mounted Wankel rotary engine. When details surrounding the DeLorean were first announced in the mid-1970s, there were numerous plans and rumors that the DeLorean would have many advanced features, such as elastic reservoir moulding (ERM), a unit-construction plastic chassis, a mid-engine layout, an airbag, 10-mph bumpers and ultrawide Pirelli P7 tires none of these would materialize in the production vehicle. 6,500 DeLoreans were estimated to still be on the road as of 2015. With the first production car completed on January 21, 1981, the design incorporated numerous minor revisions to the hood, wheels and interior before production ended in late December 1982, shortly after DMC filed for bankruptcy and after total production reached about 9,000 units.ĭespite the car having a reputation for poor build quality and an unsatisfactory driving experience, the DeLorean continues to have a strong following driven in part by the popularity of Back to the Future. Though its production was short-lived, the DeLorean became widely known after it was featured as the time machine in the Back to the Future films. ĭesigned by Giorgetto Giugiaro and noted for its gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel outer body panels, the sports car was also noted for a lack of power and performance incongruous with its looks and price. However, the DMC-12 name was never used in sales or marketing materials for the production model. The DeLorean is sometimes referred to by its internal DMC pre-production designation, DMC-12. The DMC DeLorean is a rear-engine two-passenger sports car manufactured and marketed by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) for the American market from 1981 until 1983-ultimately the only car brought to market by the fledgling company.
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