1981 DeLorean DMC-12 - Rolling Joke or Movie Prop? Both?

Having lived through the seemingly endless news cycle that was the DeLorean soap opera, I find it hard to look at a DMC-12 and not see it as, at worst, a rolling joke and, at best, a movie prop. I rely on my twenty-one-year-old son to validate my initial reaction to them. Despite the car's movie fame, he knows nothing about the scandals that swallowed up the company, yet he thinks they're as cool as can be. It's nice to know my teenage impression of these cars has stood the test of time.

I remember seeing one for the first time and, like many people, being genuinely impressed. Fresh, futuristic, yet somehow contemporary, it seemed destined for greatness. Road tests at the time were generally favorable, though hardly glowing. Critics praised the stainless-steel-bodied, two-passenger, rear-engine, gull-wing wedge for its styling, but criticized its lack of power and handling quirks. With roughly 62 percent of its weight over the rear wheels, the tail could step out unexpectedly if a driver wasn't careful. Reviewers also pointed to its steep price tag. A 1981 DMC-12 like our subject carried an MSRP of around $25,000, equivalent to roughly $80,000 today. That was serious money for an entirely new car from an unproven company, especially one that was inherently impractical. 

Not that every car needs to be practical, but introducing a niche two-seat sports car as the first product from a brand-new automaker was unusual, even then. The people who bought them were either drawn to the latest new thing or simply fell in love with the design. In total, about 9,000 DMC-12s were produced, far short of the ambitious sales projections John DeLorean had talked about during the company's launch. 

After a remarkable career at General Motors, John DeLorean's name had become synonymous with performance, or at least the perception of it. Practical four-door sedans were hardly the stuff of automotive dreams in those days. Viewed through that lens, the DMC-12 almost makes sense. Almost.

It does make you wonder what might have happened had DeLorean launched with a sedan and followed up with the DMC-12 later. I picture a DeLorean sedan looking something like a stainless-steel 1980s Aston Martin Lagonda: strange, futuristic, and undeniably cool, but with far more commercial potential than a two-seat sports car. Most importantly, it still would have stood out in any crowd.

Somewhat ironically, despite being built for less than two full model years, the DMC-12 has appreciated significantly in value. Our restored example carries an asking price of $70,000. That's Porsche 911 territory for something that, at least to me, remains either a movie prop or a rolling punchline. Then again, maybe it's both.

Purportedly, John DeLorean sent the writers and producers of Back to the Future a thank-you letter shortly after the film's release. The car's starring role transformed the DMC-12 from a commercial failure into a cultural icon, and the resulting licensing and merchandising opportunities helped keep the DeLorean name alive long after the company itself disappeared.