DeLorean DMC-12
The stainless-steel gull-wing coupé that looked like tomorrow—even before movies turned it into a time machine.
The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 · Oleg Yunakov · CC BY-SA 4.0
More than a set of wheels.
The DMC-12 reached production in Northern Ireland in 1981, created by John Z. DeLorean's new company and shaped by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Its unpainted stainless-steel outer panels and gull-wing doors made it instantly recognizable. This page follows the first-year U.S.-market car with the five-speed manual, not a film prop or a later engine conversion.
Look a little closer.
The doors rise upward but need less side space than a long conventional door—useful when parked close to another car.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A real car before a movie star
Production began in 1981, four years before Back to the Future arrived. The road car's stainless skin, gull-wing doors and low shape were real design choices, not film inventions.
Source: Smithsonian Magazine · John Z. DeLorean's car of the future ↗Rear engine, front radiator
The V6 lives at the rear, but the radiator and twin electric fans sit at the front. Coolant pipes running through the center tunnel connect the two ends of the car.
Source: DeLorean Motor Company · 1981 Technical Information Manual ↗Where these facts come from
- DeLorean Motor Company · 1981 Technical Information Manual
- Museo Nicolis · 1981 DeLorean DMC-12
- Smithsonian Magazine · John Z. DeLorean's car of the future
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.